THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1992. CAPITOL POLICE BOARD WITNESSES JACK RUSS, HOUSE SERGEANT AT ARMS, CHAIRMAN MARTHA S. POPE, SENATE SERGEANT AT ARMS, MEMBER GEORGE M. WHITE, FAIA, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL, MEMBER ROBERT K. LANGLEY, ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE OPENING REMARKS Mr. FAZIO. I would like to welcome the Capitol Police Board. I appreciate the fact that we are here to take up the police budget, which is now an entity that encompasses both the House and the Senate. I do gather we still have two payrolls, which, in my view, is an anachronism we should do away with, and I still begin to wonder, why we do it when we really don't have much distinction, other than, I guess, the pay periods, right? Two weeks versus a month; is that how it is? We do have a joint appropriation, though, and it is important that we take it up with all three of the members of the board present. INTRODUCTION OF WITNESSES Jack Russ is Chairman and we welcome you again. You were with us this morning briefly. And, of course, Martha Pope, Senate Sergeant at Arms, a friend of long standing, as well as George White, Architect of the Capitol. We also have with us today Acting Chief Robert Langley, and we welcome you for the first time as acting Chief. Chief LANGLEY. Yes. Thank you. Mr. FAZIO. I know there are a number of other people you may want to introduce to us, Chief, who are here representing the police today. Chief LANGLEY. Officer Nichols, he is our press information officer, Lieutenant Parisi, one of our budget officials, Inspector Chief Gross, who is the commander of that bureau, and acting Assistant Chief Shelton, who is my right hand. Mr. FAZIO. The bureau that has the budget responsibility. BUDGET REQUEST Mr. FAZIO. Okay. Four years ago, as I indicated a minute ago, we consolidated the personnel budgets of the police force into a single appropriation. Previously, they had been funded through separate accounts. In the new joint item account, we have preserved the authority of each House through the Committee on House Administration and Senate Rules and the Administration Committee. Before we proceed, let me state the overall budget request is for a grand total of $70.9 million, of which $68.7 million is for personnel and $2.2 million for general expenses. These funds would support 1,377 personnel, 658 on the House rolls, 719 on the Senate rolls. The budget request is an increase of $4.8 million over last year. The fact that the rolls have differing numbers, I am told, has absolutely nothing to do with how people are assigned or anything else; is that correct? Mr. Russ. That is correct. Mr. FAZIO. It just happens to be a question of how many were on the rolls at the time of the consolidation. So perhaps we could begin, Jack, with a statement as Chairman that you might want to make, and then the other two members of the Board can add anything they would like, and then we can see what the Chief might want to say. REMARKS FROM MR. RUSS Mr. Russ. It is a privilege to once again appear before you to discuss the budget request for the United States Capitol Police. I look forward to answering any questions the Subcommittee might have, as well as providing any additional information the Subcommittee might require to support this request. With that, I will submit my statement for the record. [The statement of Mr. Russ follows:] STATEMENT BY JACK RUSS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE BOARD TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS Mr. Chairman, it is a privilege to once again appear before you to discuss the budget request for the United States Capitol Police. I look forward to answering any questions the Subcommittee might have as well as providing any additional information the Subcommittee might require in support of this request. As provided by P. L. 100-458 (October 1988) the Capitol Police Budget request is now a joint item. For FY '93, projected personnel expenses are $69,252,000 [$33,369,000 House Payroll], [$35,883,000 Senate Payroll]. Included in this request is $534,000 for 20 additional employees (17 civilians & 3 sworn positions) to provide security for the Judiciary Office Building that is scheduled to open in 1992. P.L. 100-480 provides for the reimbursement cost to the Capitol Police for expenses incurred for providing the security. WITH REIMBURSEMENT THE PERSONNEL EXPENSES ARE ESTIMATED AT $68,718,000. Increases in the personnel budget are outlined in the schedules provided to the Subcommittee. The largest increases are attributed to Benefits, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), meritorious/longevity increases and related costs. The funding request for General Expenses are $2,204,000 for FY' 93. Increases in the Capitol Police General Expenses budget request are attributed to Training and Range Supplies associated with the transition to 9mm weapons (Supplies), the increased cost associated with the procurement of fuel and oil (Supplies), and the increased cost for motorcycles (Capital Assets). Two new items for the USCP this year are: the purchase of new Computer. Equipment (Capital Assets) and the cost for all Recruit Candidate Physicals (Other Services). Specific increases are explained in each category below. $148,000 TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONS This object class includes air fare, car rental, mileage, tolls, per diem, and other expenses incidental to official travel by employees of the Department. These travel expenses are related to protective details, transporting employees to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) for recruit and other specialized training, developmental training that is not held at FLETC or in the D.C. area and other travel related to official business (investigations, ceremonial functions, competitions, etc.). A decrease is anticipated as a result of Capitol Police transporting new police recruits to FLETC by Department owned Before we proceed, let me state the overall budget request is for a grand total of $70.9 million, of which $68.7 million is for personnel and $2.2 million for general expenses. These funds would support 1,377 personnel, 658 on the House rolls, 719 on the Senate rolls. The budget request is an increase of $4.8 million over last year. The fact that the rolls have differing numbers, I am told, has absolutely nothing to do with how people are assigned or anything else; is that correct? Mr. Russ. That is correct. Mr. FAZIO. It just happens to be a question of how many were on the rolls at the time of the consolidation. So perhaps we could begin, Jack, with a statement as Chairman that you might want to make, and then the other two members of the Board can add anything they would like, and then we can see what the Chief might want to say. REMARKS FROM MR. RUSS Mr. Russ. It is a privilege to once again appear before you to discuss the budget request for the United States Capitol Police. I look forward to answering any questions the Subcommittee might have, as well as providing any additional information the Subcommittee might require to support this request. With that, I will submit my statement for the record. [The statement of Mr. Russ follows:] STATEMENT BY JACK RUSS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE BOARD TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS Mr. Chairman, it is a privilege to once again appear before you to discuss the budget request for the United States Capitol Police. I look forward to answering any questions the Subcommittee might have as well as providing any additional information the Subcommittee might require in support of this request. As provided by P. L. 100-458 (October 1988) the Capitol Police Budget request is now a joint item. For FY '93, projected personnel expenses are $69,252,000 [$33,369,000 House Payroll], [$35,883,000 Senate Payroll]. Included in this request is $534,000 for 20 additional employees (17 civilians & 3 sworn positions) to provide security for the Judiciary Office Building that is scheduled to open in 1992. P.L. 100-480 provides for the reimbursement cost to the Capitol Police for expenses incurred for providing the security. WITH REIMBURSEMENT THE PERSONNEL EXPENSES ARE ESTIMATED AT $68,718,000. Increases in the personnel budget are outlined in the schedules provided to the Subcommittee. The largest increases are attributed to Benefits, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), meritorious/longevity increases and related costs. The funding request for General Expenses are $2,204,000 for FY' 93. Increases in the Capitol Police General Expenses budget request are attributed to Training and Range Supplies associated with the transition to 9mm weapons (Supplies), the increased cost associated with the procurement of fuel and oil (Supplies), and the increased cost for motorcycles (Capital Assets). Two new items for the USCP this year are: the purchase of new Computer, Equipment (Capital Assets) and the cost for all Recruit Candidate Physicals (Other Services). below. Specific increases are explained in each category $148,000 TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONS This object class includes air fare, car rental, mileage, tolls, per diem, and other expenses incidental to official travel by employees of the Department. These travel expenses are related to protective details, transporting employees to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) for recruit and other specialized training, developmental training that is not held at FLETC or in the D.C. area and other travel related to official business (investigations, ceremonial functions, competitions, etc.). A decrease is anticipated as a result of Capitol Police transporting new police recruits to FLETC by Department owned |