Madam Chair, Mr. Aderholt, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, I am honored to appear before you today on behalf of the Office of Compliance (“OOC”). Joining me today are General Counsel Peter Ames Eveleth, Deputy Executive Director Barbara J. Sapin, Deputy General Counsel Susan M. Green, and Budget and Finance Officer Allan Holland. Collectively, we present to you the agency’s request for appropriations for fiscal year 2010, and we seek your support of our request.
Before I get to next year, though, I want to express our appreciation for your support of our Office during FY 2009. Most notably, this Subcommittee assured that we were consulted on safety and health and accessibility issues during the final stages of the Capitol Visitor Center’s (“CVC’s”) construction. Thanks to the Subcommittee’s leadership, we conducted pre‐ inspections of the CVC to ensure a safe workplace for legislative branch employees as well as fire safety and equal access for visitors with disabilities. We value the opportunity to be of service to our stakeholders, and assisting with the CVC early enough to ensure that health, safety, and Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) issues were addressed prior to opening, was our responsibility. Thank you for making sure that we could do our job at the CVC.
In addition, the Subcommittee’s support for the mission and efforts of the OOC was reflected in the funding level authorized for the OOC in fiscal year 2009. Thanks to the Subcommittee’s support in FY 2009, the agency is able to increase its efforts to provide technical assistance to employing offices and employees, both on Capitol Hill and in remote offices; offer training programs tailored to the specific needs of the covered community; improve its operational infrastructure; and provide its talented workforce with salary levels that reflect their level of performance. We appreciate the continued support of the Subcommittee and thank you for your assistance in ensuring a fair and safe workplace for our covered community.
