Rayburn House Office Building

The Rayburn House Office Building (RHOB) is a congressional office building for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., between South Capitol Street and First Street.

Rayburn is named after former Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. It was completed in 1965 and at 2.375 million square feet (220,644 m2) is the largest congressional office building.

History Rayburn was completed in early 1965 and is home to the offices of 169 representatives.

Earlier efforts to provide space for the House of Representatives had included the construction of the Cannon House Office Building and the Longworth House Office Building. In March 1955, House speaker Sam Rayburn introduced an amendment for a third House office building, although no site had been identified, no architectural study had been done, and no plans prepared.

The area west of the Longworth Building on squares 635 and 636 was chosen, with the main entrance on Independence Avenue and garage and pedestrian entrances on South Capitol Street, C Street, and First Street Southwest. The cornerstone was laid in May 1962, and full occupancy began in February 1965.

Architecture

The Architect of the Capitol, J. George Stewart, with the approval of the House Office Building Commission, selected the firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson of Philadelphia to design a stripped-down classical building in architectural harmony with other Capitol Hill structures. However, while the interior design of the other House Office Buildings retains decor one would expect to see in House Office Buildings (with cherry wood paneling, brass railings, and marble floors), the Rayburn building possesses design style parallel to that of the 1960s, with chrome push bars, clocks, and elevators, and space-age fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The Capitol Subway System, an underground transportation system, connects the building to the Capitol. Pedestrian tunnels also connect the Rayburn building to the Capitol and to the Longworth House Office Building. This system allows the Rayburn building to be connected to most of the Congressional office buildings on Capitol Hill via tunnel (the Ford House Office Building is freestanding and attached to no other structures by tunnel).

For construction of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Congressional bill appropriated $2 million plus "such additional sums as may be necessary." Such additional sums eventually exceeded $99 million. Congressional leaders inserted a gymnasium into the building plans, a fact that was not publicly known at the time of construction. The gym is below the sub-basement level, in a level of the underground parking garage, and according to The Hill, a newspaper focused on Capitol Hill, "features dozens of cardio machines outfitted with TV screens, an array of Cybex weightlifting machines and free weights." Also in the third floor basement is a shooting range run by the U.S. Capitol Police and a basketball court.

FBI raid On May 20, 2006 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided the Rayburn Building office of Democratic Congressman William J. Jefferson in connection to an ongoing bribery investigation, marking the first time the FBI had raided the office of a sitting congressman. The raid led to members of both parties questioning the constitutionality of the action, and a subsequent hearing by the House Judiciary Committee. The legality of the raid was challenged in court, where a federal appeals court ruled that the FBI had violated the Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution by allowing the executive branch to review materials that were part of the legislative process.

2006 shooting reports

On May 26, 2006, at 10:30 am local time, there were reports of the sounds of gunfire in the garage of the building. The Capitol complex was sealed off, and staff in the building were told to stay in their offices after the building was put into lockdown by the United States Capitol Police. Some parts of the lockdown were removed, though other areas remained sealed.

Congressman Jim Saxton was reportedly the source of the false alarm, after he mistook construction sounds in the garage for gunfire.

Representatives with Rayburn offices Name Party District Room Alma Adams D Room 2436 Brian Babin R Room 2236 Don Bacon R Room 2104 Jim Baird R Room 2303 Troy Balderson R Room 2429 Andy Barr R Room 2430 Nanette Barragán D Room 2312 Aaron Bean R Room 2459 Joyce Beatty D Room 2079 Stephanie Bice R Room 2402 Gus Bilirakis R Room 2306 Sanford Bishop D Room 2407Suzanne BonamiciDRoom 2231Shontel BrownDRoom 2455Julia BrownleyDRoom 2262Vern BuchananRRoom 2409Ken CalvertRRoom 2205Kat CammackRRoom 2421Salud CarbajalDRoom 2331André CarsonDRoom 2135Buddy CarterRRoom 2432John CarterRRoom 2208Ed CaseDRoom 2210Sean CastenDRoom 2440Kathy CastorDRoom 2188Joaquin CastroDRoom 2241Judy ChuRRoom 2423Gil CisnerosDRoom 2463Katherine ClarkDRoom 2368Yvette ClarkeDRoom 2058Emanuel CleaverDRoom 2217Ben ClineRRoom 2443Steve CohenDRoom 2268Tom ColeRRoom 2207Mike CollinsRRoom 2351James ComerRRoom 2410Lou CorreaDRoom 2082Jim CostaDRoom 2081Joe CourtneyDRoom 2449Angie CraigDRoom 2052Rick CrawfordRRoom 2422Henry CuellarDRoom 2308Sharice DavidsDRoom 2435Warren DavidsonRRoom 2113Danny DavisDRoom 2159Diana DeGetteDRoom 2111Rosa DeLauroDRoom 2413Suzan DelBeneDRoom 2311Mark DeSaulnierDRoom 2134Scott DesJarlaisRRoom 2304Lloyd DoggettDRoom 2307Veronica EscobarDRoom 2448Adriano EspaillatDRoom 2332Ron EstesRRoom 2234Pat FallonRRoom 2416Randy FeenstraRRoom 2434Cleo FieldsDRoom 2349Brad FinstadRRoom 2418Michelle FischbachRRoom 2229Scott FitzgeraldRRoom 2444Chuck FleischmannRRoom 2187Lizzie FletcherDRoom 2004Bill FosterDRoom 2366Valerie FousheeDRoom 2452Virginia FoxxRRoom 2462Lois FrankelDRoom 2305Scott FranklinRRoom 2301Clay FullerRRoom 2201John GaramendiDRoom 2428Andrew GarbarinoRRoom 2344Chuy GarcíaDRoom 2334Sylvia GarciaDRoom 2419Lance GoodenRRoom 2431Paul GosarRRoom 2057Al GreenDRoom 2347Morgan GriffithRRoom 2110Brett GuthrieRRoom 2161Jahana HayesDRoom 2049Jim HimesDRoom 2137Ashley HinsonRRoom 2458Richard HudsonRRoom 2112Jared HuffmanDRoom 2330Bill HuizengaRRoom 2232Darrell IssaRRoom 2108Sara JacobsDRoom 2348Pramila JayapalDRoom 2346Hakeem JeffriesDRoom 2267Hank JohnsonDRoom 2240Jim JordanRRoom 2056David JoyceRRoom 2065John JoyceRRoom 2102Marcy KapturDRoom 2314Bill KeatingDRoom 2372Robin KellyDRoom 2329Trent KellyRRoom 2243Kevin KileyIRoom 2445Young KimRRoom 2439Raja KrishnamoorthiDRoom 2367Greg LandsmanDRoom 2244Rick LarsenDRoom 2163Bob LattaRRoom 2470Laurel LeeRRoom 2464Summer LeeDRoom 2437Teresa Leger FernándezDRoom 2417Mike LevinDRoom 2352Ted LieuDRoom 2454Barry LoudermilkRRoom 2133Frank LucasRRoom 2405Stephen LynchDRoom 2109Thomas MassieRRoom 2371Brian MastRRoom 2182Doris MatsuiDRoom 2206Lucy McBathDRoom 2246Michael McCaulRRoom 2300Tom McClintockRRoom 2256Betty McCollumDRoom 2426Gregory MeeksDRoom 2310Rob MenendezDRoom 2453Grace MengDRoom 2468Kweisi MfumeDRoom 2263Gwen MooreDRoom 2252Frank MrvanRRoom 2441Jerry NadlerDRoom 2132Joe NeguseDRoom 2400Donald NorcrossDRoom 2427Eleanor Holmes NortonDRoom 2136Jay ObernolteRRoom 2433Frank PalloneDRoom 2107Jimmy PatronisRRoom 2021Scott PerryRRoom 2160Scott PetersDRoom 2369August PflugerRRoom 2202Chellie PingreeDRoom 2354Stacey PlaskettDRoom 2059Mike QuigleyDRoom 2083Amata Coleman RadewagenRRoom 2001Jamie RaskinDRoom 2242Guy ReschenthalerRRoom 2209Hal RogersRRoom 2406Mike RogersRRoom 2469John RoseRRoom 2238David RouzerRRoom 2333Raul RuizDRoom 2342Maria Elvira SalazarRRoom 2162Linda SánchezDRoom 2309Jan SchakowskyDRoom 2408Austin ScottRRoom 2185Bobby ScottDRoom 2328Pete SessionsRRoom 2204Brad ShermanDRoom 2365Mike SimpsonRRoom 2084Adam SmithDRoom 2264Chris SmithRRoom 2373Darren SotoDRoom 2353Elise StefanikRRoom 2211Greg SteubeRRoom 2457Haley StevensDRoom 2411Mark TakanoDRoom 2078Claudia TenneyRRoom 2230Bennie ThompsonDRoom 2466Dina TitusDRoom 2370Rashida TlaibDRoom 2438Paul TonkoDRoom 2269Norma TorresDRoom 2227Lori TrahanDRoom 2233Mike TurnerRRoom 2183Lauren UnderwoodDRoom 2228David ValadaoDRoom 2465Jeff Van DrewRRoom 2447Matt Van EppsRRoom 2446Juan VargasDRoom 2467Marc VeaseyDRoom 2186Nydia VelázquezDRoom 2302Ann WagnerDRoom 2350Tim WalbergRRoom 2266James WalkinshawDRoom 2265Maxine WatersDRoom 2221Daniel WebsterRRoom 2184Roger WilliamsRRoom 2336Frederica WilsonDRoom 2080Rob WittmanRRoom 2055Steve WomackRRoom 2412

See also Congressional office buildings Cannon House Office Building Ford House Office Building Longworth House Office Building

References

External links