119-HR-8096 DC Insider Whip Count Analysis

Bill snapshot and status

Bill

H.R. 8096 — Duplication Scoring Act of 2026

Core idea

GAO must assess reported bills for risks of duplicating/overlapping existing federal programs; CBO may append GAO’s findings to cost estimates.

Introduced

March 26, 2026 (Burchett, Stansbury, Gosar, Crockett, Mace). [2]U.S. Government Publishing Office — Bill text — H.R. 8096 (Introduced)

Current status

Ordered reported (amended) by House Oversight, 39–1 (May 20, 2026); ANS by Chair Comer adopted. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Markup notice and record (May 20, 2026) — Commi…

Roll‑call detail

Official committee vote sheet confirms 39 Aye / 1 No. [3]U.S. House of Representatives — Oversight Committee Vote Sheet — H.R. 8096 (5/2…

Referrals

Primary: Oversight and Government Reform; additional: Budget; Rules. [2]U.S. Government Publishing Office — Bill text — H.R. 8096 (Introduced)

Context: GAO’s annual duplication/overlap work is a long‑running, cross‑party framework; the 2024 report tallies hundreds of billions in identified savings opportunities. [4]U.S. Government Accountability Office — Duplication & Cost Savings | U.S. GAO

Expected support and opposition by party/caucus

Read this as a near‑consensus “good‑government/process” vote absent unforeseen turf fights.

• House Republicans: Broad support. The Oversight markup margin (39–1) and Chair Comer’s ANS signal leadership buy‑in on the majority side. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Markup notice and record (May 20, 2026) — Commi…
• House Democrats: Substantial support. The bill is bipartisan at introduction (Stansbury, Crockett) and the committee vote was overwhelmingly bipartisan. Expect only a small number of progressive noes or process skeptics, if any. [2]U.S. Government Publishing Office — Bill text — H.R. 8096 (Introduced)
• Relevant outside pressure: Fiscal advocates (e.g., NTU) are actively urging passage, reinforcing cross‑party cover for yes votes. [5]National Taxpayers Union — NTU letter: Support for H.R. 8096
• Senate Republicans: Favorable. A GOP majority sets the floor agenda, and a companion (S. 2733) is led by HSGAC Chair Rand Paul. [6]U.S. Senate — U.S. Senate: Party Division (119th Congress)
• Senate Democrats/Independents: Several likely yeses given prior bipartisan iterations; Sen. Maggie Hassan is a lead on the companion. Filibuster risk is low for a non‑ideological process bill, but 60‑vote dynamics always matter. [7]Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee — Dr. Paul, Sen. Hass…

Key legislators and pivotal votes

Focus on gatekeepers and validators with procedural leverage or bipartisan signaling power.

• James Comer (R-KY), Oversight Chair — wrote the ANS and ran the markup; clear champion in committee and with floor‑prep influence. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Markup notice and record (May 20, 2026) — Commi…
• Robert Garcia (D-CA), Oversight Ranking Member — committee materials show bipartisan support through final passage in markup. [3]U.S. House of Representatives — Oversight Committee Vote Sheet — H.R. 8096 (5/2…
• Tim Burchett (R-TN) & Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) — bipartisan leads; their joint intro press release frames the bill as a pragmatic fix, helpful for mainstream Democrats. [8]burchett.house.gov
• House Leadership — Speaker Mike Johnson/R and the Rules Committee will determine floor timing and whether secondary referrals (Budget/Rules) are discharged/waived. [9]house.gov
• Senate side — Rand Paul (R-KY) chairs HSGAC and co‑leads the companion with Maggie Hassan (D‑NH); Majority Leader John Thune controls floor time. [7]Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee — Dr. Paul, Sen. Hass…

Leadership influence and procedural dynamics

• House pathway: After Oversight reporting, the bill either waits for action/waiver from Budget/Rules or proceeds via a structured rule that deems those referrals discharged. Oversight’s official docket and vote record indicate leadership attention; committee ratio is 26–21 (R majority). [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Markup notice and record (May 20, 2026) — Commi…
• Calendaring options: Given bipartisan optics, this could move on the Suspension Calendar if leadership wants speed and a two‑thirds show of support; otherwise expect a low‑drama rule. Evidence of majority control and tight vote margins elsewhere suggests leadership will prioritize consensus items. [10]clerk.house.gov
• Substance lowers friction: The bill applies only to reported measures and lets CBO append GAO findings; that minimizes burden‑of‑process objections. [2]U.S. Government Publishing Office — Bill text — H.R. 8096 (Introduced)
• Senate posture: With a Republican majority and bipartisan HSGAC sponsorship, committee consideration should be straightforward; floor time is the main constraint in a pre‑election session. Majority Leader role in setting debate/scheduling is dispositive. [6]U.S. Senate — U.S. Senate: Party Division (119th Congress)

Interest groups and validations

• National Taxpayers Union — explicit support letters around the May 20 markup and broader commentary backing the concept; helpful cover for fiscal moderates in both parties. [5]National Taxpayers Union — NTU letter: Support for H.R. 8096
• GAO backdrop — long‑running annual duplication/overlap series and quantified savings opportunities provide the predicate that Members cite on the floor. [4]U.S. Government Accountability Office — Duplication & Cost Savings | U.S. GAO

Assessment: vote outlook

Strategic view from a process-and-power lens.

• House: High likelihood of passage. Oversight’s 39–1 vote and bipartisan sponsorship suggest broad floor appeal; leadership has multiple low‑risk pathways to move it. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Markup notice and record (May 20, 2026) — Commi…
• Senate: Moderate‑to‑high. GOP majority with a bipartisan companion out of HSGAC leadership reduces committee‑level risk; floor time and the 60‑vote threshold are the only real variables, but this is the kind of process bill that typically clears. [6]U.S. Senate — U.S. Senate: Party Division (119th Congress)