Architect of the Capitol

Overview

The agency had 2,444 employees and an annual budget of approximately $788 million as of September 2022.

The head of the agency sits on the Capitol Police Board, which has jurisdiction over the United States Capitol Police, and on the United States Capitol Guide Board, which has jurisdiction over the United States Capitol Guide Service. The head of the agency is a member of the Capitol Police Board and the Congressional Accessibility Services Board, as well as an ex officio member of the United States Capitol Preservation Commission. Additionally, the architect of the Capitol is a member of the District of Columbia Zoning Commission, the President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Capital Memorial Commission, the Art Advisory Committee to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the National Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property.

Until 1989, the architect of the Capitol was appointed by the president of the United States for an indefinite term. The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1990 provided that that the president appoints the architect for a term of ten years, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of three candidates recommended by a congressional commission composed of the speaker of the House, president pro tem of the Senate, the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate, and the chair and ranking members of the House Committee on House Administration, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. Beginning in 2024, the architect is appointed by a commission of the Senate and House and is eligible for reappointment after completion of a 10-year term.

Responsibility

The Architect of the Capitol is responsible to Congress and the Supreme Court for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of 18.4 e6ft2 of buildings and more than 570 acre of land throughout Capitol Hill including: the House and Senate Office Buildings, Capitol Visitor Center, Library of Congress Buildings, U.S. Supreme Court Building, Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, and other facilities. The agency head is responsible for the care of all works of art in the U.S. Capitol as well as the maintenance and restoration of murals, outdoor sculpture and other architectural elements throughout the Capitol campus. The agency head also serves as Acting Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden.

The office is also responsible for the upkeep and improvement of the Capitol grounds, and the arrangement of inaugural ceremonies and other ceremonies held in the building or on the grounds. Legislation over the years has placed additional buildings and grounds under the Architect of the Capitol.

The Capitol Complex includes:

• the Capitol
• Capitol Visitor Center
• the eight congressional office buildings
  • Cannon
  • Ford
  • Longworth
  • O'Neill
  • Rayburn
  • Russell
  • Dirksen
  • Hart
• Library of Congress buildings
• United States Supreme Court Building
• United States Botanic Garden
• Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building
• Capitol Power Plant
• Juno Webster Senate Page Residence
• United States Capitol Police headquarters and K9 division facilities
• other facilities

Architects of the Capitol

References

References

1. "Overview of Doing Business with AOC".
2. "Architects of the Capitol".
3. Tully-McManus, Katherine. (December 14, 2023). "Congress claws back hiring and firing power for the Capitol building's top manager". Politico.
4. H.R. 2670 (118th Congress, PL118-31), SEC. 5702 of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act of 2024, FY24NDAA.
5. "2 U.S. Code § 1801 - Appointment".
6. Architect of the Capitol. [https://www.aoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/aoc-performance-and-accountability-report-fy-2022-508.pdf Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2022], Nov. 2022. Performance and accountability reports are at http://www.aoc.gov/par
7. "Thomas E. Austin". Architect of the Capitol.
8. (1989). "Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1990".
9. {{USStat. 103. 1068
10. Brudnick, Ida. (2023-03-30). "Architect of the Capitol: Evolution and Implementation of the Appointment Procedure". Congressional Research Service.
11. {{UnitedStatesCode. 2. 1801a
12. "Responsibilities of the Architect {{!}} Architect of the Capitol".
13. "History of the Architect of the Capitol".
14. {{USStat. 30. 20
15. {{USStat. 41. 1291
16. (February 13, 2023). "Biden dismisses scandal-plagued Capitol manager".
17. (May 22, 2024). "Congress appoints Army veteran Thomas Austin as new architect of the Capitol".
18. (May 22, 2024). "Congressional Commission Announces Architect of the Capitol Appointment".