Sponsors (35)
Adds a Benjamin Franklin statue to Capitol tours that modestly improves education and visitor experience but creates small taxpayer costs and uses limited Capitol exhibit space that could displace other uses.
Students, school groups, and tourists will have improved access to a Benjamin Franklin statue on Capitol tours, enhancing historical education and interpretation.
Capitol Visitor Center tours gain an additional exhibit that may modestly boost visitor satisfaction and cultural value.
Taxpayers (via the Joint Committee on the Library/Capitol operations) will incur costs to place and maintain the statue.
Allocating space in the Capitol for the statue could displace or limit other exhibits or uses of prime public space, reducing flexibility for visitors and curators.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain and place a statue of Benjamin Franklin in the U.S. Capitol by set deadlines, with public access on guided tours.
Requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Benjamin Franklin and place it in a permanent, publicly accessible location in the United States Capitol. The Committee must enter into an agreement to obtain the statue by December 31, 2025, and place it where the public can view it on guided Capitol Visitor Center tours by December 31, 2026.
Official title: To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin for placement in the Capitol.
Introduced January 9, 2025 by Christina Houlahan · Last progress February 27, 2025