LegisPlain/H. Res. 109
🇺🇸United StatesH. Res. 109119th CongressMar 24, 2026 · 1 view

Providing amounts for the expenses of the Committee on Ways and Means in the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress

This resolution authorizes the operating budget for the House Committee on Ways and Means — the powerful tax-writing committee — for the 119th Congress (2025–2027).

📋What It Does✅Benefits⚠️Impacts🔍Hidden Riders🎭Framing🚨Red Flags📍Status
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What It Does

This resolution authorizes the operating budget for the House Committee on Ways and Means — the powerful tax-writing committee — for the 119th Congress (2025–2027).

It sets a two-year spending cap covering all staff salaries and committee expenses, split across two one-year periods.

Total authorized spending: $30,290,000 for the full 119th Congress
Year 1 (Jan 3, 2025 – Jan 3, 2026): capped at $14,963,888
Year 2 (Jan 3, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027): capped at $15,326,112
Payments require vouchers signed by the Committee Chairman and approved by the Committee on House Administration
All spending must follow regulations set by the Committee on House Administration
✅

Who Benefits

House Ways and Means Committee — receives $30.29M in authorized operating funds to conduct its work
Committee staff — salaries are explicitly covered under this authorization
Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) — as chairman, he signs off on all payment vouchers, giving him direct control over committee spending
Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) — co-sponsored the resolution, consistent with bipartisan norm of both parties agreeing on committee funding
⚠️

Who Gets Hurt

American taxpayers — fund the committee's operations, though $30.29M for a two-year congressional cycle for one of the most consequential committees in Congress is broadly in line with historical norms
No specific group is directly harmed by this administrative resolution
🔍

Hidden Riders

None identified.

🎭

Framing Analysis

• This is a routine administrative resolution with no meaningful political framing — it does exactly what it says on the label.

Both the majority chairman and minority ranking member submitted it jointly, which is standard practice. No spin detected.

🚩

Red Flags

• Chairman holds sole voucher-signing authority under Sec.

3 — standard practice, but it concentrates disbursement control in one person with no explicit minority-party spending guarantee written into the resolution

⚑No explicit accountability mechanism for how funds are allocated within the committee (e.g., between majority and minority staff) — allocation of the $30.29M between the two parties' staff is governed by separate House rules and norms, not this resolution itself
⚑Year 2 allocation ($15,326,112) is slightly higher than Year 1 ($14,963,888), a roughly 2.4% built-in increase — modest, but worth noting as it is baked in regardless of workload or circumstances
📊

Current Status

H.

Res. 109 was introduced in the House on February 5, 2025, by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), and referred to the Committee on House Administration. This type of committee funding resolution is typically non-controversial and advances quickly; no further legislative action has been noted in the available record.

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