The Government Accountability Office, which serves as Congress’s watchdog over federal programs, would see its budget nearly cut by nearly half in fiscal 2026, under a bill advanced by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
The Legislative Appropriation Act for fiscal 2026, which passed through the committee Thursday 34-to-28, provides $415.4 million for the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The bill now heads to the House floor, according to the committee’s June 26 press release.
The committee’s proposal for GAO amounts to $396.5 million below the fiscal 2025 enacted level of $811 million. and $518.6 million below the fiscal 2026 request of nearly $934 million.
“The committee continues to support GAO’s efforts to identify and report on inefficiencies in federal programs,” according to the bill report. “To strengthen this work, the committee encourages GAO to enhance interagency data-sharing, promote government-wide coordination, and expand the implementation of GAO’s recommendations.”
