1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I write to you as a deeply concerned constituent regarding the mass terminations carried out at the General Services Administration. I am particularly concerned about staff cuts to GSA’s Historic Preservation and Fine Arts Programs. GSA is the steward of 500+ of the federal government’s historic buildings and the nation’s largest collection of public art, which includes 26,000 works of art dating from the 1850s through the present day, including most artworks commissioned under the New Deal. Prior to March 3rd, GSA's fine arts and historic preservation staff were already a skeleton crew of about 35 employees who managed a massive portfolio of historic buildings and works of art. About half of the Fine Arts and Historic Preservation Officers nationally were cut in mass terminations this month. This loss of knowledge and stewardship will result in calamitous effects to our nation’s irreplaceable historic treasures. GSA cannot effectively care for thousands of buildings and artworks located hundreds of miles apart without the staff and expertise it just eliminated. This is particularly troubling, given the plans to sell historic buildings and dispose of the artworks within them. Our country’s cultural heritage belongs to the American people, and we are responsible for protecting it for future generations. Artwork could be left to theft, decay, and destruction, not only resulting in the irreplaceable loss of non-renewable resources, but dramatically increasing the future costs of investments in our shared heritage.  None of this work is possible without the small team of dedicated civil servants who oversaw these cultural assets. Our nation’s history and collective cultural heritage are at great risk. I urge you to investigate these urgent matters to protect our historic heritage and the federal employees who shield them from harm. Thank you for your time and service. I look forward to your response.