Running the entire Legislative Branch of the federal government costs about $7.2 billion a year. For Fiscal Year 2026, Congress appropriated $7.227 billion to fund the House, the Senate, the Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, and every support agency attached to the institution.1Senate Appropriations Committee. Legislative Branch Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Bill That works out to roughly $21 per American per year, and it has held below 0.2% of total federal budget authority for decades, averaging around 0.16% since 1976.
The number covers a lot more than the 535 people you see on C-SPAN. It pays about 31,000 employees, maintains a campus of historic buildings, funds a dedicated police force, and supports agencies that audit and score trillions in federal spending. Here is where the money actually goes.
Member and Leadership Salaries
Rank-and-file salaries are a small slice of the total. Every voting member of the House and Senate earns $174,000 a year, a figure frozen since 2009.2U.S. Senate. Senate Salaries 1789 to Present Leadership earns somewhat more, also frozen at 2009 levels:
- Speaker of the House: $223,500
- Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: $193,400
- House Majority and Minority Leaders: $193,400
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate: $193,400
Multiply $174,000 by 535 and you get roughly $93 million a year in base member pay. Against a $7.2 billion budget, the paychecks of the elected officials themselves are close to a rounding error.
Staff and Office Allowances
The bigger personnel cost is running 535 individual offices, each staffed both in Washington and back home. House members draw from the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA), which covers staff salaries, office rent, travel, mail, and supplies. The MRA was funded at $844 million across all House offices for Fiscal Year 2025.3House Committee on Appropriations Democrats. FY25 Legislative Branch Summary It can only be spent on official business; campaign expenses, personal costs, and primarily social events are prohibited.4House Committee on Ethics. Members’ Representational Allowance
Senators have a parallel account, the Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA). The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $588 million for SOPOEA in Fiscal Year 2025, up from $553 million the year before.5Senate Appropriations Committee. FY25 Legislative Branch Report Senate allowances vary by state population, since senators from larger states run more offices and hire more staff.
Retirement and Health Benefits
Members belong to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the same plan that covers most federal workers, though the accrual formula is slightly more generous for congressional service. A member with at least five years of service earns an annuity of 1.7% of their highest three-year average salary for each of the first 20 years of congressional service, and 1% per year after that.6Office of Personnel Management. Computation of FERS Benefit A member who served 20 years and retired at the current $174,000 salary would draw a starting annuity of about $59,000 a year.
Members also participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, the federal 401(k) equivalent, and receive government contributions of up to 5% of pay when they contribute at least 5% themselves.7Thrift Savings Plan. Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan For health insurance, the Affordable Care Act requires members to buy coverage through a Washington, D.C., exchange rather than the standard federal employee plan. The government contributes up to 72% of the weighted average premium, capped at 75% of any single plan, which mirrors what large private employers typically pay.
The Capitol Campus and Its Police
Physical infrastructure is a major line item on its own. The Architect of the Capitol maintains the Capitol Building, the House and Senate office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the Capitol Power Plant, and the surrounding grounds. For Fiscal Year 2026, the office requested $1.3 billion to cover maintenance, safety upgrades, and modernization across a campus where some buildings are more than two centuries old.8Architect of the Capitol. Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Testimony
Security is handled by the United States Capitol Police, a dedicated force with jurisdiction over the Capitol grounds and authority to protect members anywhere in the country. Its budget has grown significantly since the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, with recent proposals running above $800 million. The USCP is one of the largest single line items in the FY2026 Legislative Branch bill.1Senate Appropriations Committee. Legislative Branch Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Bill
The Non-Partisan Support Agencies
Some of the most consequential spending goes to agencies that don’t write laws but shape every law that gets written. They give Congress independent expertise so members don’t have to rely entirely on lobbyists and executive branch officials for information.
Government Accountability Office
The GAO audits federal agencies, evaluates programs, and issues reports that regularly identify billions in potential savings. It requested $933.9 million in appropriated funds for Fiscal Year 2026, plus $72.2 million in offsetting receipts from audit work performed for other agencies.9U.S. Government Accountability Office. Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request
Congressional Budget Office
The CBO produces the cost estimates, known as scores, that determine whether legislation can move under budget rules. Every bill affecting federal revenue or spending gets a CBO score. The office requested $75.8 million for Fiscal Year 2026, with about 89% going to staff salaries and benefits.10Congressional Budget Office. Request for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026
Congressional Research Service
The CRS, housed within the Library of Congress, produces confidential policy and legal analysis for members and committees on request. The Library requested $144.6 million for the CRS for Fiscal Year 2026.11Library of Congress. Library of Congress Fiscal 2026 Budget Justification
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, and its full budget sits inside the Legislative Branch appropriation. Beyond housing the CRS, it maintains more than 170 million items, runs the Copyright Office, and operates the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Its total FY2026 request across all accounts was roughly $946 million, one of the largest single components of the Legislative Branch budget, though much of that mission serves the public directly rather than Congress alone.11Library of Congress. Library of Congress Fiscal 2026 Budget Justification
The Bottom Line
Congress costs about $7.2 billion a year, or roughly $21 per American. That price covers 535 elected officials, their combined staff of tens of thousands, the Capitol campus, the police force that protects it, a world-class research library, and the agencies that audit and score trillions in federal spending. As a share of the total federal budget, the figure has held near 0.16% for nearly fifty years.