Overview
- Anthea M. Hartig defended the National Museum of American History at consecutive congressional hearings that took place July 21–22 and said the White House Domestic Policy Council report does not fairly or accurately characterize the museum’s work.
- The July 4 report accused the museum and its leaders of 'extreme political activism' and cited exhibits, staff materials and a 'MASS Action Toolkit' passage that lawmakers read into the record.
- House Republicans pressed specific examples from past exhibits and staff-read materials and raised the possibility of using oversight, appropriations and the Board of Regents to push changes.
- Democrats, leading historians and professional associations pushed back, called the administration’s review political interference, and Rep. Melanie Stansbury introduced a bill to bar federal officials from directing museum interpretation.
- The dispute highlights that the Smithsonian is a hybrid public–private system that receives about $1 billion a year in federal funds and could face governance or budgetary pressure as the White House review and congressional oversight continue.