Key Takeaways
- •House officers requested FY 2027 budget increases to prioritize cybersecurity, member protection programs, and AI-driven operational efficiencies like automated floor captioning and legislative tracking.
- •Anne Dressendorfer Binsted (Acting Chief Administrative Officer) testified that the House faced three billion cyberattacks in 2025, justifying a $253 million request for IT and infrastructure.
- •Rep. Nick LaLota (R, NY-1) challenged Warren Burke (Legislative Counsel) over the fairness of "first-in, first-out" prioritization for the office's 23,000 annual legislative drafting requests.
- •Rep. David Valadao (R, CA-22) and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) maintained bipartisan consensus on increasing funding for the Sergeant at Arms to protect members and their families.
- •These requests will inform the subcommittee's FY 2027 appropriations bill as leadership seeks to modernize House technology while addressing rising physical and digital threats.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch met on March 17, 2026, to review the fiscal year 2027 budget requests for the officers of the United States House of Representatives. Chaired by Rep. David Valadao (R, CA-22), the hearing focused on the operational needs, security enhancements, and technological modernization efforts of the Office of the Clerk, the Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA), and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) emphasized the bipartisan nature of protecting the institution and its members, particularly through expanded security programs and improved constituent services.
Policy Proposals
The Honorable Kevin McCumber, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, requested $51,789,000 for fiscal year 2027, a 5.71 percent increase over the previous year. McCumber highlighted several modernization milestones, including the implementation of an AI-based speech-to-text solution for floor proceedings that saves approximately $500,000 annually and provides Spanish closed captioning. He detailed improvements to the e-Hopper system, which now allows for the electronic submission of constitutional authority statements and will soon integrate the Quill platform for adding cosponsors. McCumber also discussed the "legislative drafting study," conducted in collaboration with the Office of the Legislative Counsel, which recommends creating a new portal for members to track the status of their drafting requests. His budget request includes funding for 11 new positions to address increased workloads in archival, curatorial, and technology support roles.
Key Testimony
The Honorable William McFarland, Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives, presented a budget request of $147,281,000, representing a 4.75 percent increase. McFarland’s testimony centered on the Member Personal Security Program, which provides $20,000 per month per member for protection services. He noted the success of the mobile duress application and the Sergeant at Arms secure member portal. McFarland expressed concern over the pace of physical security projects and emphasized the importance of the Member Cybersecurity Program. He also highlighted the SAA’s role in coordinating with the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and local law enforcement through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to reimburse local agencies for protecting members in their home districts.
Overview
The Honorable Anne Dressendorfer Binsted, Acting Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, requested $253,000,000, an 8.5 percent increase. Binsted identified cybersecurity as the CAO’s most consequential responsibility, noting that the House faced three billion malicious attacks in 2025. She proposed a new project to build a secure cloud environment for testing custom AI technologies and announced the upcoming rollout of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all House mobile devices and computers. Other CAO priorities include a centralized committee video platform and a bulk email platform designed to reduce costs for member offices. Binsted also touched on the "Case Compass" pilot program, currently used by 16 offices to aggregate constituent data and identify trends.
The hearing featured a significant discussion on the Office of the Legislative Counsel, represented by Mr. Warren Burke. Rep. Nick LaLota (R, NY-1) questioned Burke regarding the prioritization of the 23,000 drafting requests received in the first 13 months of the current Congress. Burke explained that while "first in, first out" is a primary factor, the office also prioritizes drafts based on their stage in the legislative process, such as floor deadlines or conference agreements. Rep. LaLota expressed concern that members who submit fewer requests might be unfairly delayed by those submitting hundreds, urging the office to find a more equitable solution.
Partisan dynamics were largely collaborative, with both sides of the aisle supporting increased security and modernization. However, Rep. Riley Moore (R, WV-2) criticized the Quill platform as "unworkable" and urged the CAO to consider commercial off-the-shelf alternatives. Rep. Moore also inquired about parking for expectant mothers, a matter the SAA promised to coordinate with the Committee on House Administration (CHA). Rep. Mike Quigley (D, IL-5) focused on member security while living in Washington, D.C., prompting McFarland to discuss the "common operating picture" tool expected to launch in September to track and alert members of nearby threats.
Policy Proposals
Several organizations were central to the discussion. The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) was praised for its cybersecurity efforts and its role in managing the transition to eight new food vendors. The Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) was recognized for its member security programs and its leadership on the Capitol Police Board. The United States Capitol Police (USCP) was mentioned regarding the need for physical security projects to relieve their operational burden. The Office of the Legislative Counsel was discussed extensively regarding its workload and the new drafting status portal. The Government Publishing Office (GPO) was noted for a new process allowing members to waive proofreading to speed up the online appearance of legislation. The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) was referenced as having deferred parking policy questions to the SAA. Finally, the House Digital Service (HDS) was credited for its collaboration with the Clerk on the House-Cal scheduling updates.
The subcommittee concluded with Chairman Valadao and Ranking Member Espaillat thanking the witnesses for their service. No specific deadlines were set, but the subcommittee will review the submitted testimonies and additional questions for the record as they finalize the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill.
Transcript
I'll turn on my mic. This subcommittee will come to order. The subject of today's hearing is fiscal year 2027 budget request for the United States House of Representatives. I'd like to thank Ranking Member Espaillat, committee members and our House officers, Mr. McCumber, Mr. McFarland and Ms. Binsted. Ms. Binsted, we welcome you to your first appearance before this subcommittee and we appreciate your willingness to serve as our acting chief administrative officer. We're also joined today by Mr. Matthew Berry, the House General Counsel, Ms. Christen Stevenson, the newly appointed House Inspector General, congratulations Ms. Stevenson, Mr. Brian Lindsey, the Law Revision Counsel and Mr. Warren Burke, the Legislative Counsel. I would like to begin by thanking each of you and your dedicated staff for the long hours and committed service you provide to this institution. I know my colleagues share my appreciation for your work you do to keep this House operating safely, effectively and efficiently. Thank you again for joining us today and I look forward to hearing your testimonies and learning more about your budget priorities for fiscal year 2027. I now recognize my ranking member Ranking Member Espaillat for his opening remarks.
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