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Read. Follow. Verify.Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Hearing: Library of Congress and Architect of the Capitol
Record date · January 1, 2017
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What This Bill Does
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing to review the 2019 budget requests for the Library of Congress and the Architect of the Capitol. The session focused on funding for IT modernization, facility maintenance, and public access initiatives.
The hearing outlines proposed federal spending of $706 million for the Library of Congress and $744.9 million for the Architect of the Capitol, which impacts the maintenance of historic government buildings and the digital accessibility of national archives.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Library of Congress staff
The budget request includes funding for increased staff capacity to address processing and copyright backlogs.
Capitol visitors
The budget includes funding for facility maintenance and initiatives to improve the visitor experience at the Library of Congress.
Key Facts
- The Library of Congress requested a total budget of $706 million for fiscal year 2019, an increase of $36.2 million over 2018.
- The Architect of the Capitol requested a total budget of $744.9 million for fiscal year 2019, an increase of $32.8 million over 2018.
- The Architect of the Capitol's request includes $198 million for capital projects and $434.9 million for daily facility operations.
- The Architect of the Capitol reports a total deferred maintenance backlog of $1.5 billion.
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- Library of Congress budget priorities include IT modernization for the Copyright Office and Congressional Research Service (CRS), and addressing backlogs in collection processing.
- The Veterans History Project received 4,335 collections in fiscal year 2017.
- The Library of Congress has recently digitized papers of historical figures including Alexander Hamilton, Ulysses Grant, Benjamin Franklin, and Susan B. Anthony.
- The Congressional Research Service is beta-testing online webinars and instant messaging services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money is the Library of Congress asking for in 2019?
What is the 'deferred maintenance' backlog mentioned for the Capitol?
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News Coverage
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Discoveries
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Maintenance Backlog Costs
The Architect of the Capitol is explicitly linking the $1.5 billion maintenance backlog to potential future cost savings if projects are front-loaded.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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