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STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. WHITE

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased once again to appear

before your Committee, this time to present the appropriations request for fiscal year 1980 for my office and the Botanic Garden. If it is agreeable, I thought it would be appropriate to present a brief summary of the various requests, following which I would be pleased to discuss in detail any of the specific items that you wish to pursue.

The total appropriation request for fiscal year 1980 is $72,990,000, which includes funding for 2,019 positions. This represents a net increase of $10,263,400 and 24 positions over the fiscal year 1979 total of $62,726,600 and 1,995 positions. Stated differently, gross increases requested are $19,823,200 which, have been reduced by nonrecurring fiscal year 1979 program deductions amounting to $9,559,800; the position request remains the same. If the items "Senate Office Buildings" and "Senate Garage" are excluded, the $19,823,200 increase for 1980 reduces to $18,941,300 of which $5,824,000 is for House Office Buildings, and the 24 additional positions remain unchanged.

The $19,823,200 increases fall into five categories. However, before proceeding it should be emphasized that there exists within two of these categories a requested amount of $3,034,000, of which $50,000 is contained in Cyclical Maintenance and Improvements and $2,984,000 in Continuation of/and Initial Programs for Major Projects, to restore funds withheld from obligation and expenditure pursuant to Section 311 of the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act,

1979.

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These major projects, as you may recall, were justified, approved, and funded in fiscal year 1979; these funds are requested on the presumption that the projects are to be continued and completed as originally intended. A more detailed listing of funds withheld from obligation and expenditure, by appropriation and project, will be presented

for the record.

Now, I will proceed with a generalized summary by category,

namely,

Mandatory Items, which total $1,855,700, or 9% of the increase;
This category includes annualization of Civilian Pay Act
and Wage-rate pay increases effected in October 1978 and
annualization of new positions authorized in fiscal year
1979; related benefits and premium pay for existing and
additional positions requested; within-grade salary

advancements and other changes authorized by law.

New Positions, which total $416,200, or 2% of the increase;
Twenty-four additional positions, consisting of 16 for
"Salaries, Architect of the Capitol", 5 for the "Capitol
Buildings", and 3 for the "Capitol Grounds", are

requested for fiscal year 1980. They are being requested
to handle increased workload demands, implement new,

expanded, and improved programs, and, in general, apply
more extensive efforts to improve overall services to

the Congress.

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Annual Recurring Maintenance, which totals $1,458,500, or 7% of the increase; The three significant increases contained in this category, representing 80% of the total, are $625,000 for purchase of electrical energy from the Potomac Electric Power Company, $286,100 to place the inventory needs on an annual basis for miscellaneous supplies and materials, movable partitions, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems parts, elevator repair and maintenance parts, and provide for labor and materials for general annual repairs in the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building, and $257,600 for annual maintenance of the newly installed House closed circuit televising and cable distribution systems and Senate coaxial cable system. The balance of $289,800 is required to finance normal maintenance responsibilities, such as painting; repairs and improvements to electrical, air-conditioning, and other mechanical systems; procurement of supplies and materials, equipment, furniture and furnishings; combating snow and icy conditions; disposal of solid waste; and control of insects and pests.

Cyclical Maintenance and Improvements, which total $5,079,300 or 26% of the increase; As has been the case during my past testimony, generally, I define this category as long term maintenance items that arise only once in ten or twenty years, such as roof repairs, sidewalk replacement and so forth. The three largest items, in monetary terms,

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requested under this category are replacement of the two broad walkway approaches and steps on the west side of the Capitol grounds from Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenues to

the foot of the west terraces and other work related thereto

($1,792,000), roof repairs, replacements, and required related work at the Capitol Building, Longworth Building, Capitol Power Plant, and the Main Library Building ($1,023,000), and replacement of expansion joints in steam lines ($970,000). The remainder of $1,285,800 is spread over such programs as preservation of historic drawings ($160,000); rectifying drainage conditions, Senate Garage and House underground garage ($375,900); painting dome and related exterior wood work of the Capitol ($145,000); other miscellaneous items totaling $604,900, of which none exceeds $50,000, for property and equipment maintenance and preservation and other periodic needs.

As previously stated, this category contains $50,000 requested to restore funds withheld from obligation and expenditure during fiscal year 1979. The amount is

included in the item, Replacement of Expansion Joints in

Steam Lines.

[blocks in formation]

Continuation of/and Initial Programs for Major Projects,

which total $11,013,500, or 56% of the increase;

Included in this category are five substantial items amounting to $9,787,500, or 89% of the total under this heading, of which $3,661,000 is needed to finance the completion of alterations to House Office Building Annex #2 (formerly the FBI Identification Building); $833,000 to conclude funding for improving and expanding the electrical and communication capabilities in the Longworth Building, including the lowering of corridor ceilings and installing in the concealed space between the existing and proposed hung ceilings power wiring, cabling, and other appurtenances; $893,500 for installation of additional equipment, Capitol Complex Security System, inclusive of closed circuit surveillance, intrusion alarm, and X-ray inspection systems; $900,000

for alterations and improvements to the Coolidge Auditorium; and $3,500,000 for design, removal of temporary partitions, and minor renovations associated with the interior restoration of the Main Library of Congress Building, which is intended to be the first phase of a major program of restoration and renovation. The balance of $1,226,000 will finance, primarily, such programs as an uninterrupted power supply system for the Senate Computer Center, $100,000; a new Senate bake shop in the Dirksen Building, $70,000; acquisition and

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