Legislative Branch Budget Freezes Federal Pay Raises for 2026, Allocates $653M to Capitol Police Payroll

The newly released Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026, is essentially the annual operating budget for Congress, setting aside over a billion dollars to keep the lights on, the offices running, and the security forces paid through September 2026. This bill details everything from the expense accounts of Senate leaders to the maintenance costs of the Capitol Power Plant, but two provisions stand out for their real-world impact on federal employees and the public.

The 2026 Pay Raise Freeze: A Direct Hit to Federal Workers

If you or someone you know works for the federal government, this is the most immediate financial takeaway: Section 210 puts a hard stop on automatic pay adjustments for the 2026 fiscal year. Normally, federal employees receive a standard cost-of-living increase under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946. This bill overrides that, freezing those automatic raises for a year. For busy people juggling rising costs, this is a direct cut to real income, meaning salaries won't keep pace with inflation or the cost of living in 2026.

Big Budgets for Capitol Security and Building Upkeep

Security and infrastructure are getting massive funding boosts. The Capitol Police payroll and benefits alone are allocated $653.4 million, which includes money for overtime and retention bonuses. On top of that, the bill allocates an extra $25 million for Capitol Police mutual aid reimbursements, available until 2030, which is specifically designated as an emergency expense. This massive investment ensures the Legislative Branch has the staff and resources for security, especially for enhanced Member security, which gets an additional $15 million in non-expiring funds.

Keeping the physical plant running also costs a fortune. The Architect of the Capitol gets $124.7 million for Senate office building operations and $130.7 million for the Capitol Power Plant, which provides utilities to the entire complex. Crucially, much of this maintenance money has long availability windows, with millions available until 2030, allowing for long-term projects like the Capitol building maintenance ($47.8 million available until 2030).

The Fine Print: Transparency, Censorship, and Contractor Headaches

Beyond the big numbers, the bill includes several policy riders that affect transparency and operations. Section 204 mandates that any money used for consultant contracts must be made public, increasing transparency around who Congress is paying for advice. However, Section 127 introduces a new hurdle for the Library of Congress (LOC), restricting funding for certain publications unless approved by two specific Congressional committees. This could slow down or politicize the dissemination of non-confidential research and information, making it harder for the public and researchers to access.

Contractors working on Capitol projects should also pay attention to Section 202. This provision prohibits the Architect of the Capitol from paying incentive bonuses to contractors for projects that are late or over budget. While this sounds like a common-sense measure to protect taxpayer money, the bill includes vague exceptions allowing the Architect to approve payments if delays are due to “unavoidable events” or “minor” deviations. That subjectivity could create friction and potential loopholes in how taxpayer money is spent on construction projects.

Finally, the bill includes explicit restrictions on technology procurement. Following recent security concerns, Section 208 bans the use of any funds in this Act to purchase telecommunications equipment from Huawei or ZTE, and Section 129 specifically bans the Capitol Police from buying drones made in the People's Republic of China, except for national security purposes. This shows a clear effort to decouple Congressional operations from specific foreign technology vendors.