Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2195 authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to undertake several important activities important to their operations. The legislation authorizes construction at the Patent Office Building, as well as construction of a storage facility that is needed for storing items from the National Museum of Natural History. Additionally, the bill provides for employee buyout authority as a necessary tool to meet budgetary constraints; and, finally, there is language recognizing the contributions of jazz music in our culture. H.R. 2195 authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to use their trust funds to plan, design, and construct improvements to the interior and exterior of the Patent Office Building. The Smithsonian requires this authorization to design and build a cover over the courtyard in the center of the Patent Office Building, which houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. Executive branch agencies benefit from the savings and flexibility from the multi-year contracts for their construction and services projects. The bill provides these same advantages to the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian also wants to clarify its relationships with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Capital Planning Commission, and this bill achieves that goal.”