In its budget-cutting zeal over the past two decades, Congress also reduced funding for committee staff by roughly a third—meaning many of the economists, issue experts, and agency veterans responsible for managing fact-finding hearings and designing major legislation lost their jobs. So, too, did dozens of researchers at Congress’ other leading analytical agencies, the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Research Service. Today, America’s legislative research agencies have 20 percent less staff than they did in 1979.