Congress commissions Benjamin Franklin statue for Capitol.
H.R. 250 — To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin for placement in the Capitol. · Filed by Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) · 34 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill directs Congress's Joint Committee on the Library to commission and install a statue of Benjamin Franklin in the U.S. Capitol by the end of 2026. The statue must be placed in a public-accessible location where Capitol visitors can see it during guided tours. No appropriation amount is specified in the text.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to direct procurement and placement of a historical statue. It is a routine congressional commemoration with no regulatory, fiscal, or policy mechanism beyond the directive itself.
What the text implies
- No appropriation is specified in the bill text; funding source and amount remain undefined, likely to be addressed through separate appropriations process or existing Capitol maintenance budgets.
- The bill does not specify artist, design, or aesthetic criteria, leaving full discretion to the Joint Committee on the Library — potential for design disputes or delays.
- Placement 'in a suitable permanent location' is undefined; competition for Capitol wall/floor space among historical figures could create future disputes over which statues remain or are relocated.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
This is a routine commemorative measure with no direct cost or benefit to ordinary citizens. Benjamin Franklin is a founding figure with broad historical significance, not a sitting officeholder or partisan figure. The statue enhances public access to Capitol history during guided tours.
Who stands to gain
- sculpture artists or studios commissioned to create the statue
- Capitol construction/installation contractors
Named in the bill
Joint Committee on the Library, U.S. Capitol, Capitol Visitor Center, Benjamin Franklin
Where it stands
34 cosponsors: 20 Republicans, 14 Democrats.
- Jan 9, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 9, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on House Administration and Senate Committee on Rules and Administration · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on House Administration”
- Feb 26, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection”
- Feb 26, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Steil moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,362 characters) on Jun 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress commissions Benjamin Franklin statue for Capitol.” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr250 Report an error
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