The FY 82 budget represented a sharp reduction in funding below the FY 81 level. This cut did not provide sufficient funds for all programs, and, as a result, this barebones budget had to be increased through the use of carryover and contingency funding. It would be more appropriate to compare our FY 83 expense budget request of $13.4 million, including $2 million for policy issues, with the $11.4 million FY 81 budget, which shows an increase of under 18% between the two years. Question: What would you cut back on if we only gave you half of the Computer Center increase you have requested? What projected activities would you curtail? Answer: The Office of the Sergeant at Arms is responsible for the delivery and administration of authorized computer services to Senate users. The increases for ongoing operations will merely provide funding to continue these services which have been authorized by the Committee on Rules and Administration and funded by your Committee in past years. To freeze the growth of authorized services to existing levels, to deny the use of authorized services and facilities to new users, and to curtail or take back services currently used in Senate offices would require policy guidance from the Committee on Rules and Administration. We can identify certain services for which funding levels would have to be reduced, but would need guidance from you and the Rules Committee as to which items have a higher priority than others. Examples of services which could be curtailed, and the users which would be affected, are as follows: a. State Office Data Communications All member offices are author ized up to two sites with this capability. By the end of FY 82, there will be 119 sites installed. Expansion is predicted to occur based on current users moving to their authorized number of sites, as well as a heavy demand from new Members elected to the 98th Congress. b. Correspondence Management System All member offices and Committees are authorized to access this service. The higher levels of funding requested are based on the projected increased number of concurrent users signed on to the timesharing service. Without this increase, users would soon begin to experience an inability to use the system. C. ALTO This system is used by the Appropriations Committee and the Senate leadership. The funding for this system could be reduced if the priority for this service was determined lower than other authorized services. d. Terminals All authorized online services require computer terminals to communicate with the central processors. Funding to expand the terminal population could be denied, however, it would be neces sary to reject all requests for additional terminals, even though they may be within the currently authorized allocation levels. e. Processing Mail Returns Rental of an Optical Character Reader enhances the mailing system. This is available to all Senators, for eliminating returns from their mail files. This service routinely saves several times its operating cost through reductions in mailing costs. The above list represents some of the authorized services which could be eliminated or curtailed. In addition, all policy items would be eliminated, including increased capacity, ATMS in Member offices, equipment upgrade and enhancements, pilot tests, and additional Financial Management System packages. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. WHITE ACCOMPANIED BY: WILLIAM L. ENSIGN, ASSISTANT ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL J. RAYMOND CARROLL, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING EMANUELE CRUPI, BUDGET OFFICER J. LEWEY CARAWAY, SUPERINTENDENT, SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS HENRY C. KILBY, JR., ASSISTANT BUDGET OFFICER PREPARED STATEMENT Senator MATTINGLY, Mr. White. We will now hear the request from the Architect of the Capitol, Mr. George White. Mr. WHITE. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Senator MATTINGLY. Good morning. Please go ahead and proceed with your statement. Mr. WHITE. Mr. Chairman, I have submitted a relatively brief statement of the various items that are offered in greater detail in our basic justifications. I can, with your approval, present a summary of that. Senator MATTINGLY. If you would like, or you can just submit it for the record. Mr. WHITE. I would like to submit it for the record. [The statement follows:] (91) STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. WHITE In presenting our appropriations request for fiscal year 1983, I thought it would be desirable, with your approval, to proceed in the same manner as last year, that is, to present a brief summary of the various requests, following which I would be pleased to respond in detail to questions regarding any of the specific items that you wish to pursue. The justifications have been prepared, Mr. Chairman, to include all items pertaining to the "Architect of the Capitol", including the Botanic Garden, House items, Senate items, and joint items. The total appropriation request for fiscal year 1983 is $99,497,000, which includes funding for 2,068 positions. This represents a net decrease of $3,030,000 and an increase of 95 positions over the fiscal year 1982 totals of $102,527,000 and 1,973 positions. Stated differently, gross increases requested are $25,764,700, and 102 positions which have been reduced by nonrecurring fiscal year 1982 program deductions amounting to $28,794,700 and the abolition of 7 positions. If the item "House Office Buildings" is excluded, the $25,764,700 increase for 1983 reduces to $23,182,300, of which $12,680,000 is for Senate Office Buildings and Senate Garage, and the 102 additional positions reduce to 101, of which 80 are for Senate Office Buildings. The $25,764,700 increases fall into five categories, namely, New Positions, which total $1,364,600, or 5% of the increase; year 1983. They are being requested to provide initial staffing for the Hart Senate Office Building, to handle increased workload demands, implement new, expanded, and improved programs, and, in general, apply appropriate efforts to respond to and improve overall services to the Congress. Annual Recurring Maintenance, which totals $3,218,400, or 13% of the increase; The three significant increases contained in this category, representing 66% of the total in this category, are $1,170,000 for purchase of electrical energy from the Potomac Electric Power Company, $650,000 for the purchase of low sulphur coal and oil through the Federal Supply Service, General Services Administration, and $301,800 to provide funding for the initial year's needs for the maintenance, care and operation of the Hart Senate Office Building. The balance of $1,096,600, of which approximately $295,000 represents inflationary increases, is required to finance normal maintenance responsibilities, such as painting; repairs and improvements to electrical, electronic, air conditioning and other mechanical systems; procurement of supplies and materials and equipment; and control of insects and pests. Cyclical Maintenance, which totals $5,346,500, or 21% of the increase; As indicated in the past, 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 four largest items, in monetary terms, requested under this category are replacement and/or rehabilitation of all or a portion of air conditioning units and systems at the Russell, Capitol and Cannon Buildings ($2,308,000), roof repairs, replacements and required related work at the Rayburn Building, Capitol Power Plant and the Library of 95-563 - 82-7 Congress Jefferson Building ($1,177,000), resurfacing the Capitol Plaza and other various paved areas of the Capitol Grounds and replacement of concrete sidewalks ($884,500), and continued funding for the replacement of expansion joints in steam lines serving the Capitol Complex of Buildings ($300,000). The remainder of $677,000 is spread over such programs as remodeling and exterior repairs, Immigration Building ($200,000); repair and/or replacement of exterior approach steps, Cannon Building ($176,000); replacement of controls on oil fired boilers and repairs to chiller motors at the Capitol Power Plant ($170,000); four other miscellaneous items totaling $131,000 for property and equipment main tenance and preservation and other periodic needs. The last category is Continuing and Initiating Other Programs, which totals $13,975,500, or 54% of the increase; Included in this category are four substantial items amounting to $10,934,000, or 78% of the total under this heading, of which $2,240,000 is needed to finance the replacement of the broad walkway approaches and steps on the West side of the Capitol Grounds and other related work, which was requested in 1980 and appropriated, but subsequently rescinded by Public Law 96-304; $959,000 for acquisition and installation of additional X-ray inspection equipment and intrusion detection systems, as part of the Capitol Complex Security System; $6,580,000 to continue renovations in the Russell and Dirksen Buildings to accommodate required changes prior to and simultaneously with occupancy of the Hart Building in early 1983; and $1,155,000 for the purchase and installation of electronic security, energy conservation and data communications cable systems, and moving costs required for the Hart Senate Office Building. The balance of $3,041,500 in this category will finance |