Sponsor
Yvette Diane Clarke
Representative · D-NY
Representative · D-NY
The bill guarantees a Shirley Chisholm statue in the U.S. Capitol and empowers the Architect of the Capitol to complete it efficiently with flexible funding, but does so with uncapped taxpayer exposure and limited procedural flexibility and time for deliberation.
All Americans (especially students and taxpayers) will see a permanent Shirley Chisholm statue in the U.S. Capitol, increasing public recognition and educational visibility of her historic role as the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Federal project management is centralized by authorizing the Architect of the Capitol to handle procurement and contracts, which should streamline design, construction, and installation and support work for federal employees and construction workers.
The bill authorizes 'such sums as may be necessary' with availability until expended, giving flexible funding so the statue project can be completed without waiting for annual appropriations or reauthorization delays (affecting project continuity).
Taxpayers may be responsible for the statue and associated contracts with no specified spending cap, exposing the public to potentially open-ended costs.
The two-year deadline to enter an agreement could rush procurement and design processes, potentially increasing costs or limiting time for public input and careful planning.
Mandating placement of the statue in the Capitol narrows the Joint Committee’s flexibility to consider alternative commemorative options or locations, limiting deliberative choice.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Directs the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain and place a statue of Shirley Chisholm in the U.S. Capitol and authorizes funds to do so.
Official title: To direct the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to obtain a statue of Shirley Chisholm for placement in the United States Capitol.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress March 26, 2026
Requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain and place a statue of Shirley Chisholm in a public, permanent location in the United States Capitol, allows the Architect of the Capitol to enter agreements and contracts on the Committee’s behalf, sets a two-year deadline to enter an agreement after enactment, and authorizes whatever funds are necessary to carry out the law with those funds remaining available until expended.