An original resolution authorizing expenditures by committees of the Senate for the periods March 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025, October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, and October 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027.
This Senate resolution authorizes expenditures from the Senate’s contingent fund to support standing committees and a few select committees for three defined periods: March 1, 2025–September 30, 2025; October 1, 2025–September 30, 2026; and October 1, 2026–February 28, 2027. It sets total spending ceilings (aggregate by period) for all eligible committees and also authorizes agency contributions to cover employee compensation. In general, it lets committees spend on salaries, staff, hearings, and related activities, with money disbursed on vouchers approved by each committee chair (though several routine expenses do not require vouchers). The bill then specifies, for each committee, the maximum allowable expenditures for the three periods, including caps for consultants and staff training. A notable feature is that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee receives explicit investigative and subpoena authority to oversee government operations and related activities.
Key Points
- 1Aggregated funding ceilings by period:
- 2- March 1, 2025–Sept 30, 2025: $90,988,230
- 3- Oct 1, 2025–Sept 30, 2026: $155,979,823
- 4- Oct 1, 2026–Feb 28, 2027: $64,991,593
- 5- These totals apply to standing committees, the Special Committee on Aging, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- 6General authority and procedures: Each committee may use the contingent fund, hire staff, and obtain services from other government departments or agencies (on reimbursable or nonreimbursable terms), with vouchers required for most expenses but certain routine items (like salaries, telecom, stationery, postmaster, copying charges, official recording/photography, and mass mail costs) not needing vouchers.
- 7Detailed committee-by-committee budgets: For each committee (e.g., Agriculture; Armed Services; Banking; Budget; Commerce; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Judiciary; Rules and Administration, etc.), the resolution lists:
- 8- A general authorization period (same three periods as above) and
- 9- Explicit spending caps for each period, including separate caps for:
- 10- Procurement of services of consultants (up to specified amounts)
- 11- Training of professional staff (up to specified amounts)
- 12- Some committees also have special investigative or authority provisions (notably Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs).
- 13Investigations and subpoena authority: The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is expressly authorized to study a broad range of government operations and activities, to conduct inquiries, and to subpoena witnesses and documents. This authority is designed to support oversight and investigations across the executive branch and related entities.
- 14Agency contributions: There are explicit authorizations to pay from the appropriations account for “Expenses of Inquiries and Investigations” to cover the compensation of committee employees during the three periods.