Statement of The Honorable J. Brett Blanton

Architect of the Capitol 

Architect of the Capitol Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations

Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, 

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

March 11, 2020
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations - 1

Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate 

the opportunity to present the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget

request of $798 million.

Last month, I was honored to join this notable 

institution as the 12th Architect of the Capitol. In the 

first few weeks of leading this organization, I met

with my executives and staff to better understand the 

strengths and weaknesses of the agency. I am quite 

impressed with those that I have met thus far. I 

believe the AOC has all the necessary elements to 

succeed in its mission of serving Congress and the 

Supreme Court, preserving America’s Capitol and 

inspiring memorable experiences. I honestly feel the 

best is yet to come for the Architect of the Capitol.

The agency I inherited has much to be proud of. 

Massive, once-in-a-generation renovations of exterior 

facades, interior spaces and system infrastructure are 

occurring across campus. Industry-leading changes to 

energy production and efficiency are being realized 

through the Capitol Power Plant’s cogeneration 

system and several Energy Saving Performance 

Contracts. These transformation energy projects will 

maximize the use of appropriated funds and have the 

potential of reducing the Capitol Campus’ energy 

consumption by upwards of 50 percent by 2025. The 

Architect of the Capitol provides exceptional support 

for large-scale public events, exhibits and educational 

programs. This support solidifies our agency’s ability to deliver on behalf of the Congress and the 

Supreme Court. 

For a small agency with modest resources, the level of effort required to simultaneously develop and 

execute short-term and long-range capital funding priorities and projects while minimizing disruption 

to the building occupants and record numbers of annual visitors is nothing short of amazing. 

I am excited to bring my executive expertise to the AOC. The agency is mission driven and committed 

to service. Harnessing the dedication of my personnel to improve processes, operations, accountability 

and transparency is one of my top priorities. 

Redirecting that enthusiasm and effort will be a difficult transition for the agency and our clients. 

Much of our work is ongoing. Even more emphasis is needed to better address deferred maintenance 

and emergent needs required for our facilities. As you know well, our needs far outweigh available 

resources within the Legislative Branch. As a result, our FY 2021 request continues the principals of 

the FY 2020 budget but seeks targeted increases in several key areas. 

VIEW OF THE WEST FRONT OF THE U.S. CAPITOL
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations - 2

Operationally, we must continue to prioritize our critical centralized services and personnel that 

directly support our front line operations. Therefore, in FY 2021, we prioritized 16 percent of the 

agency’s requested resources to support the core central services that influence the execution of the 

entire program. Within this we are targeting areas that have a direct impact on the agency’s ability to 

execute our capital budget and deliver projects on time and on budget. Adequate support for studies, 

planning, project design and development, construction oversight and project management is lacking. 

We need to increase our ability to award contracts and procure supplies in a timely manner. And we 

must fast-track our modernization of information technology business processes. 

The AOC’s risk-based project 

prioritization process identified 

$183.2 million for capital projects 

across campus in FY 2021. Of 

those, only $18.6 million are new 

infrastructure projects. The agency 

will continue to pursue critical 

campus-wide stone and metal 

rehabilitation, landscape 

restorations and upgrades to 

security, utility, fire and life safety 

system needs and conduct studies 

that help us anticipate future 

project needs.

In this request, the biggest project remains the renewal of the Cannon House Office Building. This 

project is the largest managed by the Architect of the Capitol since the construction of the U.S. 

Capitol Building. Demolition and restoration within an occupied building is challenging. 

Restoration of a building which was completed in 1908 is even more challenging. Clearly this 

project has tested the agency. The AOC has used each of the completed phases of the project to 

identify opportunities to contain schedule and cost pressures. We believe that our approach, 

specifically implementing a formal change management process and more aggressive schedule 

management, will positively impact remaining project phases. In addition, I intend to continue to 

inform House leadership regarding how future phases are aligned with the move cycles and

potentially combining work spanning future phases.

I also appreciate the feedback we have received from members and staff who work in the Cannon 

House Office Building. The AOC’s service center in the House Office Buildings is managing work 

orders received to address temperature adjustments, light fixture modifications and pest control. 

Continual improvement is necessary and expected. We appreciate your cooperation. 

As I settle into this new role, I am committed to continuing a top-to-bottom assessment of the agency

to address both real and perceived issues. I appreciate that my predecessor and both of the Acting 

Architects that followed him identified and sought ways to address human capital, information 

FY 2021 LICP Request

Studies and Designs $35.5 m

Ongoing Projects $98.9 m

Operation and Maintenance Upgrades $30.2 m

New Starts $18.6 m

Total Request $183.2 m
Statement before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch,

Committee on Appropriations, United States House of Representatives

Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations - 3

technology and budgetary challenges. 

I, too, have thoughts about how to 

modernize the agency, better use 

federal resources and support our 

clients. You have my commitment 

that I will act quickly to implement 

solutions and keep this committee 

informed about our progress. 

Specifically, we will develop a robust 

human capital strategy to address the 

changing workforce and the 

challenges of competing for talent in 

a region undergoing a healthy 

construction boom. The plan will

ensure succession planning and train 

or retain our top talent. We will 

modernize the agency’s information 

technology infrastructure and continue to strengthen our cyber security initiatives. We will further 

leverage every dollar entrusted to us through a comprehensive enterprise asset management program 

that will enable us to optimize projects that produce the highest rate of return for facility longevity.

More than ever, the AOC needs a strong, transformational leader who will build upon our successes 

and usher in a new era of accountability to effectively maintain and preserve the universally recognized

symbol of Western Representative Democracy. I am humbled to be that leader. 

I appreciate your support of the AOC and I look forward to working with you this year as you 

consider our FY 2021 budget request. 

AOC EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY CELEBRATES THE HARD WORK OF OUR 

2,300 DEDICATED EMPLOYEES