Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I want to point out and remind my colleagues that Mr. WAMP and I are proud to report to you that we have brought the legislative branch appropriations bill in at $276 million below the request. The easiest thing in the world to do is jump on the table and to cry waste. I want to also point out that this is a security upgrade. funding for security upgrades requested by former Speaker HASTERT and continued by Speaker PELOSI so that we can ensure that we provide swing space for our very cramped space so that we can properly renovate the Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings. I ask my colleagues to come over and look at these pictures of the deterioration of our facilities. These are pictures of the 100yearold Cannon House Office Building. If you take a look at the deterioration and life. safety and security upgrades that this facility needs. we can no longer wait to make these upgrades. and to make sure that we can protect the people who work here and the people who visit us. They are deteriorating and badly in need of renovation. What the gentleman from Georgias motion to recommit would do is delay for years. if not make itimpossible. for us to begin renovation and repairs on our aging House facilities. My colleagues. this committee does not deal with the sexiest of subjects that confront us every day. and I have only been here for 2 years and the chair of this subcommittee for the last 5 months. You dont earn a reputation as an institutionalist in that short period of time. but it is my hope to be able to do that over time. We are stewards of this great institution. but we are also stewards just as much of these facilities. My colleague on the Appropriations Committee. JOSE SERRANO of New York. recently made a wonderful suggestion to remind us of the history embedded even in what may seem mundane. the space we occupy each day. He suggested that we each have plaques in our offices with the names of our predecessors in Congress who occupied that space before us. My own office. I was thrilled to learn. was once occupied by former Congressman Lyndon Johnson. My point is they may seem. like buildings and office space to the outside world. but we know better. How many of us countless times have found .ourselves approaching this beautiful building we are now in and marveling privately to ourselves. wow. I work here. what an incredible privilege. But with privilege comes responsibility. We must think about the institution. but we must also think about our hardworking staff. The number of hours they toil in these facilities is mindboggling. You might be surprised to learn that the average work space for each of our staff is about 36 �quare feet. And I want to show you what 36 square feet is. This is 36 square feet. That is how much space that we allot. on average. to our employees. GSA recommends an average of 100 square feet of space per employee. We need to renovate so that we can make sure we are not cramming our staff into unreasonable boxes for hours on end. )Our staff make incredible sacrifices to serve the public. our constituents. and they help us do our job. We must make sure that we keep these facilities. the place they work every day and night. safe for them. We must make sure we keep these facilities safe and in good condition for our constituents and our successors.