In response to the Trump administration's decision to designate dozens of federal buildings for 'urgent' disposal, the Congressional Arts Caucus introduced a new bill to protect artworks in public spaces and federal buildings that are to be removed or disposed of, under the supervision of the General Services Administration (GSA).

The bill calls on the administration to identify 'surplus property' within the affected buildings early in the process of removing official buildings, after these measures sparked concerns in cultural circles across the country.

Experts viewed these actions as a threat to a wide range of artistic and architectural treasures owned by the federal government, including those from the 'New Deal era,' a transformative period in American history (1933-1939) during which President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted a series of comprehensive federal programs and public works projects to lift the United States out of the Great Depression.

The new bill, named the 'Protecting Resources and Ensuring the Stewardship of Visual Expression Records' (PRESERVE) Act, requires the General Services Administration to determine whether any surplus property discovered in a federal building includes protected artworks and to form a specialized committee for the preservation of artworks.

According to the bill's text, the committee will dedicate its efforts to protecting the covered artworks to the greatest extent possible, including by including a special preservation clause in lease agreements and sale terms, or transferring them to another facility or museum.

The American website 'Art Forum' published a statement from the caucus saying: 'Artworks commissioned by the public sector should not become collateral damage when federal buildings are sold or disposed of in any way, and to ensure people's right to access the 26,000 artworks displayed in museums and federal buildings across the country, regardless of who holds the presidency.'

It added: 'It is crucial to establish a mechanism to protect these national treasures and ensure the public's full access to the 26,000 artworks displayed in museums and federal buildings across the country, regardless of who holds the presidency.'

The website noted that President Trump 'has made significant efforts to impose his aesthetic taste on the Kennedy Center and the East Wing of the White House, and on federal buildings he considered 'unattractive,' including the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, a limestone building of architectural significance, housing murals and public artworks by artists Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, and Seymour Fogel.'

Dr. Amy Werbel and Dr. Karen Shelby, co-chairs of the Public Art Dialogue, described the PRESERVE Act as 'a critically important piece of legislation that ensures the survival and preservation of artworks specifically commissioned for the people.'