Architect of the Capitol requests $1.3 billion for life‑safety, security and infrastructure upgrades

The Architect of the Capitol told a House Appropriations subcommittee that his office is seeking $1.3 billion in appropriations for fiscal year 2026 to address life‑safety, physical security and critical infrastructure across the Capitol Campus. "For fiscal year 2026, the Architect of the Capitol is requesting a combined total of $1,300,000,000," Mr. Thomas Austin said in his opening remarks.

The request, Austin said, targets three priorities: life‑safety code compliance, physical security upgrades and projects to reduce a growing maintenance backlog. "We're developing the Enterprise Asset Management System," he told members, saying the system will improve data‑driven decision making and help prioritize repairs and capital work.

The budget proposal comes as the agency continues multi‑year renewals of historic House office buildings. Austin said lessons from the Cannon House Office Building renewal include tighter change‑management controls, improved stakeholder coordination and staging larger projects in fewer, longer phases to reduce mobilization costs and disruption. "We think we did Cannon broken up…