Rep. Kevin Kiley Introduces Bill to Beautify Federal Buildings

WASHINGTON – Congressman Kevin Kiley introduced the Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act, which requires the General Service Administration’s policies to prefer classical and traditional architecture in Federal public buildings.

The bill builds on President Trump’s executive order “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again.”

“For too long, our federal buildings in our nation’s capital and across the country have been marked by cold, impersonal structures that ignore the values and beauty our republic was built upon,” Rep. Kiley said. “The bill I’m sponsoring will restore the classical spirit of democracy to the architecture of our federal buildings. This is a proud step toward honoring our heritage and inspiring future generations.”

In 1962, Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture. These principles implicitly discourage classical and traditional designs and instead declares that the Government should use “contemporary” design. This has resulted in the construction of appalling buildings such as the Hubert H. Humphrey Department of Health and Human Services Building and the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) is leading the Senate version of the bill.

“Americans want their federal buildings to reflect the strength, beauty, and tradition of our country,” Sen. Banks said. “This bill ensures our architecture honors our history, includes local input from our communities, and celebrates American tradition.”

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