CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

April 19, 1967

Page 10124

FEDERAL FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE ACT

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senators HART, MCCARTHY, and YARBOROUGH, I introduce, for appropriate reference, a bill to foster high standards of architectural excellence in the design of Federal public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia, and to provide a program for the acquisition and preservation of works of art for such buildings.

This bill is identical to a bill which Congressman REUSS, of Wisconsin, will introduce tomorrow in the House of Representatives, and similar to S. 3521, which I introduced in the 89th Congress.

Mr. President, too often Federal buildings outside the District of Columbia are unimaginative, mediocre structures which have been built to last, but not to add esthetic beauty to their surroundings. Too often they bear little relation to their sites or to architectural styles around them. Frequently the works of art in these buildings have been added as an afterthought and not as an integral part of the total design.

Sadly, many Federal buildings throughout the United States stand as monuments to bad taste for generations to come, when they should be examples of what is best in contemporary American art and architecture.

The proposed Federal Fine Arts and Architecture Act seeks to upgrade the quality and design of Federal buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia and to provide for the acquisition of suitable works of art for such buildings by establishing the Public Advisory Panel on Architectural Services in the General Services Administration. At least 12 distinguished architects from private life, including landscape architects and city planners; at least six representatives from allied fields, including painters, mural artists, sculptors, specialists in the decorative arts and crafts, and interior designers; and Federal representatives would be included on the panel. The Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service of GSA would act as Chairman.

This provision would give statutory recognition to the GSA Executive order, revised on August 17, 1965, which established a Public Advisory Panel on Architectural Services and whose membership is substantially the same as that proposed in this bill.

In appointing public members to the Panel, the Administrator of GSA shall choose from nominations submitted to him by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mr. President, the proposed Architectural Advisory Board would have four main functions. It would make recommendations to the GSA Administrator and the Postmaster General on criteria for evaluating and selecting architects, for public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia and on the choice of artists for works of art to be used in these buildings. It would be authorized to review GSA design standards, guides, and procedures. It would advise the Administrator and Postmaster General on the selection of architects and artists, and it would review and advise them with respect to the acceptability of architectural designs or works of art for individual projects.

Finally, this bill would authorize the GSA Administrator and the Postmaster General to spend an amount equal to 1 percent of the total amount appropriated for the preceding fiscal year for the design and construction of public buildings outside the District of Columbia in order to acquire and maintain suitable works of art for these buildings.

Mr. President, by improving the quality of the art and architecture of Federal buildings all over the United States, I believe this bill would help to enhance the environment of many of our towns and cities. These buildings would reflect the dignity, vitality, and strength of our Nation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the RECORD at this point.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately referred; and, without objection, the bill will be printed in the RECORD.

The bill (S. 1582) to foster high standards of architectural excellence in the design and decoration of Federal public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia, and to provide a program for the acquisition and preservation of works of art for such buildings, and for other purposes, to be known as the Federal Fine Arts and Architecture Act, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE (for himself and other Senators), was received, read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on Public Works, and ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows