Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Agriculture.

Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

2025-05-06

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee convened its second budget hearing for Fiscal Year 2026 to review requests from the Library of Congress and the Architect of the Capitol[ 00:22:06-00:22:13 ] . Chair Markwayne Mullin and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich questioned Dr. Hayden and Mr. Austin on their budget proposals, operational challenges, and plans for improvement[ 00:22:13 ] [ 00:22:23 ] [ 00:24:14 ] . The discussion highlighted the need for responsible spending amidst federal discretionary spending cuts and the critical importance of maintaining legislative branch facilities and services[ 00:22:44-00:22:59 ] [ 00:24:14 ] .

FY2026 Budget Requests and Financial Constraints

The committee discussed the financial landscape for FY2026, noting a significant decrease in discretionary spending across the federal government[ 00:22:44-00:22:50 ] . The Library of Congress (LOC) requested $946.2 million, a 5.4% increase, to support IT modernization, digital capacity, and accessibility improvements for congress.gov and other platforms[ 00:23:07-00:23:42 ] . Dr. Hayden stated that $30.9 million of this request covers mandatory pay and price level increases, which the Library absorbed in FY2025 due to continuing resolutions. The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) sought $1.3 billion, a 61% increase, primarily for crucial infrastructure projects that have been delayed, reflecting the increasing deterioration and cost of maintaining historic buildings. Mr. Austin clarified that the AOC's budget prioritizes life safety, physical security, critical infrastructure, and adequate staffing, including a "pent-up request" for 57 new positions costing nearly $10 million[ 00:56:03 ]

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. These positions would enhance emergency response, address HR backlogs, and support increased tourism.

Infrastructure and Space Utilization

The discussion included the utilization of the Library of Congress's three buildings: the Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison Memorial Buildings[ 00:34:35-00:34:40 ]

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. Dr. Hayden explained that these buildings are not merely offices but house mission-essential facilities for collections preservation and include public and congressional reading and meeting rooms. Chair Mullin questioned the underutilization of meeting spaces in the LOC given space constraints elsewhere in the Capitol complex and requested detailed occupancy data. Mr. Austin highlighted the challenge of aging infrastructure and significant deferred maintenance across the Capitol campus, which generates approximately 495,000 work orders annually. Project prioritization for the AOC is based on risk, importance, and impact on deferred maintenance, such as the 60-year-old air handling units in the Rayburn building that are well beyond their design life. He also noted the development of an Enterprise Asset Management System to enhance data-driven decisions and reduce the maintenance backlog. A master plan update, the first since 2012, is currently underway to address long-term campus needs for the next 20 to 50 years.

Staffing and Workforce Management

Dr. Hayden underscored the importance of the Library's staff, noting a steady decline from over 5,000 employees in the early 1990s to approximately 3,300 today. Mr. Austin praised the Architect of the Capitol's 2,500 dedicated employees, mentioning their success in reducing the agency's vacancy rate from 11% to 8% through aggressive recruitment. The AOC workforce is predominantly composed of tradespeople (70%), such as plumbers and electricians, with 15% in professional roles like engineers and architects. The agency is conducting a wage-grade study to compare its pay with the private sector and other federal employers, acknowledging that current compensation may be lower. Mr. Austin also noted that while the agency may not compete with hourly private sector rates, it offers benefits like job security and a predictable work environment[ 01:04:31-01:04:54 ]

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.

Copyright Royalty Fees and Efficiency

A significant point of contention was the $1.4 billion in undistributed copyright royalty fees, some dating back to 2014[ 00:38:23-00:38:36 ]

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[ 00:46:06 ]

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. Chair Mullin expressed frustration, stating that the situation is "absurd" and questioned why solutions have not been implemented sooner. Dr. Hayden explained that the Library, through the Copyright Royalty Board, administers the process, which can be prolonged by formal proceedings, litigation, and appeals. She indicated that recommendations, such as setting time limits, might require statutory changes and that discussions have been ongoing for several years. Chair Mullin demanded that concrete suggestions to streamline the distribution process be presented to the committee within two weeks.

Library of Congress Programs and Initiatives

Dr. Hayden updated the subcommittee on the Library's ongoing Visitor Experience Initiative, which Congress has supported[ 00:45:20 ]

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. The Permanent Treasures Gallery opened in June 2024, featuring rotating displays from the collections. The second component, the Youth Center, named "The Source" by an advisory committee of congressional children, is scheduled to open by the end of 2025. The third element, the Orientation Gallery, is currently under construction by the AOC and is expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027. Dr. Hayden emphasized strong collaboration with the AOC on this project. The LOC also requested funding for critical IT infrastructure, including preservation object storage, web application delivery improvements, and continuous development of the Enterprise Copyright System. Additionally, resubmitted requests aim to enhance the Congressional Research Service's data and analytics capacity, digital collections processing, and digital accessibility.

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting maintained a professional and informative tone, with members seeking detailed justifications for budget requests and operational challenges[ 00:24:14 ] . Chair Mullin was direct and expressed a strong desire for efficiency, particularly regarding the long-standing issue of undistributed copyright royalties[ 00:46:19-00:46:25 ]

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. He pressed for immediate action and concrete solutions, setting a two-week deadline for recommendations on the royalty issue. Ranking Member Heinrich adopted a constructive and inquisitive approach, focusing on the agencies' visions and the rationale behind their staffing and infrastructure needs[ 00:39:35-00:39:41 ]

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[ 00:53:58-00:54:06 ]

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. Both Dr. Hayden and Mr. Austin were grateful for the committee's support and were clear in articulating their agencies' missions, progress, and resource requirements. An underlying sense of urgency was evident concerning the need to address aging infrastructure and streamline administrative processes.

Participants

Transcript

Thank you.
The committee will come to order.  I want to thank everybody for being here.  I would like to let everybody know that obviously this is our second of our fiscal year 2026 budget hearing for the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee.   Today we'll have Dr. Hayden, the Library of Congress, and Mr. Austin, the architect of the Capitol.  I appreciate the willingness of the witnesses to appear before the subcommittee today, and I look forward to their testimony.  Before we turn to the specifics of our budget request, I want to comment on the overall outlook for the fiscal year of 2026.  We're looking at a significant decrease in discretionary spending across the federal government.   and we must do our part to make responsible decisions in the bill on how we allocate our limited funds.  We began this year appropriation process not knowing what kind of increase, if any, we'll be able to accommodate, which makes it even more important that we fully understand your agency's greatest needs and how these requests position you to continue to provide support for Congress.   This year, the total budget request for the Library of Congress is $946.2 million, which includes an offset of collections and appropriations of $9 million and $100.3 million.  This represents the increase of $48.4 million, or a 5.4 increase above the enacted level.  I understand the funding would support continued investments   and IT modernization including improvements to congress.gov and other library websites and applications and additional investments in the library's digital capacity and accessibility.  The architect of capital request for FY26 is over 1.3 billion, an increase of 506.3 million or a 61% increase above the level provided for the full year CR.
This significant increase is primary for project requests which reflects   the fact that the important infrastructure projects have been delayed or phased funded.  I would like to hear the impact of delaying some of this work year after year in terms of increasing deterioration of these historic buildings and the growing cost and risk to operate them.  Thank you again for the witnesses for being here today.  I look forward to a productive discussion and understand your agency's priorities for this year.  Now I'd like to turn it over to our ranking member, Senator Heinrich.   for any remarks you would like to make.
Thank you, Chairman.  I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses as we continue our work to prepare a fiscally responsible bill that meets the needs of the legislative branch as a separate but equal branch of government.  Thank you to the witnesses providing testimony today and to the folks at your agencies who work every day to facilitate the Congress's work.   Mr. Austin, the architect of the Capitol plays an important role in keeping the Capitol complex fully functional.  As the newly appointed architect, you're the caretaker of the building that embodies our democracy, and it is because of the dedication of you and your staff   that Congress can perform its work effectively, and that millions of people each year can access and experience the seat of American government.  This year, the AOC is requesting $1.3 billion to carry out its mission, a $506 million increase over the FY25 enacted level.  Now, I understand that this increase addresses both salaries and infrastructure requirements,   I also understand that you're finalizing a capital complex master plan that will help inform project priorities for the AOC for the next several years.  And I look forward to your testimony about the status of the master plan and the resources your team needs to do its job.  Dr. Hayden, you bring both a deep commitment to public access and a modern vision for preserving and sharing knowledge of the Library of Congress.   You have requested $900 million to support library operations, the Congressional Research Service, the Copyright Office, and the National Library Services for the blind and print disabled.  While your request is a $49 million increase over the FY25 enacted level, I understand that the Trump administration recently froze funding for library service programs and that this freeze may have indirect impacts on your programs.
So I look forward to hearing about how this impacts your work   and about the resources that you need for your programming in the coming year.  I'd also like to hear about the library's ongoing visitor experience project and your work with the architect on this effort.  Again, thank you to both of our witnesses for being here today, and thank you, Chairman, for the time.
Thank you, and with that, we'll let our witnesses have a five-minute opening.  We'll start with Ms.  Hayden, if you want to start.
Thank you, Chairman Mullen, Ranking Member Heinrich, and this is an opportunity to provide testimony in support of the Library's fiscal 2026 budget request.  The mission of the Library is to engage, inspire, and inform the Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.  Above all, the Library exists to serve.   Service to Congress remains the foundation for the Library's mission every day with analysis, policy consultations, briefings, programs, and constituent engagement.   I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for the ongoing and extraordinary support that this committee and Congress gives to the library.  I especially appreciate the funding you have provided for major information technology IT investments that we are implementing and continuously improving to meet user expectations for greater access and new and enhanced tools.   Also, special thanks for your continued support for the library's Visitor Experience Initiative.  The library's Treasurer's Gallery opened to the public in June of 2024, and we're excited to open the library's new education center, The Source, by the end of 2025, in time for the nation's America 250 celebrations.

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