The Architect of the Capitol, acting as an agent of the Congress, is in charge of the structural and mechanical care of the Capitol and of making arrangements with the proper authorities for ceremonies held in the building and on the grounds; he is also charged with the care and repair of works of art in the Capitol under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library. He is responsible for the care, maintenance, and improvement of the Capitol Grounds, including 273.7 acres of landscaping, parks, streets, and parking; and he has responsibility for the structural and mechanical care of the Library of Congress Buildings and the United States Supreme Court Building. Permanent authority for the care and maintenance of the U.S. Capitol Building is provided by the Act of August 15, 1876 (19 Stat. 147; 40 U.S.C.162-163). This act has been amended as required to provide for the care and maintenance of additional buildings and grounds.

Subject to the approval of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration as to matters of general policy, the Architect is similarly charged with the structural, mechanical, and domestic care and maintenance of the Senate Office Buildings, including the maintenance and operation of the mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment and the Senate subways. He is also responsible for the operation of the Senate restaurants.

The Architect is also charged with the care, maintenance, and operation of the Capitol Power Plant, which supplies steam for heating and
chilled water for cooling the Capitol, the Senate and House Office Buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, and other buildings.

Under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, the Architect serves as Acting Director of the United States Botanic Garden.
The Architect of the Capitol is also charged with the planning and construction of such additional buildings as are committed to his care

The traditional core mission of the agency has been to provide for the Congress, on a neutral, bicameral and non-partisan basis, professional expertise and advice relating to preserving and enhancing the environment of the Capitol Complex and operating and maintaining the infrastructure supporting the Congress, other Legislative Branch support entities and the Supreme Court. In so doing, the agency has utilized available architectural, engineering and professional expertise, on staff and through consultants, in order to provide the Congress with the most appropriate, timely and cost effective recommendations. The agency has managed trades and services personnel who are charged with ensuring that the building systems operate efficiently and reliably in support of Congressional activities. The agency also has administered a wide variety of contracts for building design, construction and maintenance.

The Capitol Grounds and many of the buildings in the Capitol Complex are national treasures and require intimate knowledge and significant forethought for their preservation as their functions and systems are modified to meet changing needs. For example, the U.S. Capitol -- "the people's building" -- is a unique combination of national capitol, museum, office building, ceremonial site, meeting center and tourist attraction. Of course, its architectural design, decorative arts and historical significance must all be carefully considered before undertaking any work or implementing any structural or other physical changes to the building.

Critical to achieving the office's mission is the preservation of institutional knowledge that has accrued in the agency. The value of the long-term role of the Architect as an advocate for the Capitol Complex environment was recognized by the Congress when it established ten-year renewable terms for Architect appointments. Such an advocacy role is no less appropriate for the core professional and trades staff. The merit of maintaining a long-term view for preserving, protecting and improving the complex is self-evident; to the credit of the agency, Congressional activities have never been interrupted by failure of any major building system.

Another benefit of the neutral, bicameral role of the Architect of the Capitol is the ability to provide technical and professional coordination in connection with "joint" activities. Over the years, the role of the agency has become broader as a result. There are now functions and activities, such as transportation services and telecommunications, as well as Inaugural and Rotunda ceremonies and other events of political and social significance, that must be coordinated or logistically supported by the Architect, that are often not recognized as being within the

The role of the agency in providing these services extends back over 200 years, predating the removal of the Congress itself to Washington and the building of the Capitol. During these years, the ongoing and ever-changing institution of the Congress has been served by an agency that has responded to changing Congressional needs, yet maintained a neutral and continuous role in preserving the Congressional infrastructure.

In fiscal year 1999 the budget is presented again as an Operating Budget and a Capital Budget. With respect to the Operating Budget for fiscal year 1999, the Architect of the Capitol is requesting no increases in Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff. Modest increases for mandatory pay items and some annual maintenance costs totaling $8,439,000, or 5.8% above fiscal year 1998 operating costs, will be required to maintain the status quo for AOC operations. These increases are detailed and justified in the Schedule C's and Operating Allotment narratives. The Capital Budget request includes an increase of $53,588,000 over the capital budget funding appropriated for fiscal year 1998. Of that increase, $33,200,000, or 62% of the increase, is represented by five projects alone.

The requested appropriations for all activities under the Architect of the Capitol totals $241,272,000, which is a $62,027,000 increase over the fiscal year 1998 level of $179,245,000. The Architect is also requesting the same level of FTE for all AOC operations, totaling 2,012. Over the past seven fiscal years FTE have been reduced by over 16%.

For fiscal year 1999, a 5.8 percent increase of $8,439,000 is requested for operating costs for all appropriations. The Operating Budget is comprised of all costs associated with the daily care, maintenance and operation of the facilities under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol. The increase of $8,439,000 is comprised of $5,335,000 for mandatory pay items, $350,000 for workers compensation costs, $496,000 to implement an agency-wide uniform program based on the pilot program underway in the Senate, one time increases totaling $1,000,000 for election year moves, $279,000 for lease costs for warehouse and office space, $200,000 for new operating requirements at the Library of Congress Audio Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, VA, and $471,000 for price level and workload increases, $930,000 for other new services and maintenance requirements, and net decreases of $359,000 for Senate Restaurants operations and $263,000 for utilities. In terms of a more accurate picture

The fiscal year 1999 capital budget is presented again as a five year plan. The basis for this five year budget plan is comprehensive agency-wide planning and coordination of all cyclical maintenance projects and building system enhancements in a thorough, systematic and programmed manner. All of the agency's clients were involved in this planning process as well. On the House side, these included the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer and the Clerk of the House. On the Senate side these included the Sergeant at Arms and the Secretary of the Senate. The U.S. Capitol Police provided a detailed outline of their needs. The Librarian of Congress was also extensively involved in developing the five year capital budget needs for that agency.

The objective of the five year Capital Budget is to identify all projects, including those generated from within the agency as well as those identified by clients, which require funding during fiscal years 1999 through 2003. Using all the information collected during this process, a five-year Capital Budget has been prepared based on currently identified needs. Using the five year capital budget plan, the Congress will be able to make financial judgments on capital improvements based on an informed evaluation of present and future cost implications and with the assurance that the agency has undertaken a rigorous examination of all related needs, both internal and those of the agency's clients. Further, it will provide the Congress with a present and future view of various programmatic and financial needs. where to

The Capital Budget has also been prepared with the intent of requesting planning and design funding well in advance of large renovation or construction projects. In most cases, there will be a one year gap between design and construction funding requests. This time permits necessary planning steps to take place and coordination between all involved parties. The time is also necessary for completing design, and the development of sound cost estimates based on actual design from which a budget request can be justified. This may initially delay some construction and renovation projects because only design funding is requested in fiscal year 1999. However, the value of having final design and firm cost estimates for justifying construction and renovation funding outweighs the delay.