Congress Moves to Take Direct Control Over Library of Congress and GPO Leadership, Bypassing Senate Confirmation

The aptly named Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act is a massive administrative overhaul that changes how the leaders of three critical, but often overlooked, government agencies are hired, fired, and managed. If you’ve ever used the Library of Congress, looked up a federal law, or worried about who controls government information, this bill is relevant. It fundamentally restructures the power dynamics at the Library of Congress (LOC), the Government Publishing Office (GPO), and the Copyright Office.

The Power Grab: New Rules for the Librarian and GPO Director

Currently, the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the GPO are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate—a process that provides a check on executive power. This bill scraps that system entirely for both positions. Under Sections 2 and 4, the power to appoint and remove these leaders shifts directly to a small group of congressional brass: the House and Senate leadership (Speaker, Majority Leaders, Minority Leaders) and the oversight committee leaders.

Here’s how it works: If the Librarian or GPO Director job opens up, the oversight committee leadership recommends three candidates. Then, the House and Senate leadership appoints one of those three by majority vote. Crucially, the bill grants this same leadership group the power to remove the Librarian or GPO Director at any time with a simple majority vote. Think about your own job: imagine your boss could be fired tomorrow by a simple vote of a few people in the C-suite. This lack of job security, combined with the easy removal clause, means these agency heads could face immense political pressure to toe the line for congressional leaders, potentially compromising the non-partisan nature of the Library and the GPO.

The Copyright Office Goes Solo

For the Copyright Office, the bill moves in the opposite direction, granting it administrative independence. Section 6 pulls the Copyright Office out from under the supervisory authority of the Librarian of Congress. Instead, the Register of Copyrights will now be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a fixed 10-year term. This is a big deal for creators and anyone dealing with intellectual property, as it elevates the Register’s authority and makes the office less reliant on the Library’s administration.

In a move toward greater autonomy, the bill also removes the Copyright Office from the oversight of the Library of Congress’s Inspector General. While the intent is to create a more independent agency focused on copyright law, removing the IG oversight means one less layer of independent financial and administrative scrutiny. If you’re a musician or a software developer, this change means the office handling your most valuable assets will be more independent but also subject to a different set of checks and balances.

Personnel Changes at the GPO

Section 8 mandates a new Human Capital Management System for the GPO, which is responsible for printing and distributing all government documents, including congressional records and passports. The system must include federal merit principles, ensuring that hiring and promotions are based on fitness and merit. That sounds good on paper, but there’s a catch: the Director is allowed to establish this system without regard to the rules in Title 5 that govern appointments in the competitive service.

Title 5 is the rulebook for federal civil service jobs—it’s what ensures a fair, standardized hiring process. By allowing the GPO Director to bypass these established competitive service rules, the bill creates a potential loophole. While the system must uphold merit principles, the lack of competitive service structure could make the GPO vulnerable to political appointments or favoritism, even if the intent is administrative flexibility. This is something GPO employees and anyone who relies on the GPO’s non-partisan function will need to watch closely.