Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

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Bill ID: 119/hr/8845

Last Updated: July 29, 2026

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

HR. 8845, 119th Congress — read as touching Tobacco.

The sponsor

Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$72,800 raised

23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Commerce" section, p. 705-707 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 567.

May 14, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed House

🏛️

Senate Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Summary Style:

As I taught you in 8th grade civics, the appropriations process is a fundamental aspect of our government's functioning. Remember when we learned about how Congress allocates funds for various government agencies and programs? It seems like some of those lessons have been forgotten.

The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 (HR 8845) provides funding for several key departments and agencies. The total funding amount is approximately $440 million for the International Trade Administration, with $102 million remaining available until September 30, 2028. The Bureau of Industry and Security receives $450 million, with $180 million available until expended.

Key programs and agencies receiving funds include the Economic Development Administration ($256.5 million), the Minority Business Development Agency (funding amount not specified), and various trade promotion activities abroad. Notable allocations also include $20 million derived from fees to be retained and used by the International Trade Administration, as well as $16.4 million for China antidumping and countervailing duty enforcement and compliance activities.

Compared to previous years, it's essential to analyze the changes in funding levels. For instance, the Economic Development Administration's funding has remained relatively stable, while the Bureau of Industry and Security has seen a slight increase. However, without more detailed information on previous years' allocations, it's challenging to determine the exact nature of these changes.

Riders or policy provisions attached to funding include requirements for full medical coverage for dependent members of immediate families of employees stationed overseas, as well as provisions related to export administration and national security activities. These provisions are crucial in understanding the broader implications of this appropriations bill.

In terms of fiscal impact and deficit implications, it's essential to consider the long-term effects of these allocations. The bill's funding levels may contribute to a slight increase in the federal deficit, particularly if the allocated funds are not offset by corresponding reductions in other areas. However, without more detailed information on the government's overall budget, it's difficult to determine the exact fiscal implications.

As we covered in 8th grade civics, the appropriations process is designed to ensure that our government's spending aligns with its priorities and values. It's crucial for citizens to understand how this process works and to hold their elected representatives accountable for responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. By examining the details of this appropriations bill, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between government agencies, programs, and funding allocations.

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions

$72,800

21 donors

PACs

Organizations

$5,000

Committees

Individuals

$67,800

No PAC contributions found

THE CHICKASAW NATION

1 transaction

$3,300

THE GORMAN COMPANY

1 transaction

$1,200

DOUBLE R FARMS

1 transaction

$500

No committee contributions found

ROBINSON, TIM

2 transactions

$8,400

FAISON, JAY W

2 transactions

$6,600

MCCARTHY, JOHN

1 transaction

$3,300

HAMILTON, ERICA

1 transaction

$3,300

BAIRD, CHARLES J.

1 transaction

$3,300

BAIRD, RACHEL

1 transaction

$3,300

LUCKEY, PALMER

1 transaction

$3,300

ROBINSON, MICHAEL C.

1 transaction

$3,300

BOOTH, JAMES

1 transaction

$3,300

BOOTH, LINDA

1 transaction

$3,300

HAMILTON, J.D.

1 transaction

$3,300

MATHENY, DAVID

1 transaction

$3,300

MATTHEWS, CHARLES

1 transaction

$3,300

MATTHEWS, INA

1 transaction

$3,300

SCHENA, ROBERT

1 transaction

$3,300

DOTSON, TERRY L.

1 transaction

$3,300

EGNEW, JAMES C.

1 transaction

$3,300

HUTCHISON, BOB

1 transaction

$3,300

Donor Network - Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]

Show Also Donated To

PACs

Organizations

Individuals

Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Showing 48 nodes and 47 connections

Total contributions: $47

Top Donors - Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]

Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount

3 Orgs18 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 19 helped, 6 harmed.

−Tobaccoconfidence 0.95
Title V, Sec. 509: Explicitly prohibits use of funds to promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products, or to seek reduction/removal of foreign marketing restrictions on tobacco, directly harming the tobacco industry.
+Telecommunicationsconfidence 0.90
Title I, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) salaries and expenses: $46,000,000 appropriated, with authority to retain and use offsetting collections from federal agencies for spectrum management and telecommunications research, providing direct funding and revenue retention benefits to the telecommunications industry.
−Firearms & Ammunitionconfidence 0.90
Title V, multiple sections restrict firearms industry: Sec. 558 prohibits gun buyback/relinquishment programs; Sec. 559 prohibits red flag/extreme risk protection order laws; Sec. 560 prohibits federal firearms registry; Sec. 561 restricts ATF Demand 2 program; Sec. 562 prohibits classifying firearms with stabilizing braces as rifles/shotguns; Sec. 575 prohibits implementing interim final rule on firearms license requirements; Sec. 576 prohibits ATF's 'Definition of Engaged in the Business' rule
−Cannabis & Other Viceconfidence 0.90
Title V, Sec. 530: Prohibits use of funds by DOJ or DEA in contravention of Section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research), which protects hemp/CBD research; Sec. 591 prohibits rescheduling or removing marijuana from CSA schedules; Sec. 531 prohibits DOJ funds from preventing states from implementing medical marijuana laws.
+Health Insuranceconfidence 0.90
Section 204 of Title II requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide escort services for female inmates to receive medical services outside federal facilities, which implies healthcare services utilization, benefiting health insurance providers through increased claims and reimbursements for medical care.
+Semiconductors & Hardwareconfidence 0.85
Title V, Sec. 541: Director of NSF must allocate CHIPS Act funds for workforce and education, and Sec. 542 requires continued application of negotiated indirect cost rates for DOC, NASA, and NSF, supporting semiconductor industry workforce development and research infrastructure.

+ 19 more industries not shown.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS

Defense Contractors$500
from 1 contribution
- HERNANDEZ, MARTA$500

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Commerce

Strong

Vector: 62%

Pages: 705-707AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill allocates significant funding to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and includes provisions for China-focused antidumping and countervailing duty enforcement, directly supporting Project 2025's goals of strengthening export controls, tightening EAR policies, and enhancing enforcement against countries of concern like China and Russia."

Key themes:export enforcementChina-focused trade controlsBureau of Industry and Security fundingEAR modernizationnational security trade policy

— 673 — Department of Commerce Export Enforcement officers through improved and frequent training so they are able to detect export-control violations. EAR Revisions. The U.S. Government needs a new export control moderniza- tion effort to tighten the EAR policies governing licenses to countries of concern, including China and Russia (specifically, revise and/or reverse the 2008 through 2016 policies). When authoritarian governments explain what they plan to do, believe them unless hard evidence demonstrates otherwise. Case in point: China’s and Russia’s stated civil–military fusion policies demand central government command-and-control style systems in which every private entity serves the interests of the state and is forced to provide technology, services, capacity, and data to the central govern- ment and the military. Through this structure, commercial activities are routinely weaponized by authoritarian regimes that repeatedly identify the U.S. as an enemy. Accordingly, U.S. export control policies must be updated to reflect these realities and the associated threats to national security. Key priorities for EAR modernization for countries of concern should be: l Eliminating the “specially designed” licensing loophole; l Redesignating China and Russia to more highly prohibitive export licensing groups (country groups D or E); l Eliminating license exceptions; l Broadening foreign direct product rules; l Reducing the de minimis threshold from 25 percent to 10 percent—or 0 percent for critical technologies; l Tightening the deemed export rules to prevent technology transfer to foreign nationals from countries of concern; l Tightening the definition of “fundamental research” to address exploitation of the open U.S. university system by authoritarian governments through funding, students and researchers, and recruitment; l Eliminating license exceptions for sharing technology with controlled entities/countries through standards-setting “activities” and bodies; and l Improving regulations regarding published information for technology transfers. — 674 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise The next few years will prove or disprove the assertion that the U.S. stands on the precipice of a Cold War with China. Many believe that a Cold War has already begun; if so, then strategic decoupling from China is necessary and, fundamentally, any exports of goods, software, and technology to countries of concern, whether directly or indirectly, should be prohibited or controlled in the absence of good cause (e.g., humanitarian and medical aid, food aid). Entity List and Sanctions. There are currently just over 500 Chinese and over 500 Russian companies on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List, which reg- ulates exports of controlled and uncontrolled items to designated entities. Given China’s Civil–Military Fusion Strategy and Russia’s massive war efforts facili- tated by a broad range of the Russian economy, BIS must add more entities to the Entity List and apply a license review “policy of denial” that prohibits exports to these entities. Entity List parties that violate export controls should be placed on the BIS Denied Persons List (and thereby lose export privileges) and, if the violations are significant enough, they should also be sanctioned by the Department of Treasury. Data Transfer and Apps Used for Surveillance. Department of Commerce leadership should work across government agencies to address privacy and data concerns arising out of “big tech” from national security and export control per- spectives. In particular, they should draft and implement an executive order (EO) based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which expands export control authority beyond ECRA’s scope (goods, software, technology) to regulate and restrict exports of U.S. persons’ data to countries of concern. The EO should establish a framework for the types of personal data subject to export controls and licensing policy by country, and the BIS should implement the EO through regulations. BIS should additionally designate app providers (such as WeChat and Byte Dance/TikTok) known for undermining U.S. national security through data collection, surveillance, and influence operations, to the Entity List. This listing would prevent app users from program updates, which would quickly make these apps non-operational in the United States. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Break Up NOAA. The single biggest Department of Commerce agency outside of decennial census years is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which houses the National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and other components. NOAA garners $6.5 billion of the department’s $12 billion annual operational budget and accounts for more than half of the department’s personnel in non-decadal Census years (2021 figures). NOAA consists of six main offices: l The National Weather Service (NWS);

Trade

Moderate

Vector: 62%

Pages: 849-851AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill includes funding for trade enforcement and international trade administration, which aligns with Project 2025's focus on trade policy, but emphasizes government-led enforcement and vehicle procurement rather than the policy's advocacy for minimal government intervention in cultural and people-to-people engagement."

Key themes:trade policyChina engagementeconomic outreachgovernment role in trade

— 817 — Trade Internet memes, fashion, movies, student exchange programs, tourism, and more. China’s leaders are set in their ways, especially with Xi Jinping presumably now in power for life, but the younger generation is more open than their parents were—more individualistic and open to change. Effective outreach to the Chinese people will need the same humility that other sound trade policies require. Government-directed cultural and economic outreach risks being heavy-handed and could backfire. Everyone involved needs to know that the process is generational in scope and will not work overnight. At the very least, Washington should stay out of the way as much as possible when regular people want to contact each other across national, language, and cultural divides. Each of these many components, from tariffs to trade agreements to culture, is a small part of a larger China policy. Many are not attention-grabbing and cannot be put into sound bites. Cultural engagement is not something Washington can plan. China’s own demographic and debt problems, along with aging leadership and growing discontent over the zero-COVID policy, might even cause an internal collapse. American policy must therefore be prepared to face any contingency. CONCLUSION A conservative trade policy needs a conservative vision. America’s found- ing institutions, based on free trade and entrepreneurship, have made America the world’s leading economy and will help keep America strong through the next century. However, recent departures from those principles have hurt America’s econ- omy and weakened alliances that are necessary to contain threats from Russia and China. Reaffirming those principles through policies of openness, dynamism, and free trade will boost America’s economy, make us more resilient against crises, and remove opportunities for progressives and rent-seekers to use the levers of gov- ernment for their own purposes. Rediscovering conservative principles on trade policy and embracing America’s long history as the world’s leading commercial republic are an important part of restoring a government of, by, and for the people. AUTHOR’S NOTE: The preparation of this analysis could not have been completed without the valuable support of a small, sturdy, and principled community of trade policy experts. Among them, my colleagues at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Ryan Young, Iain Murray, and Ivan Osorio were essential. The author alone is responsible for this report. No views herein should be attributed to any other individual or institution. — 818 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise ENDNOTES 1. Warren E. Buffett and Carol J. Loomis, “America’s Growing Trade Deficit Is Selling the Nation Out from Under Us. Here’s a Way to Fix the Problem—And We Need to Do It Now,” Fortune, November 10, 2003, https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2003/11/10/352872/index.htm (accessed February 25, 2023). 2. 2017 Annual Report to Congress of the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, 115th Congress, 1st Session, November 2017, p. 24, https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/2017_Annual_Report_to_ Congress.pdf (accessed February 25, 2023). 3. JayEtta Z. Hecker, Associate Director, International Relations and Trade Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, U.S. Government Accountability Office, “China Trade: WTO Membership and Most-Favored-Nation Status,” Testimony before the Subcommittee on Trade, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, GAO/T-NSIAD-98-209, June 17, 1998, p. 1, https://www.gao.gov/assets/t- nsiad-98-209.pdf (accessed February 25, 2023). 4. News release, “U.S. Trade in International Goods and Services, December and Annual 2022,” U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, February 7, 2023, https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/us- international-trade-goods-and-services-december-and-annual-2022 (accessed February 25, 2023); “Table 1. U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Exports, Imports, and Balances,” U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, last updated November 3, 2022, https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/ files/2022-11/trad-time-series-0922.xlsx (accessed February 25, 2023). 5. U.S. Department of State, “Fact Sheet: Activity at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” January 15, 2021, https://2017-2021.state.gov/fact-sheet-activity-at-the-wuhan-institute-of-virology/index.html (accessed February 25, 2023); Interim Report, An Analysis of the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Minority Oversight Staff, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate, October 2022, https://www.help. senate.gov/imo/media/doc/report_an_analysis_of_the_origins_of_covid-19_102722.pdf (accessed February 25, 2023). 6. Barmini Chakraborty, “China Hints at Denying Americans Life-Saving Coronavirus Drugs,” Fox News, March 13, 2020, https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinese-deny-americans-coronavirus-drugs (accessed February 25, 2023). 7. Jim Garamone, “Trump Announces New Whole-of-Government National Security Strategy,” U.S. Department of Defense, December 18, 2017, https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/1399392/ trump-announces-new-whole-of-government-national-security-strategy/ (accessed February 26, 2023). Emphasis added. 8. “Remarks by President Trump in State of the Union Address,” The White House, February 5, 2019, https:// trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-state-union-address-2/ (accessed February 25, 2023). 9. White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, The United States Reciprocal Trade Act: Estimated Job & Trade Deficit Effects, May 2019, https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/RTAReport. pdf?mod=article_inline (accessed February 26, 2023); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, “Trade Analysis Information System,” https://databank.worldbank.org/source/unctad-%5E-trade-analysis- information-system-(trains) (accessed February 26, 2023); Trefor Moss, “China to Cut Import Tariff on Autos to 15% from 25%,” The Wall Street Journal, updated May 22, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/ china-to-cut-import-tariff-on-autos-to-15-from-25-1526980760 (accessed February 26, 2023); U.S. International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2019 Revision 3), https://hts.usitc.gov/view/ release?release=2019HTSAREV3 (accessed February 26, 2023). 10. This code is commonly used to determine customs duty classifications for goods internationally. 11. White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, The United States Reciprocal Trade Act: Estimated Job & Trade Deficit Effects, p. 15. 12. H.R.764, United States Reciprocal Trade Act, 116th Congress, introduced January 24, 2019, https://www. congress.gov/116/bills/hr764/BILLS-116hr764ih.pdf (accessed February 26, 2023). 13. Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris Poll, “Monthly Harvard–Harris Poll: February 2019,” https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HHP_Feb2019_RV_topline.pdf (accessed February 26, 2023).

Small Business Administration

Weak

Vector: 62%

Pages: 780-782AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on appropriations for trade, industry, and economic development agencies but does not mention the Small Business Administration or its loan programs, credit subsidies, or mission reform efforts outlined in the Project 2025 SBA section."

Key themes:economic developmentsmall business support

— 748 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise loan credit subsidy costs, and miscellaneous program “enhancements” to support small businesses through economic challenges or circumstances. As noted by the Congressional Research Service: Overall, the SBA’s appropriations have ranged from a high of over $761.9 billion in FY2020 to a low of $571.8 million in FY2007. Much of this volatility is due to significant variation in supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance to address economic damages caused by major hurricanes and for SBA lending program enhancements to help small businesses access capital during and immediately following recessions. For example, in FY2020, the SBA received over $760.9 billion in supplemental appropriations to assist small businesses adversely affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic.18 The CRS further notes that “[o]verall, since FY2000, appropriations for SBA’s other programs, excluding supplemental appropriations, have increased at a pace that exceeds inflation.”19 In terms of current loan volume, the SBA “reached nearly $43 billion in fund- ing to small businesses, providing more than 62,000 traditional loans through its 7(a), 504, and Microloan lending partners and over 1,200 investments through SBA licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.”20 The agency’s total budgetary resources for FY 2022 amount to $44.25 billion, which represents 0.4 percent of the FY 2022 U.S. federal budget.21 HISTORY OF MISMANAGEMENT Throughout its history, various SBA programs and practices have generated negative news headlines and scathing Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Inspector General (IG) reports that have centered on mismanagement, lack of competent personnel and/or systems, and waste, fraud and abuse.22 From the 8a program23 to Hurricane Katrina24 to the more current COVID-19 (EIDL) program and PPP lending program,25 the SBA has managed to maintain its lending role even when repeated system failures have affected its distribution of funds. Congress has been somewhat responsive, pressuring the SBA to clean up fraud-related matters within its COVID-19 lending and grant programs.26 Repub- licans in the U.S. House of Representatives have gone farther, specifying that the SBA needs to improve transparency and accountability and deal with mission creep, the expansion of unauthorized programs, and structural and reporting deficiencies that have allowed mismanagement and fraud to reoccur, largely through massive supplemental appropriations.27 The SBA is led by an Administrator (currently a member of the President’s Cabinet) and a Deputy Administrator. Senate-confirmed appointees include — 749 — Small Business Administration the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, and Inspector General. Entrepreneurs and small businesses require limited-government policies that do not impede their risk-taking and growth. A future Administration can leverage and strengthen core SBA functions that have been fairly effective at reining in and calling attention to costly regulations and policies that are harmful to small businesses. This core advocacy function is aided both by statutory authority and by a network of small-business organizations and allies that support limited-gov- ernment policies.28 Moreover, an effective SBA Administrator and leadership team can work and advocate across the federal government to ensure that extreme regulatory poli- cies—or anticompetitive rules and actions that may favor big businesses over small businesses or international competitors over American small businesses—are dismantled or do not progress when proposed. MISSION CREEP AND ENLARGEMENT As noted, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have evidenced con- cern about SBA mission creep and the need to make a sprawling, unaccountable agency more focused and operationally sound. Moreover, there is unease that the agency has moved from being open to any eligible small business searching for sup- port to being hyperfocused on “disproportionately impacted,” politically favored, or geographically situated small businesses and entrepreneurs. Today, initiatives aimed at “inclusivity” are in fact creating exclusivity and stringent selectivity in deciding what types of small businesses and entities can use SBA programs. For example, even though the SBA under President Donald Trump proposed a rule to remove all of the unconstitutional religious exclusions from its regulations29 to conform with Supreme Court decisions that have made their unconstitutionality clear, the SBA has not acted on the proposed rule and still uses religious exclusions in determining eligibility for business loans. Several other specific concerns include but are not limited to: l The SBA’s request to become a “designated voter agency” in response to President Biden’s executive order on “Promoting Access to Voting.”30 l The creation of duplicative channels and “pilot programs” for the delivery of business training rather than working through existing counseling partners. The programs are largely duplicative of private, state and local government, and educational system offerings.31 l A push to expand direct government lending.32

Small Business Administration

Weak

Vector: 62%

Pages: 780-782AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on appropriations for trade, industry, and economic development agencies but does not mention the Small Business Administration, the Office of Advocacy, or any provisions related to small business advocacy in trade negotiations or regulatory reform as outlined in the Project 2025 policy."

Key themes:economic developmentinternational trade

— 747 — Small Business Administration established a new role for the Office of Advocacy: “to facilitate greater consider- ation of small business economic issues during international trade negotiations.”14 This small office has been relatively effective over the years—and more produc- tive during periods when a strong Chief Counsel for Advocacy has been installed to utilize the Office of Advocacy’s authority aggressively to provide a check on regulatory overreach. The office is one of the bright spots within the SBA that a conservative Administration could supercharge to dismantle extreme regulatory policies and advance limited-government reforms that promote economic freedom and opportunity. Currently, the SBA’s four core functions include: l Access to capital. SBA maintains assorted financing and lending programs for small businesses, from microlending to debt and equity investment capital. l Entrepreneurial development programs. SBA provides “free” or low- cost training at more than 1,800 locations and through online platforms and webinars. l Government contracting support programs. Through goals established by the SBA for federal departments and agencies, the broader goal is to ensure that small businesses win 23 percent of prime contracts. l Advocacy. This independent office within the SBA works to ensure that federal agencies consider small businesses’ concerns and impact in rulemakings. The office also conducts small-business research. BUDGETARY FLUCTUATION SBA’s budget and programs have expanded significantly under some Admin- istrations and have been scaled back under others. President Ronald Reagan cut the SBA’s budget by more than 30 percent, and his annual budgets regularly pro- posed to eliminate the agency altogether.15 Under President George W. Bush, SBA Administrator Hector Barreto said that SBA’s goal was “to do more with less,”16 but this changed because of Hurricane Katrina and a surge in disaster funding. In 2016, President Barack Obama considered streamlining and combining SBA programs and other business-related agencies and programs under one entity at the U.S. Department of Commerce, but opposition within the small-business lobby in Washington scuttled the effort.17 In general, SBA budget fluctuations have been driven by several factors such as efforts by Administrations either to cut or to greatly expand programs, the need to boost disaster assistance because of economic or weather-related events, business — 748 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise loan credit subsidy costs, and miscellaneous program “enhancements” to support small businesses through economic challenges or circumstances. As noted by the Congressional Research Service: Overall, the SBA’s appropriations have ranged from a high of over $761.9 billion in FY2020 to a low of $571.8 million in FY2007. Much of this volatility is due to significant variation in supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance to address economic damages caused by major hurricanes and for SBA lending program enhancements to help small businesses access capital during and immediately following recessions. For example, in FY2020, the SBA received over $760.9 billion in supplemental appropriations to assist small businesses adversely affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic.18 The CRS further notes that “[o]verall, since FY2000, appropriations for SBA’s other programs, excluding supplemental appropriations, have increased at a pace that exceeds inflation.”19 In terms of current loan volume, the SBA “reached nearly $43 billion in fund- ing to small businesses, providing more than 62,000 traditional loans through its 7(a), 504, and Microloan lending partners and over 1,200 investments through SBA licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.”20 The agency’s total budgetary resources for FY 2022 amount to $44.25 billion, which represents 0.4 percent of the FY 2022 U.S. federal budget.21 HISTORY OF MISMANAGEMENT Throughout its history, various SBA programs and practices have generated negative news headlines and scathing Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Inspector General (IG) reports that have centered on mismanagement, lack of competent personnel and/or systems, and waste, fraud and abuse.22 From the 8a program23 to Hurricane Katrina24 to the more current COVID-19 (EIDL) program and PPP lending program,25 the SBA has managed to maintain its lending role even when repeated system failures have affected its distribution of funds. Congress has been somewhat responsive, pressuring the SBA to clean up fraud-related matters within its COVID-19 lending and grant programs.26 Repub- licans in the U.S. House of Representatives have gone farther, specifying that the SBA needs to improve transparency and accountability and deal with mission creep, the expansion of unauthorized programs, and structural and reporting deficiencies that have allowed mismanagement and fraud to reoccur, largely through massive supplemental appropriations.27 The SBA is led by an Administrator (currently a member of the President’s Cabinet) and a Deputy Administrator. Senate-confirmed appointees include

Department of Labor and Related Agencies

Minimal

Vector: 62%

Pages: 648-650AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies, with no mention of the Department of Labor or its sub-agencies like ETA, EEOC, or NLRB. There is no alignment with the Project 2025 policy objectives for DOL, which center on budget reductions, personnel changes, and compliance initiatives within the Department of Labor."

— 615 — Department of Labor and Related Agencies ORGANIZATIONAL AGENDA Budget l Reduce the agencies’ budgets to the low end of the historical average. The Trump Administration’s FY 2020 request, $10.9 billion, would provide a workable target for spending reductions for DOL, for example. l Spending reductions should occur primarily in the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). l Focus health and safety inspections on egregious offenders, as other inspections are often abused and usurp state and local government prerogatives. Personnel l Maximize hiring of political appointees. At its best, the Trump Administration Department of Labor worked with up to 150 political appointees. That is still a tiny percentage of the department. The number of political appointees should be maximized in order to improve the political accountability of the department. l Appoint new EEOC and NLRB general counsels on Day One. The Biden Administration broke significant precedent by firing the EEOC and NLRB general counsels despite their term appointments. The next Administration should do the same and expand on the Biden Administration’s new precedent by refusing to acknowledge terms in other offices, where applicable, and installing acting or full new officers immediately. l Implement a hiring freeze for career officials. A hiring freeze imposes financial discipline on agencies’ personnel costs and reduces agency bloat. Office of Compliance Initiatives l DOL should fully staff the Office of Compliance Initiatives (OCI), which was reopened by the Trump Administration after the Obama Administration closed its predecessor down. OCI educates employers and workers on their rights, responsibilities, and available recourse under the many statutes, rules, and regulations administered by DOL. Most businesses want to follow the law and OCI exists to make knowing the rules easier, which leads to increased compliance.

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Related Bills

Other Bills by Rep. Rogers, Harold

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

119/hr/5342

Expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable Richard B. Cheney.

119/hres/874

Authorizing the Clerk to inform the President of the election of the Speaker and the Clerk.

119/hres/4

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027