Press Releases
WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader; Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republican Leader; Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA), Speaker of the House; Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Democratic Leader; Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee; Representatives Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Joe Morelle (D-NY), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Administration; Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on their unanimous decision to appoint Thomas Austin to be the next Architect of the Capitol:
“The Architect of the Capitol plays a vital role in welcoming millions of visitors to our Capitol and ensuring it is a functional workplace. Thomas Austin has managed construction projects and facilities of all sizes, maintained one of our nation’s most hallowed landmarks, and served our country in the military. We are confident that with his extensive experience, Thomas Austin will be an adept and capable Architect of the Capitol.”
This appointment follows the passage of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act in December 2023. This legislation, led by Senators Klobuchar and Fischer and Representatives Steil and Morelle, empowered a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect by a bipartisan, majority vote. Thomas Austin will assume the role of Architect of the Capitol on June 24.
Austin has 30 years of engineering and facilities management experience, including four years as Director of Engineering for Arlington National Cemetery and previously serving as Chief of the Facility Programs Division for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In 2023 Austin retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel, having served for nearly three decades in engineering and leadership roles, including serving overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia, and as a Battalion Commander in the 18th Engineer Brigade. He is currently a Senior Program Manager for the construction consulting firm McDonough Bolyard Peck. Austin is a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Construction Manager, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Master of Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Master of Business Administration from Webster University, and Master of National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.
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“The Architect of the Capitol plays a vital role in welcoming millions of visitors to our Capitol and ensuring it is a functional workplace. Thomas Austin has managed construction projects and facilities of all sizes, maintained one of our nation’s most hallowed landmarks, and served our country in the military. We are confident that with his extensive experience, Thomas Austin will be an adept and capable Architect of the Capitol.”
This appointment follows the passage of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act in December 2023. This legislation, led by Senators Klobuchar and Fischer and Representatives Steil and Morelle, empowered a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect by a bipartisan, majority vote. Thomas Austin will assume the role of Architect of the Capitol on June 24.
Austin has 30 years of engineering and facilities management experience, including four years as Director of Engineering for Arlington National Cemetery and previously serving as Chief of the Facility Programs Division for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In 2023 Austin retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel, having served for nearly three decades in engineering and leadership roles, including serving overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia, and as a Battalion Commander in the 18th Engineer Brigade. He is currently a Senior Program Manager for the construction consulting firm McDonough Bolyard Peck. Austin is a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Construction Manager, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Master of Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Master of Business Administration from Webster University, and Master of National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.
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