Ranking Member Espaillat Statement at FY 2026 Architect of the Capitol and Library of Congress Budget Hearing

Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's fiscal year 2026 budget hearing for the Architect of the Capitol and Library of Congress:

-As Prepared For Delivery-

Thank you Chairman Valadao. 

Good Morning Dr. Hayden, Mr. Austin, and Agency Leadership teams. I echo the Chairman in welcoming you to discuss your Agency budget requests for fiscal year 2026. 

Dr. Hayden, thanks for the phone call last week. Mr. Austin, nice to meet you and I look forward to hearing your goals as the new Architect of the Capitol.  

Dr. Hayden and Mr. Austin, you and your teams are here today representing the living museums of Congress, and their collective histories. As Ranking Member and Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I am concerned about the future of your Agencies. The ideas presented in recent Executive Orders such as, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” are disturbing, and I hope these ideas will not influence the future directives of the Legislative Branch.  

I have reviewed your budget requests for 2025 and 2026. The full-year continuing resolution has created an urgency in funding needs across the Legislative Branch.  

Dr. Hayden, I am sure that freezing your budget at the 2024 enacted level has had an impact on the Library’s investments, including the funding of core IT Infrastructure and security needs, such as the Enterprise Copyright System (ECS) and CRS’s Integrated Research and Information System (IRIS).  I am interested in learning the tradeoffs the library has had to make due to the freeze in funding. 

Mr. Austin, your 2026 requests include many repeated projects from the 2025 request. I would like to fully understand the impacts of punting critical infrastructure needs like the replacement of electrical power systems and fire sprinkler replacements, down the road to 2026. 

In addition, Mr. Austin, the fiscal year 2022 bill directed your Agency to obtain and then place a plaque, honoring members of law enforcement who responded on January 6th, in the Capitol, at a permanent location on the western front of the Capitol. It is my understanding that the plaque has been “obtained”. I look forward to hearing the reason why, after 2 years, the plaque has not been installed. 

I believe each of your testimonies will provide compelling stories for your 2026 needs. 

As Ranking Member, I am committed to ensuring the Library and the AOC have the resources they need to fulfill their missions, safeguard their staff and infrastructures, and provide needed services to the American people.  

Thank you all again for being here and I yield back.

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