Industry leaders hail confirmation of AoC

Ayers
has been serving as the acting Architect of the Capitol (AoC) for three years
and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate late Wednesday night.

President
Barack Obama nominated Ayers to fill the 10-year term earlier this year. Ayers received a glowing endorsement from senators at his confirmation hearing,
virtually guaranteeing his confirmation in the full Senate.

The
American Institute of Architects (AIA) was quick to herald Ayers’ confirmation.

{mosads}“For
the Senate to confirm Stephen Ayers so quickly and on such a bipartisan basis
is itself an endorsement of the profession as well as Mr. Ayers’ steady hand as
he led the Architect of the Capitol’s office for the last three years,” said
George H. Miller, the president of AIA.

Ayers’s
office is charged with maintaining more than 16.5 million square feet of
facilities, including the expansive multimillion-dollar Capitol Visitor Center
(CVC) and more than 450 acres of property that fall under the jurisdiction of the legislative
branch.

“It
is a wonderful honor and privilege to have been confirmed last night by the
United States Senate to be Architect of the Capitol,” Ayers said in a statement Thursday. “I appreciate the trust the Congress has placed in me, and for the
support it has given our organization, and I thank President Obama for
nominating me.”

In
his first months in office, Ayers became the focus of outrage for many
lawmakers who balked at the doubling cost of the CVC and demanded he provide a
better plan of accountability for its construction.

But
since the CVC’s opening more than a year ago, lawmaker opinions have been
relatively positive of Ayers’s performance.

“I
am extremely proud to have been selected to lead the AOC team,” Ayers said in a
statement. “Our many accomplishments and successes have truly been a team
effort.  I look forward to the work and the challenges ahead.”