Key Takeaways
- •Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin requested $1.6 billion for FY2027, a 105% increase, to fund a massive 20-year renovation of the deteriorating Rayburn House Office Building.
- •Thomas Austin warned of potential catastrophic system failures in the Rayburn building, while GAO and CBO leaders detailed workforce reductions necessitated by rising personnel and cybersecurity costs.
- •Rep. Valadao (R, CA-22) questioned Thomas Austin on project delays at the Library of Congress, which Austin attributed to unforeseen hazardous material remediation and structural floor issues.
- •Rep. DeLauro (D, CT-3) argued against underfunding legislative branch agencies, while Rep. Strong (R, AL-5) focused on using GAO oversight to target federal fraud and unsustainable entitlement spending.
- •Congress must decide whether to fund the multi-billion dollar Rayburn renovation and swing space requirements to prevent building-wide outages that could displace hundreds of congressional offices.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch met on March 18, 2026, to consider the fiscal year 2027 budget requests for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). Chairman David Valadao (R, CA-22) presided over the hearing, which focused on the agencies' efforts to maintain government efficiency, modernize IT infrastructure, and address the deteriorating physical state of the Capitol campus.
Key Testimony
Acting Comptroller General Brown presented the GAO’s request for $860 million, a 5.9 percent increase over the previous year. Brown emphasized that the GAO remains a high-return investment, noting that its work in the prior year resulted in $62 billion in financial benefits. However, she highlighted a significant workforce reduction, with the agency targeting a staff level of 3,100—a decrease of 450 positions since 2024. This reduction is being managed through Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP). Brown testified that the GAO would prioritize mandates and high-interest areas such as science and technology, national security, healthcare, and identifying fraud, waste, and abuse. She noted that nearly 40 percent of GAO’s fraud risk recommendations remain unimplemented by executive agencies.
Director Swagel presented the CBO’s request for $76.3 million, a 2 percent increase. The request focuses on IT modernization and cybersecurity following a 2025 cyberattack by a foreign actor. Swagel noted that while the agency is shrinking slightly in 2026 to absorb cyber costs, the 2027 request seeks to increase staffing to 285 positions to bolster analysis of defense, homeland security, and income security programs like SNAP. A significant portion of the discussion involved CBO’s economic modeling. Swagel testified that recent tariffs have increased inflation and reduced household purchasing power, while also noting that recent immigration trends have had a net positive impact on the federal budget due to increased labor force participation and tax revenue.
Overview
The second half of the hearing focused on the Architect of the Capitol. Mr. Thomas Austin, the 13th Architect of the Capitol, requested nearly $1.7 billion, a 105 percent increase over the FY 2026 enacted level. The primary driver for this increase is the proposed full renovation of the Rayburn House Office Building. Austin warned of a "critical juncture" for Rayburn, citing two electrical fires, 18 major leaks, and frequent elevator failures in the past year. He argued that a full renovation is necessary to address hazardous materials like lead and asbestos and to replace failing mechanical systems hidden behind walls. The project is estimated to take 15 to 20 years and requires significant "swing space" to house displaced members and staff.
Policy Proposals
Policy discussions touched on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and dynamic scoring. Brown described GAO’s "FACET" tool, which uses AI to analyze single audit reports from states and localities. Swagel noted that CBO uses AI for research summaries and coding but emphasized that human analysts remain essential for cost estimates. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R, UT-2) and Director Swagel discussed the implementation of dynamic scoring for the 2025 Reconciliation Act, though Rep. Steny Hoyer (D, MD-5) expressed strong skepticism, arguing that dynamic scoring historically underestimates the deficit impact of tax cuts.
Overview
Partisan dynamics were most visible during discussions of the national debt and the "power of the purse." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) and Rep. Hoyer criticized the continued underfunding of legislative branch agencies, arguing that a shrinking GAO and CBO cannot effectively oversee a ballooning executive branch. Rep. DeLauro specifically highlighted the $4.7 trillion deficit impact of the 2025 Reconciliation Act, while Republican members like Rep. Dale Strong (R, AL-5) focused on the costs of illegal immigration and the need for aggressive prosecution of pandemic-related fraud by the Department of Justice.
Notable Exchanges
Notable exchanges included Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) criticizing the AOC for installing a plaque honoring the United States Capitol Police (USCP) for their actions on January 6 in a "maze" of tunnels at 4:00 AM rather than a prominent public location. Additionally, Chairman Valadao questioned the AOC regarding an 11-month delay in the Library of Congress (LOC) orientation gallery project, which will now miss the "America 250" celebrations. Austin attributed the delay to unforeseen site conditions, including floor delamination and fire-safety requirements in the ceiling. Brief Summary: field name: value
Transcript
The subcommittee will come to order. The subject of today's hearing is fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office. I'd like to thank Ranking Member Espaillat, Ranking Member DeLauro, our committee members, Acting Comptroller General Brown, Director Swagel for being here today. I'd also like to thank you and your staff for the work they do to help keep Congress and the entire government function in an effective and efficient manner. Government Accountability Office fiscal year 2027 budget request totals $860 million, a $48 million increase over fiscal year 2026 enacted level. And the Congressional Budget Office fiscal year 2027 request is $76.3 million, an increase of $1.5 million over fiscal year 2026 enacted level. Thank you again for joining us today. I look forward to hearing your testimonies and learning more about your budget priorities for fiscal year 2027. I now recognize Ranking Member Espaillat for his opening remarks.
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