Looks like Congress might fork out even more taxpayer money in the near future. Politico reports that key parts of the U.S. Capitol Complex are "literally crumbling" and will cost more than $200 million to repair. Water is leaking, lead-based paint chips are peeling off, and a U.S. Capitol Police officer was hurt last year when a ceiling tile fell and hit him. Here's the question though: are these repair expenses absolutely necessary when we're facing a growing debt of (over) $13 trillion?
Here are some of the maintenance projects requested by the Architect of the Capitol, as well as their estimated costs:
- Statue of Freedom Refurbishment ($3.99 million)
- Russell Senate Office Building Restoration ($3.8 million)
- Roof and Skylight Replacement in Hart Senate Office Building ($15.7 million)
- Dome Skirt Rehabilitation ($19.9 million)
- Transformer Replacements, Rayburn Building ($4.34 million)
- Garage Overhaul in Rayburn House Office Building ($1.05 million)
- Exterior Stone and Metal Preservation on the Capitol ($11.2 million)
- Federal Office Building 8 Refurbishment ($14.1 million)
Worth it? I'll let you decide. The Politico article has a detailed description for each of the aforementioned projects, including the fix required and the potential risk if nothing is done.
Just bear in mind that the Architect of the Capitol completed a $621 million Capitol Visitor Center not too long ago, which leads us to wonder if the agency's priorities are really in check.