[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     Act, 1990 (2 U.S.C. 1801) is repealed.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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