The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, P.L. 111-8 , was enacted on March 11, 2009. The act provides $4.40 billion for the legislative branch, a 10.88% increase over the $3.97 billion provided for FY2008. The enacted level was $258.47 million less than the request for $4.66 billion in discretionary budget authority. An explanatory statement on the act was inserted into the Congressional Record on February 23, 2009, and later issued as a print from the Committee on Appropriations. Prior to the enactment of the Omnibus, funding was provided for the legislative branch at the FY2008 level. The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 110-329 ) continued funding until March 6, 2009. P.L. 111-6 extended this funding through March 11, 2009. The Subcommittees on the Legislative Branch of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees held hearings during which Members considered the legislative branch requests. On June 23, 2008, the House subcommittee marked up its version of the FY2009 legislative branch bill. The subcommittee's proposal contained approximately $3.4 billion (excluding Senate items), although the committee took no further action. Since FY2003, the annual legislative branch appropriations bill has usually contained two titles. Appropriations for legislative branch agencies are contained in Title I. These entities, as they have appeared in the annual appropriations bill, are the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office; Architect of the Capitol, including the Capitol Visitor Center; Library of Congress, including the Congressional Research Service; Government Printing Office; Government Accountability Office; and Open World Leadership Program. Title II contains general administrative provisions and, from time to time, appropriations for legislative branch entities. For example, Title II of the FY2003 Act, P.L. 108-7 , contained funds for the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development and for the Congressional Award Act. On occasion the bill may contain a third title for other provisions. For example, Title III of the FY2006 legislative branch appropriations act, P.L. 109-55 , contained language providing for the continuity of representation in the House of Representatives in "extraordinary circumstances." Prior to enactment of the FY2003 bill, and effective in FY1978, the legislative branch appropriations bill was structured differently. Title I, Congressional Operations, contained budget authority for activities directly serving Congress. Included in this title were the budgets of the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office; Architect of the Capitol, except funds for Library of Congress buildings and grounds; Congressional Research Service, within the Library of Congress; and congressional printing and binding activities of the Government Printing Office. Title II, Related Agencies, contained budget authority for activities considered by the Committee on Appropriations not directly supporting Congress, including those for the Botanic Garden; Library of Congress (except the Congressional Research Service, which was funded in Title I); Library of Congress buildings and grounds maintained by the Architect of the Capitol; Government Printing Office (except congressional printing and binding costs, which were funded in Title I); and Government Accountability Office, formerly named the General Accounting Office. Occasionally, from FY1978 through FY2002, the annual legislative appropriations bill contained additional titles for such purposes as capital improvements and special one-time functions. Prior to the 109 th Congress, the legislative branch appropriations bill was handled by the House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Committee on Appropriations. Under a House Appropriations Committee reorganization plan released on February 9, 2005, the subcommittee was abolished and its jurisdiction assumed by the full Appropriations Committee. Although changes were made in the structure of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, announced in March 2005, the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch was retained. Under a reorganization plan announced by the House Appropriations Committee on January 4, 2007, the House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch was reestablished for the 110 th Congress. The 111 th Congress maintained this organization. The FY2009 U.S. Budget contained a request for $4.7 billion in new budget authority for legislative branch activities, an increase of approximately 18% from FY2008 levels. A substantial portion of the increase requested by legislative branch entities was to meet (1) mandatory expenses, which include funding for annual salary adjustments required by law and related personnel expenses, such as increased government contributions to retirement based on increased pay, and (2) expenses related to increases in the costs of goods and services due to inflation. As required by law, both houses considered separate 302(b) budget allocations for legislative branch discretionary and mandatory funds in FY2009. The House Appropriations Committee report on the suballocations includes $4.404 billion in discretionary budget authority, and $127 million in mandatory budget authority, for the legislative branch. The revised Senate allocation is $4.402 billion, plus $127 million in mandatory budget authority. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held budget hearings on February 13, 2008, for the Architect of Capitol; on March 5 for the Library of Congress; on March 6 for the Government Printing Office; on March 12 for the Office of Compliance, Congressional Budget Office, and Open World Leadership Center; on March 13 for the House of Representatives; on April 9 for the U.S. Capitol Police; and on April 10 for the Government Accountability Office. The subcommittee heard from public witnesses, including representatives of legislative branch employee unions and representatives of non-governmental groups with an interest in legislative operations, on May 7. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a hearing on April 30, 2008, on the budget requests of the Architect of the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Library of Congress. The House subcommittee held a markup on June 23, 2008. The subcommittee proposal contained $3.4 billion, not including Senate items. The subcommittee agreed by voice vote to one amendment offered by the Chair, which slightly increased the budget authority for the Library of Congress salaries and expenses account. The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act provided $895.0 million for Senate operations, an increase of $63.3 million, or 7.6%, over the FY2008 level. The Senate had requested $940.9 million in budget authority for its internal operations, or a 13.1% increase. Appropriations for Senate committees are contained in two accounts: the inquiries and investigations account , contains funds for all Senate committees except Appropriations. The Omnibus provides $137.4 million, an increase of $8.4 million (6.5%) over the FY2008 level. The Senate had requested $142.6 million (an increase of $13.6 million, or 10.6%). the Committee on Appropriations account, for which $15.2 million was provided (an increase of $1.04 million, or 7.3%). This level was equal to the request. The Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account provides each Senator with funds to administer an office. It consists of an administrative and clerical assistance allowance, a legislative assistance allowance, and an official office expense allowance. The funds may be interchanged by the Senator, subject to limitations on official mail. A total of $400.0 million was provided in the Omnibus, which was $25.6 million less than the request. The Omnibus contains $1.30 billion in budget authority for internal operations of the House, an increase of 10.01% ($118.43 million) over the budget authority provided in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The House had requested $1.33 billion. Funding for House committees is contained in the appropriation heading "committee employees," which comprises two subheadings. The first subheading contains funds for personnel and nonpersonnel expenses of House committees, except the Appropriations Committee, as authorized by the House in a committee expense resolution. The FY2009 Omnibus provides $154.0 million, an increase of 16.1% ($21.3 million) over the FY2008 level. The House had requested $164.0 million. The second subheading contains funds for the personnel and nonpersonnel expenses of the Committee on Appropriations, for which $31.3 million was provided and $33.5 million was requested. The FY2009 level represents an increase of 5.3% over the prior year funding. The Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) is available to support Members in their official and representational duties. The FY2009 Omnibus provided $609.0 million, an increase of 5.1% from the $579.5 million provided in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The FY2009 budget contained a request for $590.6 million, or a 1.9% increase. The Green the Capitol Initiative was created in March 2007, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and the chair of the Committee on House Administration, the late Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald, asked the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the House, Daniel Beard, to provide an "environmentally responsible and healthy working environment for employees." The initiative originally created three goals for reducing the House of Representatives' environmental impact: Operate the House in a carbon-neutral manner by the end of the 110 th Congress. Reduce the House's carbon footprint by cutting energy consumption by 50% in 10 years. Make House operations a model of sustainability.