[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 220. Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mrs. Fischer) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2226, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
DIVISION F--ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL APPOINTMENT ACT OF 2023
SEC. 6001. SHORT TITLE.
This division may be cited as the ``Architect of the
Capitol Appointment Act of 2023''.
SEC. 6002. APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF SERVICE OF ARCHITECT OF
THE CAPITOL.
(a) Appointment.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be
appointed, without regard to political affiliation and solely
on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office,
upon a majority vote of a congressional commission (referred
to in this section as the ``commission'') consisting of the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader
of the Senate, the minority leaders of the House of
Representatives and Senate, the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives, the chairman and ranking minority member of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on House
Administration of the House of Representatives, and the
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Rules and Administration of the Senate.
(b) Term of Service.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be
appointed for a term of 10 years and, upon a majority vote of
the members of the commission, may be reappointed for
additional 10-year terms.
(c) Removal.--The Architect of the Capitol may be removed
from office at any time upon a majority vote of the members
of the commission.
(d) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 319 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations
Act, 1990 (2 U.S.C. 1801) is repealed.
(2) The matter under the heading ``For the Capitol:'' under
the heading ``DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.'' of the Act of
February 14, 1902 (32 Stat. 19, chapter 17; incorporated in 2
U.S.C. 1811) is amended by striking ``, and he shall be
appointed by the President''.
(e) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments made
by this section, shall apply with respect to appointments
made on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6003. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL;
VACANCY IN ARCHITECT OR DEPUTY ARCHITECT.
Section 1203 of title I of division H of the Consolidated
Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (2 U.S.C. 1805) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``(in this section referred to as the
`Architect')'' after ``The Architect of the Capitol''; and
(B) by inserting ``(in this section referred to as the
`Deputy Architect')'' after ``Deputy Architect of the
Capitol'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Deadline.--The Architect shall appoint a Deputy
Architect under subsection (a) not later than 120 days
after--
``(1) the date on which the Architect is appointed under
section 6002 of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act
of 2023, if there is no Deputy Architect on the date of the
appointment; or
``(2) the date on which a vacancy arises in the office of
the Deputy Architect.'';
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking ``of
the Capitol'' each place it appears; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Failure To Appoint.--If the Architect does not
appoint a Deputy Architect on or before the applicable date
specified in subsection (b), the congressional commission
described in section 6002(a) of the Architect of the Capitol
Appointment Act of 2023 shall appoint the Deputy Architect by
a majority vote of the members of the commission.
``(e) Notification.--If the position of Deputy Architect
becomes vacant, the Architect shall immediately notify the
members of the congressional commission described in section
6002(a) of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act of
2023.''.
SEC. 6004. DEPUTY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL TO SERVE AS ACTING
IN CASE OF ABSENCE, DISABILITY, OR VACANCY.
(a) In General.--The Deputy Architect of the Capitol (in
this section referred to as the ``Deputy Architect'') shall
act as Architect of the Capitol (in this section referred to
as the ``Architect'') if the Architect is absent or disabled
or there is no Architect.
(b) Absence, Disability, or Vacancy in Office of Deputy
Architect.--For purposes of subsection (a), if the Deputy
Architect is also absent or disabled or there is no Deputy
Architect, the congressional commission described in section
6002(a) shall designate, by a majority vote of the members of
the commission, an individual to serve as acting Architect
until--
(1) the end of the absence or disability of the Architect
or the Deputy Architect; or
(2) in the case of vacancies in both positions, an
Architect has been appointed under section 6002(a).
(c) Authority.--An officer serving as acting Architect
under subsection (a) or (b) shall perform all the duties and
exercise all the authorities of the Architect, including the
authority to delegate the duties and authorities of the
Architect in accordance with the matter under the heading
``Office of the Architect of the Capitol'' under the heading
``ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL'' of the Legislative Appropriation
Act, 1956 (2 U.S.C. 1803).
(d) Conforming Amendment.--The matter under the heading
``salaries'' under the heading ``Office of the Architect of
the Capitol'' under the heading ``ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL''
of the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1971 (2 U.S.C.
1804) is amended by striking ``: Provided,'' and all that
follows through ``no Architect''.
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