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FEDERALhearing transcript

1958 Congressional Hearings on Federal Building Projects and GSA Authority

Original title: Public buildings: hearings before the Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the Committee on Public Works, House of Representatives, Eighty-fifth Congress, second session on H.R. 7667 (S. 2108), to amend the Public Buildings Act of 1949, to authorize the administrator of GSA to name, rename, or otherwise designate any building under custody and control of GSA; H.R. 7131 (S. 2109), to repeal an authorization for GSA to acquire certain lands for building sites in the area between E and F streets and 19th Street and Virginia Avenue in the District of Columbia; H.R. 11815, to authorize construction of a courthouse and a federal office building in Chicago, Ill., [and others] ... May 26, August 1 and 5, 1958.

Record date · July 14, 2026

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What This Bill Does

This document summarizes 1958 congressional hearings regarding several federal building initiatives, including legislation to grant the administrator authority to name federal buildings and specific site acquisition and construction projects in Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Why it matters

These hearings established the legislative framework for how federal buildings are named and authorized, impacting the management of government property across the country.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

General Services Administration

The agency's administrative powers regarding building naming and land acquisition are defined by the proposed legislation.

Directly affected

Chicago residents

The proposed construction of a new federal courthouse and office building would change local infrastructure and federal presence in the city.

Key Facts

The hearings addressed the GSA administrator's authority to name or rename federal buildings.
Legislation was reviewed to repeal land acquisition plans in Washington, D.C. near Virginia Avenue.
A proposal was considered for the construction of a new federal courthouse and office building in Chicago.
The hearings took place over three days in May and August of 1958.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the authority to name federal buildings?

H.R. 7667 was proposed to grant the administrator the authority to name, rename, or designate buildings under their control.

What was the status of the Washington, D.C. land acquisition project in 1958?

H.R. 7131 and S. 2109 were introduced to repeal the authorization for the to acquire specific land sites between E and F streets and 19th Street and Virginia Avenue.

What else do you want to know?

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Centralization of Naming Authority

The hearings reflect a move to consolidate the power to name federal buildings under the GSA administrator rather than through individual legislative acts.

GSA H.R. 7667

Connected Entities

GSA, Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee

OrganizationGSA Map →

OrganizationPublic Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance45
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
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Buzz5
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