Texas’s 5th congressional district representative in the House of Representatives, Republican Lance Gooden, aged 47, proposed the implementation of cryptocurrency ATMs in government federal buildings. Gooden proposed issuing crypto ATMs in government buildings in a letter he sent to the General Services Administration (GSA) on Thursday, May 1st. The GSA is a department in charge of managing leased or owned federal properties in the US and their maintenance. According to Gooden, the purpose of his proposal was to create “a convenient option for citizens who rely on digital assets.”
Reaching out to the General Services Administration
The letter is addressed to the acting administrator of the General Services Administration, Stephen Ehikian. The letter reportedly stresses the agency to operate within the scope of its primary purpose, which entails enhancing infrastructure as well as fostering innovation to the public within the federal real estate space under the purview of the agency. As stated on the GSA’s webpage, the agency is also in charge of maintaining other federal structures like courthouses, post offices, data processing centers, laboratories, and even borders of countries, in addition to having more than 12,000 employees and managing an estimated $105 billion worth of federal contracts annually.
The GSA real estate portfolio, which includes 8,397 federal properties, is said to be one of the largest in the world.
Working to align with President Trump’s vision.
Congressman Gooden is reported to be contending that parts of the substantial resources fostered by the GSA ought to be redirected to help realize former President Donald Trump’s vision of making the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world.” Central to his argument is the plan to place cryptocurrency ATMs in at least some of the 8,397 buildings controlled by the GSA.
This is advocated as a tangible move towards achieving that vision. Rep. Gooden has additionally pointed out that his proposal is meant to advance the president’s stated objectives. In his words, “Increasing access to crypto ATMs in federal buildings supports the Trump administration’s strategy of expanding United States dominance in cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation.” This suggests that the proposal is meant to support and align with the present administration’s policy on digital currency.
Signaling Innovation to the Public
A primary rationale offered by Congressman Gooden on why federal buildings should host crypto ATMs is to communicate a purpose to the American public. His position is that the installation of automated teller machines for digital assets in these facilities would serve as a “signal to the public that the government is embracing innovation securely and responsibly.”
This implies that the proposal is primarily designed with regard to public perception and not solely about offering a service, with him perceiving the government as approaching new technologies—digital assets—with a forward-thinking stance. Centrally located crypto ATMs in federal buildings would likely facilitate the acceptance of cryptocurrencies as normal financial instruments. Furthermore, it would illustrate a governmental acceptance of these assets presented in a secure and responsible manner.
Moving Towards Leadership in Digitized Finance
From the perspective of Congressman Gooden, this legislative proposal has a potential value as a vision that furthers the identification of the nation in the digital finance arena. He explained how this embracement may affect the Gooden’s statement, which said, “By embracing this initiative, we can take a significant step toward realizing that vision and solidifying our nation’s status as a superpower in the digital financial landscape.”
This quote emphasizes his view that supporting the provision of crypto ATMs in federal buildings directly serves the purpose of elevating the US standing in the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. It tends to argue the country is a ‘superpower,’ in the context of the proposed measure, under the dominion of digital finance.
