[Senate Hearing 116-339]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 116-339
HEARING TO REVIEW S. 959, SMITHSONIAN AMER-
ICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM ACT; AND
S. 1267, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMER-
ICAN LATINO ACT
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
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NOVEMBER 17, 2020
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Rules and Administration
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available on http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
42-358 WASHINGTON : 2021
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COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
SECOND SESSION
ROY BLUNT, Missouri, Chairman
MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
TED CRUZ, Texas TOM UDALL, New Mexico
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia MARK R. WARNER, Virginia
ROGER WICKER, Mississippi PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine
CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
Fitzhugh Elder IV, Staff Director
Lindsey Kerr, Democratic Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Pages
Opening Statement of:
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri....................................................... 1
Hon. Amy Klobuchar, a U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota... 2
Hon. Susan Collins, a U.S. Senator from the State of Maine....... 5
Hon. John Cornyn, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas......... 7
Hon. Robert Menendez, a U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey 8
Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.......... 13
Jane Abraham, Former Chair of the Congressional Commission to
Study the Potential for a National Women's History Museum...... 15
Danny Vargas, Chairman, Friends of the National Museum of The
American Latino................................................ 17
CiCi Rojas, Chair, The Latino Coalition Foundation............... 19
Eva Longoria Baston, Actor, Activist, and Member of Commission to
Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of The
American Latino................................................ 20
Prepared Statement/Testimony of:
Hon. Susan Collins, a U.S. Senator from the State of Maine....... 28
Hon. John Cornyn, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas......... 30
Hon. Robert Menendez, a U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey 32
Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.......... 35
Jane Abraham, Former Chair of the Congressional Commission to
Study the Potential for a National Women's History Museum...... 40
Danny Vargas, Chairman, Friends of the National Museum of The
American Latino................................................ 42
CiCi Rojas, Chair, The Latino Coalition Foundation............... 47
Eva Longoria Baston, Actor, Activist, and Member of Commission to
Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of The
American Latino................................................ 50
Materials Submitted for the Record:
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the Hispanic Bar Association of the
District of Columbia........................................... 53
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Hispanics in Philanthropy.......... 55
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Jorge A. Plasencia................. 58
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the LA Collab...................... 60
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Latinos for Tennessee.............. 63
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Lili Gil Valletta, Vice Chair,
Friends of the American Latino Museum.......................... 66
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the League of Minority Voters...... 68
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the Joes Andres Think Food Group... 70
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the National Hispanic Medical
Association.................................................... 72
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Senator Gustavo Rivera, New York
State Senate................................................... 74
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from TDU Tires USA...................... 78
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from Attorney General Sean D. Reyes,
State of Utah.................................................. 80
Blunt--Klobuchar--Letter from the Young Women's Christian
Association.................................................... 82
Klobuchar--Letter from Minnesota Counsel on Latino Affairs....... 85
Klobuchar--List of National Latino American Museum Supports in
Minnesota...................................................... 86
Klobuchar--Letter from the 3M Corporation........................ 87
Klobuchar--Letter of Support from members of Congress Jose
Serrano and Will Hurd.......................................... 89
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the American Historical
Association.................................................... 90
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from Denise Doring VanBuren, President
General, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. 91
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from Federally Employed Women......... 92
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the National Foundation for Women
Legislators.................................................... 93
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the National Coalition for
History........................................................ 94
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the National Conference of
Women's Bar Associations....................................... 95
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the Women's Business Development
Center......................................................... 96
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the Women's Foundation California 97
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from Women in Aerospace............... 98
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from Women in Defense................. 99
Hon. Susan Collins--Letter from the Women's Suffrage Centennial
Commission..................................................... 100
Hon. Bob Menendez--New York Times Story ``Where is the
Smithsonian Museum for American Latinos?''..................... 101
Jane Abraham--Written Remarks for the Presentation of Commission
Recommendations to Congress, November 16, 2016................. 104
Jane Abraham Executive Summary on the Report to Congress and the
President of the United States................................. 108
Jane Abraham --The American Museum of Women's History, Snapshot
Summary of the Congressional Commission's Purpose, Conclusions
and Recommendations, November 16, 2016......................... 118
Jane Abraham --The American Museum of Women's History
Congressional Commission Report to the President of the United
States and Congress, November 16, 2016......................... 121
Jane Abraham --American Women's History Museum, Addendum--
Projections on Museum Capital and Operating Costing, November
12, 2020....................................................... 224
Jane Abraham --Update from the Commissioners of the 2016 U.S.
Congressional Commission to Study the Potential for an American
Museum of Women's History...................................... 229
Jane Abraham --Opening Letter of the Report to Congress and the
President of the United States, November 16, 2016.............. 237
Danny Vargas--Letter from the 3M Corporation..................... 239
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Acevedo Foundation................. 241
Danny Vargas--Letter from LA Collab.............................. 244
Danny Vargas--Letter from the American Jewish Committee.......... 247
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus.. 248
Danny Vargas--Letter from Azteca Enterprises, Inc................ 251
Danny Vargas--Letter from Bienvenido............................. 253
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@
Network for Healthy Families and Communities................... 255
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus...... 258
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Congressional Hispanic Leadership
Institute...................................................... 262
Danny Vargas--Letter from City Projects, LLC..................... 263
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Coca-Cola Company.................. 265
Danny Vargas--Letter from former United States Attorney General
Alberto R. Gonzales............................................ 268
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic Alliance for Career
Enhancement.................................................... 270
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic Association on Corporate
Responsibility................................................. 273
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hensel Phelps Construction Co...... 276
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hershey Company.................... 279
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Yale Center for the Study of Race,
Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration....................... 280
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic 100....................... 288
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation....... 289
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic Lobbyists Association..... 291
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Hispanic National Bar Association.. 293
Danny Vargas--Letter from JacksonLewis P.C....................... 296
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Latino Community Foundation........ 299
Danny Vargas--Letter from Elianne Ramos, Latino Justice.......... 302
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Latinx Entertainment Industry...... 304
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Latino Business Action Network..... 311
Danny Vargas--Letter from the League of Minority Voters.......... 313
Danny Vargas--Letter from the League of United Latin American
Citizens....................................................... 315
Danny Vargas--Letter from Luz Collective Inc..................... 317
Danny Vargas--Letter from Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los
Angeles........................................................ 319
Danny Vargas--Letter from Meridian Design........................ 321
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Miami Dade College, Office of
Cultural Affairs to Ranking Member Klobuchar................... 323
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Miami Dade College, Office of
Cultural Affairs to Chairman Blunt............................. 325
Danny Vargas--Letter from Carmen Ronan of Molera Alvarez
Government and Public Affairs Firm............................. 327
Danny Vargas--Letter from Ruben Alvarez of Molera Alvarez
Government and Public Affairs Firm............................. 329
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Alliance for Hispanic
Health......................................................... 331
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Latino Evangelical
Coalition...................................................... 332
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Association of Latino
Elected and Appointed Officials................................ 334
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Association of Latino
Independent Producers.......................................... 336
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Hispanic Medical
Association.................................................... 339
Danny Vargas--Letter from Nikkie Whaley.......................... 341
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Latino Farmers and
Ranchers Trade Association..................................... 344
Danny Vargas--Letter from the National Urban League.............. 347
Danny Vargas--Letter from Omega Contracting, Inc................. 348
Danny Vargas--Letter from Jorge Plasenica of Republica Havas..... 350
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Republican National Hispanic
Assembly....................................................... 352
Danny Vargas--Letter from Rosa J. Correa, Former National Museum
of the American Latino Commissioner............................ 357
Danny Vargas--Letter from Sergio Fernandez de Cordova de Veyga... 359
Danny Vargas--Letter from Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers...................................................... 362
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Latino Coalition................... 364
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Joes Andres Think Food Group....... 367
Danny Vargas--Letter from T-Mobile............................... 369
Danny Vargas--Letter from UnidosUS............................... 371
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Venezuelan Endowment for the Arts.. 373
Danny Vargas--Letter from Voto Latino............................ 375
Danny Vargas--Letter from the We are all Human Foundation........ 377
Danny Vargas--Letter from the Walt Disney Company................ 379
Danny Vargas--Letter from Waste Management....................... 381
Questions Submitted for the Record:
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri to Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary, Smithsonian
Institution.................................................... 383
Hon. Hyde-Smith, a U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi to
Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution........ 387
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri to Jane Abraham, Former Chair of the Congressional
Commission to Study the Potential for a National Women's
History Museum................................................. 390
Hon. Hyde-Smith, a U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi to
Jane Abraham, Former Chair of the Congressional Commission to
Study the Potential for a National Women's History Museum...... 391
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri to Danny Vargas, Chairman, Friends of the National
Museum of The American Latino.................................. 393
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri to CiCi Rojas, Chair, The Latino Coalition Foundation. 396
Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri to Eva Longoria Baston, Actor, Activist, and Member of
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum
of The American Latino......................................... 398
HEARING TO REVIEW S. 959, SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM
ACT; AND S. 1267, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO ACT
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
United States Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in Room
301, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Roy Blunt, Chairman
of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Blunt, Klobuchar, Capito, Wicker,
Fischer, Feinstein, Udall, Warner, and Cortez Masto.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HONORABLE ROY BLUNT, CHAIRMAN, A U.S.
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI
Chairman Blunt. The Committee on Rules and Administration
will come to order. Good morning. I want to thank my colleagues
for attending today's hearing, some virtually, some in person.
The same for our witnesses, and we are going to be welcoming
them as well. Mr. Lonnie Bunch, the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, Mrs. Jane Abraham, Former Chair of the
Congressional Commission to Study the Potential for a National
Women's History Museum, Ms. CiCi Rojas, Chairman of the Latino
Coalition, and Mr. Danny Vargas, Chairman of the Friends of the
National Museum of the American Latino. I want to thank all of
them for joining us.
We will hear from a number of Senators who have spent time
on this and have been sponsors of this bill, Senator Collins,
Senator Cornyn, Senator Menendez will all be joining us for
remarks following the remarks of the three of us here at the
dais. This is Secretary Bunch's second appearance before the
Senate Rules Committee. We are grateful to have him with us
today. He was appointed the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution in June 2019. Lonnie, what a first year you have
had. Obviously, COVID forced the closure of all 19 of the
museums for the first time ever, and it happened in the middle
of March of this year. That really created an opportunity and a
requirement for Secretary Bunch and the great staff at the
Smithsonian to even further turn to their already substantial
digital efforts. They launched Smithsonian Cares, a new website
that aggregates the Smithsonian's many online resources.
In addition to Smithsonian Cares, the Smithsonian offers a
learning lab that is an online tool created specifically to
work with teachers and students in distance learning. No shock
that the learning lab had a 500 percent increase from March
2019 to March 2020, and I suspect that increase has only
continued to grow. Established in 1846, the Smithsonian, now
170 years later, encompasses 19 museums and galleries, numerous
research and educational facilities, the National Zoo, a
growing collection of 155 million objects and specimens of
various kinds.
We are here today to discuss whether the Congress should
authorize the addition of two new museums to the Smithsonian's
vast portfolio, specifically a Smithsonian Museum of Women's
History and a National Museum of the American Latino. We truly
have an expert witness on the whole idea of new museums and
expanding museums. Secretary Bunch was the founding director of
the African National Museum of African-American History and
Culture and really led that entire 11 year process of planning
and constructing the 400,000 square foot museum that tells a
powerful story. There are other powerful stories to be told,
and that is what we are talking about today, the vibrant
stories of American women and American Latinos. How important
they are.
I would say also, I just mentioned 11 years in that other
effort that Secretary Bunch was so involved in. No matter what
we decide here today, these critically important stories need
to be told in better and more substantial ways than they have
been in the past. During a long period of time it would take to
accomplish the goal we are talking about today, assuming we set
that goal in 2021, the Smithsonian is set to open a permanent
4,500 square foot Latino gallery named the Molina Gallery,
thanks to a $10 million gift from the Molina family, and the
Smithsonian's Latino Center continues to show--to be a showcase
for that experience.
At the direction of the congressional Commission on the
Study of the Potential Creation of a National Women's Museum,
and again, Ms. Abraham is here to talk about that, the
Smithsonian launched its own American Women's History
Initiative in 2018. That initiative has since raised $10
million toward the development of exhibitions, programs,
educational materials and digital content across the
Smithsonian space.
I look forward to hearing Secretary Bunch's update on all
this important work, which again, we need to continue to
encourage and figure what we can do to tell this story in a
better way. Even if we decide to have these two new museums,
they will not be available for a while.
Senator Klobuchar, I want to turn to you for any opening
remarks you might have. Then we are going to recognize Senator
Feinstein and then the three Senators who have joined us who
have also been sponsors of this legislation. Senator Klobuchar.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HONORABLE AMY KLOBUCHAR, A UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Chairman Blunt. I
am so glad that we are holding this important hearing today. We
have much to do, including pandemic relief, but I was looking
back, as you were talking, about during the Depression
actually, if you go back to the 30's, one of Franklin
Roosevelt's main programs was the Public Works of Art Project.
One of them is actually hanging in my office that I have on
loan from a Minnesota museum.
As you mentioned, these museums will take years to build,
but I actually think now is a good time to actually get this
started and to get this passed. I am particularly excited to
hear from our colleagues, Senator Collins and Feinstein, who
are here, as well as Senator Menendez and Senator Cornyn. I am
pleased to be a co-sponsor of both of these bills, and I
believe these new museums are critical to expanding our
understanding of the remarkable contributions that women and
Latino Americans have made throughout the history of our
country.
The Smithsonian Institution was founded on the noble
principle that as a Nation we must strive to expand our
knowledge and to spread that knowledge widely. Nearly 175 years
later, the Smithsonian continues to fulfill its mission, having
grown to become the world's largest museum, education and
research complex. We should all be proud of it. Every year,
this year different with a pandemic, but every year tens of
millions of people visit the museums, galleries, the National
Zoo. The National Mall is lined with the iconic structures that
comprise the crown jewels of the Smithsonian. When families
come to Washington and they visit these museums, they think
that they are seeing the complete representation, of course, of
the history of our Nation. Unfortunately, that is not always
the case.
The fact that our museums do not adequately portray the
contributions of women and Latino Americans has been well
documented. In 1999, President Clinton signed an executive
order to establish a commission to better identify the
accomplishments of women in our Nation's history and to
consider whether we should establish a women's museum. In 1994,
the Smithsonian issued a report regarding the lack of
representation of Latino Americans or their contributions to
our Nation. Of course, there have been recommendations for both
of these museums by several commissions in the past. Even
though the need for these two museums is clear, the path to
getting it done is not always clear.
We know that these projects can take a long time, as the
chairman pointed out, and they will require a tremendous level
of resources, and let's get this, momentum. The success of the
newest Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African-
American History and Culture, certainly sets a high standard
for any museum moving forward, but as Secretary Bunch discusses
in his testimony, it didn't just happen overnight. In fact, it
took 13 years from the passage of Congressman Lewis's bill
until the museum opened in September 2016. Under that timeline,
even if the legislation we are discussing today was signed into
law tomorrow, the museums wouldn't be open to the public until
maybe 2034. That is why I would make the case we should pass
legislation as soon as possible so that the hard work to create
these museums can truly begin.
When I arrived in the Senate, there were only 16 women
Senators led by our dean at the time, the great Senator Barbara
Mikulski from Maryland, who during her time in the Senate was a
key leader of the legislation to establish a women's history
museum. As we know, this year marks an important milestone in
our democracy, the centennial of the 19th Amendment
guaranteeing women in America the right to vote. We now have 26
women Senators, which is an all-time high. Women continue to
break barriers. Earlier this month, our colleague, Senator
Kamala Harris, became the first woman elected to be Vice
President of the United States.
I loved one of the graphics that had been sent around
online after the election and it says, ``ladies, make sure to
wear shoes because there is glass everywhere.'' My witness
today is a Latina woman who knows about breaking barriers. Eva
Longoria is a trailblazer for Latinos in the film industry. She
is known for her work both in front of and behind the camera,
and continues to lead the charge of diverse and female
representation in the industry and beyond. In addition to
speaking about the need for a women's history museum, she can
provide a powerful voice in support of an American Latino
museum. American Latinos have been a vital part of our country
since its founding, and it is past time for their contributions
and experiences to be honored with a museum on the National
Mall. I think it is very significant that our colleagues are
here today, that both these bills before us have passed the
House, that both these bills before us have strong leadership,
bipartisan leadership, Democrats and Republicans coming
together.
It is my hope that we can add both of these bills to our
final executive business meeting for the 116th Congress and
work to get the bills passed this year, not next year, not the
year after. As I point out, Roosevelt did this in the middle of
the Depression where he saw the future, something that wouldn't
get done now, but something that would help us to plan ahead
for a decade from now. Think about the kids that are watching.
Think about the kids that want to go to that museum and see
that women are honored, that Latinos are honored.
This is our moment, colleagues, to do something really
great by the end of the year. Thank you.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Klobuchar. Senator
Feinstein.
Senator Feinstein. Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman and
Ranking Member Klobuchar and fellow members of the committee.
Thank you for including the Smithsonian American Women's
History Museum Act in today's hearing. It has been a while
coming and I am very grateful. I am pleased to join my friend
and colleague, Senator Collins, in introducing this bipartisan
bill to establish a National Women's History Museum. It has
been a long time coming, and in the Senate our 13 co-sponsors
include every woman who sits on this committee, Mr. Chairman.
I thank Ranking Member Klobuchar, Senators Capito, Fischer,
Hyde-Smith, and Cortez Masto for their support. In February,
the House overwhelmingly passed the companion to our bill by a
vote of 374 to 37. It is my hope that this legislation can get
done by the end of the year and we can celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to
vote with this commission.
From the earliest days of our Nation, women have made
substantial and lasting contributions. I don't know why the
recognition process has been so difficult but it has been, and
I think the election of women to places of power like political
bodies has made a difference, but the fact is, American women
have transformed the fields of science, government, literature,
medicine, and so much more. It is well past time that we
establish a museum that specifically pays tribute to this
history. It would honor and recognize tremendous collective
achievements of American women and will help to tell a more
complete story of our past.
Just a bit of history. In 2014, Congress established an
independent, bipartisan commission to study the potential for
creating a National Women's History Museum. Mrs. Jane Abraham,
Chair of that commission, is here with us today and will be
testifying. The Commission submitted its report to Congress in
November 2016 with a unanimous recommendation to establish a
comprehensive Women's History Museum. The report further
recommends that this museum be on a prominent location on or
near the National Mall and that it be established as an
official part of the Smithsonian. The bill we are considering
today incorporates the Commission's recommendations and moves
us closer to the realization of what I saw begin on this
committee, Mr. Chairman, 25 years ago, and that is to establish
this museum.
The Act would establish it's run by the Smithsonian. It
would be part of the Smithsonian creative process to determine
a location for it on the National Mall and appoint leadership
to carry out its construction and operations. I just want to
say that I am very proud to be here. I welcome Senator Collins'
support and leadership. It has been fantastic. I also thank
you, Senator Klobuchar. As women have gained in this body, I
think we have gained our ability to achieve this legislation.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Feinstein. Senator
Collins.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HONORABLE SUSAN COLLINS, A UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MAIN
Senator Collins. Good morning. Good morning, Chairman
Blunt, Ranking Member Klobuchar, Senator Feinstein, and other
members of this committee. Let me begin by thanking you for
holding this hearing on legislation to establish new museums,
including the bill that Senator Feinstein and I have introduced
called the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act. Mr.
Chairman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, this cause to establish a
Women's History Museum has always been a bipartisan one. The
very first bill that I introduced to create such a museum was
in 2003. At that time, Senators Barbara Mikulski and my dear
colleague Senator Feinstein, were co-sponsors of that bill.
This year, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of
women's suffrage and the decades-long fight for women's
equality at the ballot box, it is fitting that we at long last
establish an institution in our Nation's capital to honor
American women. Women have made invaluable contributions to our
country in every field: government, business, medicine, law,
literature, sports, entertainment, the arts, and the military.
As Senator Klobuchar mentioned, here in the Senate, we have a
record number of women, 26 in all serving. When I first became
a Senator, there were only nine of us. Telling the history of
American women matters. It inspires girls to know that there
are no boundaries to their potential. A museum recognizing the
achievements and experiences of American women is long overdue.
In 1999, a Presidential Commission on commemorating women
in our history concluded that, ``an appropriate celebration of
women's history in the next millennium should include the
designation of a focal point for women's history in our
Nation's capital.'' In 2014, Congress took the important step
toward realizing this goal when it passed legislation creating
an independent, bipartisan Commission to study establishing
such a museum right here in Washington, DC.
After 18 months, the bipartisan commission unanimously
concluded that America needs and deserves a physical National
Museum dedicated to showcasing the historical experiences and
impact of women in this country. I agree wholeheartedly with
the Commission's conclusion and I want to thank Jane Abraham
for her leadership in heading the Commission. Following the
Commission's recommendations, Senator Feinstein and I
introduced legislation to create an American Women's History
Museum that would collect, study, and create programs
incorporating and exhibiting a wide spectrum of women's
experiences, contributions, and history. It would be part of
the Smithsonian Institution, ensuring that it is free and open
to all who visit Washington and would be representative of the
diverse viewpoints held by American women.
It is important to emphasize that this museum would portray
all aspects of women's contributions to our history without
partisanship or bias. It would share the stories of pioneering
women such as abolitionist Harriet Tubman, the founder of the
Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, Supreme Court Justices Sandra
Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, leading suffragists like
Maine's own Florence Brooks Whitehouse, and so many others. The
Commission also recommended a Smithsonian-wide American Women's
History Initiative.
Since 2018, Congress has provided nearly $10 million in
Federal funding toward this important step toward creating the
museum. Building on these successes, our bill calls for a
funding commitment from both the private sector and the federal
government following the successful model used by the National
Museum of African-American History and Culture. Mr. Chairman,
Ranking Member Klobuchar, our bill enjoys broad bipartisan
support, and I want to thank the women Senators who serve on
this committee as well as others for co-sponsoring it. It is
also supported by several organizations, and I would ask that
their letters of support be entered into the record without
objection. I also want to acknowledge the steadfast leadership
of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congressman Brian
Fitzpatrick, who have led the effort on the House side.
In February, the House passed its bill by an overwhelming
bipartisan vote of 374 to 37. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
Klobuchar, as our women's suffrage centennial year draws to a
close, I can think of no better way to honor those women and
that momentous achievement than by passing the Smithsonian
American Women's History Museum Act.
I would note in closing, Mr. Chairman, that in Washington
we all enjoy the many museums along the National Mall that
commemorate various aspects of our history and our culture. We
even have a museum that celebrates buildings. Surely if we can
have a museum that celebrates buildings, we ought to have one,
and are long overdue in establishing one, that celebrates the
many contributions of American women to our Nation. Thank you
very much, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Senator Collins was submitted
for the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Collins. Senator Cornyn.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HONORABLE JOHN CORNYN, A UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Senator Cornyn. Good morning, Chairman Blunt, Ranking
Member Klobuchar. It is great to be here with all of you,
including our good friend Senator Collins and the rest of the
members of this committee. As a proud Texan and a Senator from
a border state, I have been fortunate to experience firsthand
the tremendous influence of Latinos on our country and culture
throughout my life. From learning the stories of the brave
soldiers who fought in the Texas revolution to experience the
vast influence of the Hispanic culture in my hometown of San
Antonio, I am incredibly proud and appreciative of the Latino
influence on Texas and American life.
Unfortunately, for many Americans the contributions of
generations of Latinos are largely unknown, and I hope this
committee will soon take action to right this wrong by
advancing legislation to establish a National Museum of the
American Latino. This effort has been underway for more than 25
years. I note Senator Collins talking about the long journey of
the women's museum. These are not hastily--these museums are
not hastily established. I think a lot of thought has gone into
both, but in particular, the Latino Museum has been an idea
that, whose time has now come for more than 25 years.
In the 1990's, the Smithsonian Institution commissioned a
report to examine the relationship between the museum and
Latinos. It was entitled, notably, Willful Neglect. Those two
words adequately sum up the findings. For everything from a
lack of exhibits to curators to staff, Latinos were excluded at
virtually every level of the world's largest museum complex.
According to a 2018 report by UCLA, not much progress has been
made. Latino representation within the Smithsonian is still far
from what it should be, even as the Latino population in
America has doubled.
One of the recommendations of the initial 1994 report to
improve representation of Latinos was through the establishment
of a museum dedicated to the contributions of Latino Americans.
As I said, that was more than 25 years ago. Congress has not
yet authorized this critical museum. With the support of this
committee and this Congress, I hope that will change. Every
year, millions of Americans visit the Smithsonian to learn
about our Nation's complex and fascinating story, and the men
and women who helped write it. These museums teach us about:
American Presidents, soldiers, artists, astronauts, innovators,
icons and heroes of every breed. They house priceless artifacts
of American history from the Star Spangled Banner, which
inspired the National anthem, to the hat that President Lincoln
wore the night he was assassinated.
For too long, these museums haven't told the whole story of
the rich diversity of our country. That is slowly changing due
to the recent additions of the National Museum of the American
Indian and the National Museum of African-American History and
Culture, but we still have a ways to go. The process of
creating a National Museum of the American Latino began in 2008
in earnest when President George W. Bush established a
Commission to study the feasibility of such a museum, and
again, when their report was released in 2011.
Now that it has been nearly a decade since the Commission
formally recommended this museum be built, it is time to act.
The National Museum of the American Latino Act authorizes the
Smithsonian Institution to create a museum honoring American
Latinos here in Washington, and I am proud to have introduced
this with our colleague, Senator Menendez, in a bipartisan
fashion.
This Congress and nearly 300 members of the House have co-
sponsored this legislation, and it unanimously passed the House
earlier this year. The bill has 46 co-sponsors here in the
United States Senate, and I hope the committee will soon
favorably report this bill to the floor so we can send it to
the President's desk before the end of this Congress. It has
been more than 25 years since this effort began. It is time to
honor the contributions of generations of Latinos by providing
a brick and mortar home for their stories right here in our
Nation's capital.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Klobuchar,
for allowing me to join you here today to talk about this
important step, and I am happy to answer any questions you
might have, or failing that, I will go back to the Judiciary
committee.
[The prepared statement of Senator Cornyn was submitted for
the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Well thank you, Senator Cornyn. I don't
know that we will have questions for the Senators here, though
we certainly appreciate the fact that you have been here.
Senator Collins, the co-sponsor of the women's museum bill. You
and Senator Menendez, the sponsors of the museum representing
and recognizing Latino contributions, but thank you for being
here. Now we will turn to Senator Menendez for his remarks.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HONORABLE ROBERT MENENDEZ, A UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Senator Menendez. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, to you and
to Ranking Member Klobuchar and members of the committee. Thank
you for holding this important hearing to review S. 1267, the
National Museum of the American Latino Act, a bill that would
fill the most glaring gap in our National history and on our
National Mall by authorizing the construction of a new museum
dedicated to telling the Latino story.
As a lead sponsor of S. 1267, I firmly believe it is time
that Hispanic Americans get their own world-class museum on the
National Mall, built and administered to the standards that
only the Smithsonian Institution can uphold.
This effort has been decades in the making. As our former
colleagues, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senator Ken
Salazar of Colorado wrote in The New York Times this past
Sunday and I quote, ``In 1994, a task force outlined the ways
in which the Smithsonian, `almost entirely excludes and ignores
Latinos in nearly every aspect of its operations.' ''
Its report, Willful Neglect, offered 10 recommendations for
improvement, including that it should support the development
of a museum on the National Mall dedicated to honoring and
preserving over 500 years of American Latino history and
culture.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit the entirety of their
op-ed for the record.
Chairman Blunt. Without objection.
[The information referred to was submitted for the record.]
Senator Menendez. Thank you. This is not a partisan issue.
There is strong support from both sides of the aisle, as
Senator Cornyn suggested, to establish a museum devoted to
Hispanic American history. Our bill, S. 1267, has nearly
unanimous support from Senate Democrats and six Republican co-
sponsors, an accomplishment that seems barely achievable in
today's hyperpartisan environment.
The companion bill in the House, H.R. 2420, passed the
lower chamber by voice vote with overwhelming bipartisan co-
sponsorship. Presidents from both parties have supported the
creation of a National Museum of the American Latino. In fact,
the first bill to create the Commission to Study the Potential
Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino was first
introduced in the Senate back in 2004 by Senator Orrin Hatch, a
Republican from Utah.
Now is the time for Congress to finish what it started
almost two decades ago. No one can deny that the 60 million
Latino Americans living in this country will continue to shape
America's future. Just as we have shaped America's past. From
day one, Hispanics have shaped this Nation in countless ways as
military leaders, as pioneers in business, in the arts, as
activists and elected officials. Yet, the history and
contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States since
its inception have been at best overlooked and at worst erased.
When our Nation's children read their assigned American
history textbooks, the presence of Latinos in the United States
is missing. They are not taught that half a century before
English-speaking colonies were settled in Jamestown, Virginia,
Spanish was already being spoken in a settlement established in
St. Augustine, Florida, or that Bernardo de Galvez, a Spanish
colonel of the Louisiana regiment in New Orleans, thwarted
every British advance in the area, helping the army of General
George Washington win the American Revolutionary War. Neither
are our children taught that the origins of Latino presence in
the United States have little to do with economic migration as
many--and more to do with the American expansion, which
integrated Hispanic-occupied territories.
These are but a fraction of the numerous examples of
galleries and exhibitions the Smithsonian National Museum for
the American Latino could house for millions of visitors all
over the world to learn about. If there is anything this recent
election has taught us is that both Democrats and Republicans
have lots to learn about who the Latinos and Latinas living in
this country are. We are not a monolithic community. Some of us
have ancestors who lived on the American soil before there was
an America. Some of us have immigrated to the United States
from as many as 20 different countries around the Western
Hemisphere seeking the promise of opportunity. We all have
unique cultural identities that make us different. Yet, all of
us live in the United States share a common bond, the
continuous strive to make this country the best version of
itself it can be. That is the story that only the Smithsonian
Institution can tell.
That is the history the National Museum of the American
Latino will bring to life. It will inspire families, tourists,
students, and people from all backgrounds to celebrate the
diverse threads that bind the United States of America together
as one Nation. Representation matters when it comes to our
history. Imagine what it would mean to Latino children coming
to visit our Nation's capital and seeing their ancestors'
contributions to our country. What would it mean for children
of different ethnic backgrounds to learn about the history of
the people that look like their neighbors and their friends in
school?
These are the building blocks of acceptance and inclusion.
It is hard to believe that a month and a half from 2021, a
museum devoted to Latino history does not already exist in the
Nation's capital. Today, I am sure some may argue that now is
not the time to build new museums, that the Smithsonian has a
maintenance backlog in the millions of dollars in order to
bring every other older museum up to standards and that we must
first address that backlog before beginning to discuss a new
museum, but we have heard that excuse before, and I am sure
Secretary Bunch heard that excuse many times before turning the
dream of this Smithsonian National Museum of African-American
History into a reality.
We also must not forget that as S. 1267 has a 50/50 public
and private cost sharing model. Pass the bill now and dare us
to harness the economic power of Latinos and Latinas in the
United States, and I guarantee you our community will meet the
challenge. It is long past time for Congress to pass
legislation to authorize the construction of this museum to
celebrate the indelible history and contributions of Latino
Americans to make America great.
I thank the committee for the discussions, the importance
of the bill, and I sincerely hope you will move forward to
passage to finally make this dream a reality. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Senator Menendez was submitted
for the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Menendez. We have one
other co-sponsor of the bill who is also a member of the
committee, who has a comment to make before we go to witnesses.
Before that, do you have a unanimous--Senator Klobuchar----
Senator Klobuchar. Yes. Mr. Chairman, I have a letter from
the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs and a list of names of
prominent leaders in the Twin Cities Latino community in
support of the National Museum of the American Latino Act. A
letter of support from 3M, a major company in my state, that
supports the establishing of this museum. A letter from the
sponsors of the House legislation that would establish the
National Museum of the American Latino. I ask unanimous consent
that each of these items be included in the record.
Chairman Blunt. Without objection.
[The information referred to was submitted for the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Senator Capito, who is also a member of
this committee and a co-sponsor of the bill, do you have some
comments you would like to make?
Senator Capito. I do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like
to thank you and Ranking Member Klobuchar for the opportunity.
I will be relatively brief. We have heard all of the wonderful
contributions that the Smithsonian has made. We know that in
2020 there have been, even in this year, 3.3 million visits
free of charge for people to explore our great history and to
learn more about the world around them. These two bills before
the committee today will expand that ability of the Smithsonian
to provide that high quality educational resource and to
preserve our heritage.
Passage of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum
Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act will
enable visitors to learn more about the impact that diverse
groups have had in shaping our shared history. As you
mentioned, I am the proud co-sponsor of both of these bills. I
would like to thank my friend, former Representative Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen, for prevailing upon me to be a co-sponsor of the
National Museum of the American Latino Act. She in and of
herself could be an exhibit, I believe.
I am proud to co-sponsor both bills, as I said, and I want
to recognize the leadership of all the co-sponsors and the main
sponsors of these bills. We know we are marking the 100th
anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gives us the perfect
time to say to American women and women around the world that
we want to enshrine our history and make it available to all of
the women around--the men and women around the world. We know
we have a record number of women, Senator Klobuchar mentioned
that, in Congress right now. I am proud to be the first woman
to represent West Virginia in the United States Senate. I can't
think of no better time.
You know, in West Virginia, I created a program called West
Virginia Girls Rise Up, which aims to inspire that next
generation of female leaders. I ask the girls, I travel the
state, and the fifth grade girls to encourage them to set goals
for themselves and work to achieve them. I brought it to
elementary and middle schools. I have had fantastic guests,
Librarian of the Congress, Carla Hayden, the astronaut Peggy
Whitson, our former Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki
Haley, and others. When I think of the women's museum, I think
of those girls' faces that I see when I do my West Virginia
Girls Rise Up visits and how excited they will be to be
inspired by the contributions of past generations and to be
able to give them the confidence to be a part of seizing that
mantle of leadership in the next generation.
Similarly, the National Museum of the American Latino is
way overdue. We have heard for how many years it has been in
the making. I am very, very excited about future generations
viewing the contributions of Latinos all throughout this
country and reminding us of our diversity has allowed our
democracy to flourish.
For these reasons, I am hopeful that we pass these--after
our hearing, we pass these bills. I thank you again for letting
me add my voice. I am a strong co-sponsor of both bills and I
look forward to their passage. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Capito. Senator Udall.
Senator Udall. Thank you, Chairman Blunt, a pleasure to be
here with everyone today. I am pleased to be here this morning
to discuss these two bills authorizing new museums that
celebrate our history, the Latino community and American
women's history. These museums would recognize and celebrate
our Nation's diverse heritage and has broad bipartisan. I am
very pleased that this has broad bipartisan support.
I am also proud to have had the chance to oversee the
institution as both a member of this committee and as ranking
member of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee. In
both roles, I have worked to make sure Congress is an active
partner with the Smithsonian Institution and provides the
resources that it needs to meet its obligations to advance the
civic, educational, scientific, and artistic life of this
Nation.
We all know that the Smithsonian requires real investment
to keep its existing museums operating, to expand its
collections, to tell the story of all Americans, and to support
the reach of its research and educational programs across the
country. I expect we will hear this morning about the
importance of gathering resources needed to take the next steps
to bring inclusivity into the narrative of our American history
through these museums to illuminate an American story for all.
I look forward to hearing from my colleague, Secretary
Bunch, and the advocates here today. Secretary Bunch--is he
answering questions, Mr. Chairman, at this point?
Chairman Blunt. We are not asking questions yet. We want to
have his testimony first.
Senator Udall. Thank you. Thank you Chairman.
Chairman Blunt. Senator Cortez Masto.
Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking
Member. Thank you to all my colleagues for their statements and
to the witnesses today. Let me just say, as the first female
Senator ever from the great State of Nevada and the first
Latina ever elected to the United States Senate, I am so
excited to be able to support these two museums. One of the
things I think is so important to emphasize when we are
discussing the future of these museums is that they are not
just museums for one group of people. A women's history museum
won't just benefit women and the Latino Museum is not just for
Latino's to visit.
Instead, these museums are for all of us to help us expand
our understanding of what it means to be an American and learn
more about the contributions of all those who have come before
us and contributed to who we are today. In May 2011, the
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum
of the American Latino reached the finding that a National
Museum focused on American Latino history, art and culture is
not only viable but essential to America's interests.
Similarly, in November 2016, the Commission to Study the
Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum came to
the unanimous conclusion that America needs and deserves a
physical National Museum dedicated to showcasing the historical
experiences and impact of women in this country. I strongly
support passing these bills into law so we can start the
process of building two essential museums that Americans need
and deserve, but that also means we need to provide the
Smithsonian Institution with the support it needs for staffing
or maintenance and security of our existing museums and
collections.
It is long past time to make these new museums a priority.
I hope we get serious today and in the future about making it
happen. I am looking forward to the discussion today, both on
the many reasons we should build these two museums and how to
continue supporting the incredible public servants who make the
Smithsonian the treasure that it is. Thank you so much, Mr.
Chairman.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto. We will
have the testimony now from all of our witnesses before we have
time for questions. I would remind all of them that your
written testimony is part of the record. You have 5 minutes and
you can use that by going through your written testimony or
summarizing it in whatever way you think is most effective.
Again, we are going to start with Secretary Bunch, and
Secretary Bunch, glad to have you back before the committee
today.
OPENING STATEMENT OF LONNIE G. BUNCH III, SECRETARY,
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Mr. Bunch. Okay. Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member Klobuchar,
members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to
testify before you today. I am so grateful that you are
exploring the creation of new museums at the Smithsonian. As
the founding director of the National Museum of African-
American History and Culture, I am happy to share some insights
I gained in building a museum that began without a staff,
without a building, and without collections.
Yet the broad and diverse popularity of the museum has
shown us that Americans are excited about learning not only the
culture of a community, but how that story shapes who we all
are. As Congress considers museum legislation, we continue to
provide our visitors with a broader and more inclusive history.
We have integrated Latino and women's history, its art,
culture, scientific achievements throughout the Smithsonian.
In many ways, we have launched things that provide the
foundation for any new museums. For example, we launched the
American Women's History Initiative Because of Her Story in the
year 2000. Let's see, is my video now on now? I am sorry.
Chairman Blunt. Mr. Secretary, I think we lost your video
again, but we do have the audio. We are working on the video if
you want to continue--there you are.
Mr. Bunch. Okay. Alright. For instance, we launched the
American Women's History Initiative because of our story in
2018. It is one of the country's most ambitious undertakings to
research, collect, document, and display, and share women's
compelling stories. It has established a pool of funds. It has
increased online engagement. It has allowed us to do something
crucial, hire curators, and develop internships to ensure the
next generation. It has also helped us produce world-class
exhibitions, including Votes for Women at the National Portrait
Gallery and Girlhood (It's Complicated), which just opened at
the National Museum of American History.
Since 1997, we have also expanded representation of Latino
Americans at the Smithsonian with our Latino Center. The Center
administers a Latino Museum studies program. It has helped
attract Latino curators, and it has helped us build the largest
collection of United States Latino art among any of the
Nation's major art museums. The Latino Center's new
exhibitions, Baseball, will open next April in the National
Gallery of American History, National Museum of American
History, and one of its crowning achievements is the Molina
Family Latino Gallery.
When it opens in the spring of 2020, its inaugural
exhibition, Presente, will give us a Latino history of the
United States, which will be the first National Latino Gallery
on the National Mall. Thank you for your ongoing support of the
Latino Center and the Women's History Initiative. Creating new
museums is challenging, but the Smithsonian has the skill,
experience, and expertise to do it right.
Obviously, it is something I care passionately about. We
can create museums that meet the needs of the Nation and
showcase the United States of the world--to the world, but to
do so, there are several things we must determine: the public's
expectations of a museum's size, program, new technology,
collections, and staffing are all issues we have to think about
and grapple with, and most importantly, a suitable location.
Yet, irrespective of physical space, we have seen how important
it is to reach audiences digitally. Since March, when our use
of digital assets has dramatically increased, for instance, we
created a learning lab, which is our free educational platform,
which features millions of authentic digital resources.
The Smithsonian Cares initiative is an extensive collection
of our online resources that people can use from home,
including open access collections, distance learning resources,
online events, exhibitions, and podcasts. These considerations,
as well as the design, construction, and operation of future
museum costs must be part of any discussion. With the support
of Congress, we continue to make headway addressing the backlog
of maintenance costs through our major renovations and our
targeted approach to maximizing our limited resources.
Allocating resources between existing needs and new
projects will always create tension. Appropriate resource
levels can minimize that tension. Congressional support can
help fund a new museum and continue to help us address our
significant maintenance requirements. It would be crucially
important for both to be addressed because we want to make sure
that we can create and continue to prove--improve, provide high
quality experiences for visitors. I trust that Members of this
committee will understand and will plan for the long-term
obligations the new museums would incur.
Thank you for holding this hearing. It is important to me.
Thank you for your ongoing support and for your commitment to
sharing the experiences of all Americans. I am happy to answer
any questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bunch was submitted for the
record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Secretary Bunch. If you will
stay with us, we are going to go ahead and have all of our
witnesses testify and then everybody will be available for
questions for whatever time we have for questions, but, again,
thanks for your presence here today and your leadership at the
Smithsonian.
Jane Abraham is the Former Chairman of the Congressional
Commission to Study the Potential for a National Women's
History Museum, also on a Smithsonian effort looking at how
that story is being currently told. Mrs. Abraham, we are glad
you are here with us and look forward to your testimony.
OPENING STATEMENT OF JANE ABRAHAM, FORMER CHAIR, CONGRESSIONAL
COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL FOR A NATIONAL WOMEN'S
HISTORY MUSEUM
Mrs. Abraham. Thank you. Do I need to push something?
There. Okay. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, members of
the committee, and committee staff, thank you for inviting me
to join you here today. I proudly stand in support of Senate
Bill 959 to establish the first ever comprehensive Women's
History Museum as part of the Smithsonian. I would like to tell
you why I believe this is the best way to pay tribute to the
remarkable role women have played in America's history.
In December 2014, Congress considered this question
important enough to form a bipartisan National Commission
consisting of eight women, all appointed by House and Senate
leaders and all from very different walks of life. I had the
honor of chairing that Commission. Over 18 months, from July
2015 through November 2016, we explored how to most effectively
tell the story of women's phenomenal contributions to the
history of America. As I am sure each of you knows, in
Washington in recent years, finding bipartisan solutions to
policy challenges can be nearly impossible.
Indeed, any group of four Democrats selected by Speaker
Pelosi and former Leader Reid, and four Republicans picked by
then Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell might be expected to
reach an impasse on almost any policy solution. Trust me when I
say our group of eight commissioners were an outspoken,
opinionated group representing the full spectrum of political
viewpoints, and no one was shy about expressing her views. The
good news is we did not end up with gridlock. Instead, this
bipartisan Commission found common ground. We found a way to
stand together, work through differences, listen deeply to each
other, respect and trust that we were committed to the same
outcomes.
Ultimately, that is the spirit that devised a democratic
Government for America at its inception, and it is that spirit
which this American Women's History Museum will recognize,
elevate, and celebrate. We believe the unified bipartisan plan
we forged together deserves your support and the support of the
American people. Our overall conclusion was that America needs
and deserves a National Museum, one that is part of the
Smithsonian Institution, that is dedicated to the often untold
stories of exceptional women who changed the course of our
Nation's history.
We now believe this museum is more important than ever.
Such a National Museum will reflect all the many different
ideas, perspectives, and causes that were championed, invented,
and led by American women. It will remind us of our Nation's
inspiring history and our limitless future. That is why we
believe we can raise significant funds from the private sector
to support this venture. This museum reflects the desire of so
many women and men to reflect on the uncommon achievements that
contributed to America's place in the world and their desire
that the next generation know about those achievements as well.
Now, more than ever, we believe Americans are eager for
such a museum, not just mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters,
but fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons as well. We believe
the new leadership of the Smithsonian Institution also
recognizes that. The Commission acknowledged that museums
aren't built overnight and the project would require at least a
10-year timeline, but we wanted to get going immediately.
During the Commission's deliberations, we had a series of
conversations with Smithsonian leadership. As a result, the
Commission proposed that the first critical phase establish an
entity called the American Women's History Initiative within
the Smithsonian.
We felt that this initiative would immediately make women's
history a top priority across all of the Smithsonian's museums,
and would be the first essential step toward a permanent
museum. We are delighted that as a result of our
recommendation, the Smithsonian immediately launched this first
step in 2017, and our Commission was instrumental in securing
the first $3 million to begin it. As you have heard from
Secretary Lonnie Bunch, the initiative has been very successful
over the past 4 years, and we are very grateful to the
Smithsonian for taking the Women's History Initiative from an
idea to reality.
My fellow commissioners and I unanimously support Senate
Bill 959. We ask each of you to join us and we encourage
unanimous support from the entire Senate. I especially want to
thank Senator Collins for sponsoring the Smithsonian American
Women's History Museum Act and Senator Feinstein for being the
original co-sponsor, along with the many members of this
committee who are also co-sponsors. I appreciate the
opportunity to testify this morning.
I ask that the supporting documents and letters of support
I have submitted and have been received by the Rules Committee
be read into the record. I would be happy to answer any
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mrs. Abraham was submitted for
the record.]
Chairman Blunt. We will accept those things on the record,
without objection.
[The information referred to was submitted for the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Danny Vargas is the Chairman of the Friends
of the National Museum of the American Latino. Mr. Vargas, we
are glad to have you with us today.
OPENING STATEMENT OF DANNY VARGAS, CHAIRMAN, FRIENDS OF THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO
Mr. Vargas. Good morning, Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member
Klobuchar, and members of the committee. Thanks for the
opportunity to testify today. As a kid from the streets of
Brooklyn, an Air Force veteran, an entrepreneur, and as a dad,
it is truly humbling to be before you. However, today I am also
representing our organization, our many supporters, nearly 61
million Latinos in the United States, and we have received many
letters of support from corporations, from organizations,
academia, and individuals. We ask that those letters be entered
into the record.
As a patriot, I want America to reach its fullest
potential, but to get there, we need to know where we came
from. Sadly, much of what is in our history books and our
National Museums is incomplete. Latinos have been vital in the
founding, the building, the shaping, the defending of this
Nation for over 500 years, but most Americans are unaware of
these indispensable contributions. Our mission is to create a
museum that illuminates the American story for the benefit of
everyone, for a more complete and accurate telling of American
history. Latinos have been settling communities in what is now
United States territory since 1493. By the time the British get
to Jamestown in 1607, there had already been a bunch of Latinos
saying, bievenidos, what took you so long? America would be
unrecognizable without the century's worth of Latino
contributions, including our military.
Latinos have fought in every war we have ever had, from
Spanish General Galvez helping General Washington win the war
of independence, to the first full Admiral of the United States
Navy, David Farragut famously saying, damn the torpedoes, full
speed ahead during the civil war, from the half million Latino
troops in World War II to the Army 65th Infantry Regiment, the
Borinqueneers of Puerto Rico and their legendary exploits in
Korea, and the thousands of Hispanic surnames etched on the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, from the young Latinos and
Latinas serving and sacrificing on our behalf in the
battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the 60 Medal of Honor
recipients. As an Air Force veteran myself, I can tell you that
Latinos take a backseat to no one in the defense of liberty.
Our community has had a lasting impact in every single aspect
of society, from arts, to science to business, sports, politics
and more.
One of my personal heroes, Roberto Clemente, helped usher
in the era of Latinos in baseball despite facing discrimination
because he was both Latino and black. Lynda Carter,
television's Wonder Woman in the 1970's, changed the face of
strong women on TV. Before Brown v. Board of Education there
was Mendez v. Westminster, which laid the groundwork for school
desegregation.
Throughout history, we have been relying on Latinos to
fight our wars and to run our businesses, to tend our fields
and to mend our wounds, to teach our kids, patrol our streets,
and to share the word of God. Contrary to what some might
believe, Latinos are not a recent patch being sewn onto the
tapestry of America. We are an essential foundational thread
woven into the very fabric of America. We are a wonderfully
complex community today. We are over 18 percent of the
population, $2 trillion in purchasing power.
We are Afro Latinos, we are Asian Latinos, we are blond
hair and blue eyed, we are mulattos and mestizos and Native
Americans and everything in between. We are not a race. We are
a culture. We are Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We
have foundational shared values around family and faith and
freedom and opportunity and optimism and pride and passion, and
those are the qualities most in need in our country today. We
also have a responsibility to inspire future generations. By
2060, Latinos will make up 30 percent of the population. If we
hope to remain a strong, thriving, and vibrant Nation, that
segment of the population needs to feel acknowledged, engaged
and invested in our future.
This is about honoring our ancestors and inspiring our
descendants. This initiative began 26 years ago when the
Smithsonian task force found Willful Neglect in its portrayal
of Latino stories. They recommended the creation of an American
Latino Museum. In 2008, President Bush signed the bill creating
the Commission to study the museum's feasibility, which I was
appointed to by John Boehner. In 2011, we delivered our report
to Congress and President Obama saying three basic things,
there was a clear and pressing need for the museum, that it
should be part Smithsonian Institution, and that it really
ought to be on the National Mall. That year, we first
introduced the authorization bill, and this year the House
passed the American Latino Museum Act unanimously in a voice
vote with 295 bipartisan co-sponsors.
We now have 45 bipartisan co-sponsors for the Senate bill.
We urge the committee to advance the bill and we urge the full
Senate to pass the House bill by unanimous consent. The House
bill includes language ensuring the diversity of political
viewpoints, meaning this would be the first and only
Smithsonian Museum in the Institution's 174 year history
requiring the representation of various points of view,
including the conservative viewpoint. We stand on the shoulders
of the leaders who created previous ethnic museums. We have
learned from their experiences, and I am confident in our
ability to raise the funds needed to build a world-class
institution.
In closing, I have been involved with this initiative for
the last 13 years. For me, it is a labor of love, a legacy
initiative. It is about family. One day, God willing, I will be
able to walk into this museum with my family and my two sons,
Daniel and David. I have a vision of a young Latina born today
in America and on her sixth grade field trip, she can come to
DC and she can marvel at the monuments and she can visit
Capitol Hill and she can go to the National Museums, including
the American Latino Museum. She can see all these stories that
I have been talking about and more. She can leave that museum
not only proud to be a Latina, but proud to be an American.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify and I
would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Vargas was submitted for the
record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Mr. Vargas. It is great to see
you again. Another friend of this committee, CiCi Rojas, who is
the Chairman of the Latino Coalition, will be our next witness.
Ms. Rojas.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CICI ROJAS, CHAIR, THE LATINO COALITION
FOUNDATION
Ms. Rojas. Good morning, Chairman Blunt, and thank you,
Ranking Member Klobuchar and members of the committee. Thank
you for the opportunity to testify today. As a proud
Midwesterner from Missouri, an engaged citizen who is working
on many worthy projects in my community, and, most importantly,
a mother, it is truly an honor to be before you to testify for
such a meaningful project to our community.
I also serve on the Friends of the National Museum of the
American Latino with my board colleague Danny Vargas, whom you
just heard from. However, I come before you today as the
Chairman of the Latino Coalition Foundation, a National
organization dedicated to providing Latino businesses a
platform to thrive and shape public policy. Additionally, we
strive to accomplish our mission by advocating for pinnacle
efforts such as this. Latinos have contributed positively to
every aspect of American history. They have impacted the areas
of business, education, health, sports and, most recently,
politics.
The Latino community has probably enriched our Nation's
competitiveness, culture, and prosperity through the
generations. We are a diverse community with a wide range of
viewpoints, work environments, and passion. Yet we possess the
commonality of valuing the importance of culture, family, and
patriotism. Therefore, we find it vital that we proudly share
our incredible stories and celebrate a more complete telling of
American history. Our community has certainly been essential to
our Nation's past and will be integral to our current and
future history. Here is a summary of some impressive facts that
make Hispanic Americans critical to America. Our population
size and growth. At nearly 60 million people, making up 18
percent of the United States population, Latinos are the
largest diverse population segment and account for over 50
percent of total population growth from 2008 to 2018.
Today, one in four or 25 percent of children under 18 is of
Hispanic descent. Hispanics are projected to become 30 percent
of the population by 2060. As a result, Latinos are becoming an
economic force. In 2017, Hispanic households earned more than
$1 trillion. This allowed them to pay more than $252.2 billion
in Federal and local taxes. After taxes, Hispanic households
held more than $781 billion in spending power. Latinos are a
thriving business community and job creators. We are opening
more small businesses faster than anyone else in the United
States. With a total of 4.7 million Latino-owned businesses in
the Nation, one in four new businesses are Latino-owned and
provide 3 million jobs to workers in the United States. Over--
with over $2.3 trillion in 2018 gross domestic product,
American Latinos are the 8th largest economy in the world.
From a funding standpoint, it is equally important to note,
the museum will be built utilizing a 50/50 model. 50 percent of
the cost of construction of the museum will be raised through
private funds by the museum's Board of Regents. The remaining
50 percent of the costs will be appropriated by Congress.
Additionally, the House bill added language to ensure diversity
of political views, reflecting the diversity of our community
as a whole. Although there will be many important stories
enshrined in the museum, which will both highlight the
struggles and resilience of this community, as well as
celebrate the achievements of Latinos across all industries,
the most important message is that the American--is that the
Latino story is the American story, and as a Nation, we must
honor the promise of what our country was built on and stands
for.
One such example of those great American stories that made
a positive impact in the Latino American community is that of
the late Hector Barrero Sr., a Midwesterner. Hector was
originally born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1935. His American
journey began in 1958 when he moved to West Central Missouri.
After a series of hard and back-breaking jobs, he decided to do
what many Americans dream of doing, be his own boss. He started
his first enterprise, a Mexican restaurant, and then that
establishment grew into another and then another.
After success in business, he went on to help establish the
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. His journey to
success is one of many Latinos whose tales are woven into the
American history and whose essence will be captured within the
walls of the National Latino--of the National Museum of the
American Latino for generations to come.
Thank you for this opportunity to be before you today, and
I welcome your questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Rojas was submitted for the
record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Ms. Rojas. Our last witness
today, Eva Longoria, is an actor, an activist, a member of the
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum
of the American Latino. Ms. Longoria, we are glad to have you
with us today.
OPENING STATEMENT OF EVA LONGORIA BASTON, ACTOR, ACTIVIST, AND
MEMBER OF COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF A
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO
Ms. Longoria. Thank you, Chairman Blunt. I appreciate this
opportunity. Thank you, Ranking Member Klobuchar and committee
members. It is my honor to be here alongside my fellow
witnesses and community leaders, Danny Vargas, CiCi Rojas, and
Jane Abraham. As a woman, as a Latina, and as a very proud
ninth-generation American, I come before you as a citizen who
lives at the intersection of the opportunities that we have
gathered here to discuss, the establishment of the National
Museum of the American Latino and the National Women's History
Museum.
If you look at our history textbooks, you look at our
National monuments and our celebrated statues, they only
reflect one kind of American hero, one that looks like our
founding fathers, white and male.
There are many other extraordinary Americans who are
responsible for scientific breakthroughs, military feats, civil
rights accomplishments, artistic achievements, and landmark
legislation, but when you don't have representation in the
official record, these contributions are effectively erased.
Tens of millions of people visit Smithsonian museums each year,
and they are presented with an incomplete picture of our
Nation's history. When we allow this to go unaddressed, we
maintain the status quo in which women and Latinos are left out
of our collective perception of American history, relegated as
sidekicks to white male heroes.
Our history is only shared as a footnote or in relation to
someone else's story like Dolores Huerta to Cesar Chavez, or
Eleanor Roosevelt to FDR. That is why this legislation is
presented to you today to correct the record.
For women's history, the story of one statue sums this up.
In February 1921, the National Women's Party presented Congress
with a statue of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and
Lucretia Mott, three white pioneers of the women's suffrage
movement. Their statue's inscription included a quote that
asked for ``justice, not favor; men, their rights and nothing
more; women, their rights and nothing less.''
At the time, Congress deemed the inscription blasphemous
and removed it from the statue and then moved the statue to the
basement of Congress, where it remained for 76 years, out of
public view and the eyes of three generations of American
girls, three generations of young women who could have
benefited from the display of this statue because of what it
represented: women claiming their place in America's future.
Thanks to decades of work by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
and other dedicated women on both sides of the aisle, this
monument now lives in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol,
alongside statues of Martin Luther King Jr. and George
Washington. Now, this statue of three white women is just one
part of the story. It is not the whole story, which includes
centuries of labor by black and white and Latina and Asian and
indigenous activists. The struggle for recognition mirrors the
battles we continue to fight today. Two centuries after the
women's suffrage movement began, a lack of representation of
women's place in history prevents us from moving forward on
gender equality issues today, from wage gap to reproductive
freedom to representation in boardrooms and government.
If America can't recognize our past contributions, how can
America respect our present significance? We won't achieve full
gender equality until generations of girls and boys have the
opportunity to see the complete picture of women's
accomplishments, historic feats, and innovations which
represent half of our Nation's story.
I am not only here today as a woman, but as a Latina. 18
percent of Americans identify as American Latinos, the largest
minority ethnic group in the country. As Dr. Rudy Acuna wrote,
history is not supposed to be ideological. It is truth deduced
from known facts. For the Latino community, the facts are
missing because there is no story in American history that does
not include American Latinos. We have been here since before
the Mayflower, since before the colonies, since before the
Declaration of Independence. We have a broad and diverse
community from indigenous Latinos to Black and Afro Latinos to
Caribbean Latinos.
We have built this country brick by brick, railroad by
railroad, from seed to harvest. We did this alongside the folks
who already have their place in history books and museums.
Often those people were the very same people who oppressed us.
Yet it is our story that isn't told, but now we have the
chance. We have the chance to correct the record, to present a
fuller, clearer picture of our diverse Nation. The Smithsonian
Institution, the official record of our history and culture,
has the opportunity to recognize the fact that Latinos are as
essential to America's history as they are to America's future.
Our institutions must be large enough to hold the truth and the
expanse of American history and large enough to offer
representation, inspiration, and the promise of a bright future
to all of our Nation's people.
When I served on the National Museum of the American Latino
Commission, we traveled the country and we held town halls from
Phoenix to Philadelphia. It was no surprise that there is very
little representation of Latinos in our great museums across
the country, but with each stop, members of the community
offered heartfelt testimonials about the art and the artifacts
and the stories that should live in a National Museum of the
American Latino, but more than what it should contain, they
shared what it would represent.
Finally, an acknowledgment that we too are heroes in
American history. We, too, are patriots. We too take pride in
the country we have all built together. Without the museum, it
is all too easy for some to write off the accomplishments of
Latinos and our place in this Nation.
It is easy to vilify us today and hold us back from
claiming our place in history and hold us back from full
equality as American citizens. To establish this museum on the
National Mall, the place where we inaugurate our presidents,
honor our veterans, exercise our freedom of speech, conduct
business in our Nation and Congress, that would send the
message that we belong among our Nation's most important
monuments. We value the experience and contributions of
Latinos, to the great American experiment.
So, because by offering each and every American the
opportunity to fully understand and appreciate women's and
Latinos' contributions, we can collectively work toward the
highest ideal of our Nation. E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Longoria was submitted for
the record.]
Chairman Blunt. Thank you very much. Thanks to all of our
witnesses for really an outstanding and helpful testimony. We
are in the middle of a series of votes on the floor, and so we
are going to bring this to a conclusion here in a minute. I
hope we all--that everybody that wants to has time to ask two
or three questions. Let me start with that.
Secretary Bunch, you have said in interviews that the most
important work you have ever done was the opportunity to build
the museum you built. What is the most important lesson you
learned and the most important work you have ever done that
might relate to these two questions we are looking at today?
Mr. Bunch. In some ways, it is really two things. First, is
that the American public has a thirst to understand itself, to
understand itself fully, and by looking at the African-American
experience, that was one of the ways we enriched the public
understanding of our identity.
Second, what was really clear to me is that this is
something that the Smithsonian is good at, crafting a museum
that is full of wonder, that is rife with scholarship, that
inspires and educates. That, in essence, is part of the glue
that holds the country together.
What I learned more than anything else is that the
Smithsonian has a responsibility to help America better
understand itself, to look at its past clearly and candidly, to
use that past to understand where we are today, and to use that
past to point out toward a better tomorrow.
Chairman Blunt. Well, thank you. That is, you are in a
perfect position to give advice on this. As we would move
forward with this legislation, do you believe it has everything
it needs to have in it to launch the fundraising effort and the
other effort that you are familiar with that needs to be made?
Mr. Bunch. I think there are a couple of things that can be
sharpened, but I think it is crucially important to have a 50/
50 funding mechanism. That is really key, but it is also
important to recognize that there needs to be some significant
resources up front to allow a museum to move forward, to think
about how it builds a fundraising apparatus, to think about how
it begins to bring people together, scholars and others, to
think about what this museum could really be.
I think it is also essential to find a way to better
rationalize the way the public money was mixed with the private
money. Is it a one to one ratio? What is the way to really
ensure that you can plan based on what you know will be coming
in the future? But I think that in many ways this is an
opportune time to change the country by helping it better
understand itself through the creation of these kinds of
museums.
Chairman Blunt. Well, good. I hope we have a chance to
follow up on that in the very near future before we finalize
this bill and look at the two things you just mentioned. Mrs.
Abraham, I think you said in your testimony you thought that
currently the Smithsonian was stepping up and telling this
story in a better way in the likely decade we would have even
if we went forward today. Am I right in characterizing your
view of that?
Mrs. Abraham. Yes, I do believe that the Smithsonian has
implemented our first recommendation, which was to establish
the initiative within the Smithsonian to do a better job of
sharing the stories about women's history because we recognize
as a Commission that it would take at least 10 years to be able
to build a permanent museum.
Looking at the African-American example of their museum and
cultural center, being able to build much of that
infrastructure and nucleus of the museum in the existing
Smithsonian was critical. We felt it was the first important
step. We are so proud that the Smithsonian embraced that and do
believe that they are doing a very nice job as we move forward
with establishing a permanent museum.
Chairman Blunt. Ms. Rojas mentioned that the House bill had
added language on the Latino, American Latino Museum,
recognizing the importance of understanding the diversity of
political views. Is there anything like that in the other bill
or should there be?
Mrs. Abraham. Well, there is on the House version. The
Walker Amendment did something very, very similar to that.
Certainly, I would support if in the Senate version there was a
companion amendment. Let me just tell you, our eight
commissioners could not have been more diverse politically.
The topic of content was something that we discussed many,
many times over the 18 months that we participated. We felt
very strongly, which resulted in our unanimous recommendation,
that this museum needed to represent all viewpoints on all
issues. We would support, certainly, any strengthening
amendment that the Senate felt necessary.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you. I will have a couple of
questions for the record for the other three witnesses, but if
we are going to let other people ask questions, I need to stop
at the end of my 5 minutes. I will. Senator Klobuchar.
Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much. Thank you, Senator
Blunt. I moved over from the hearing room. Mostly, I wanted to
show Director Bunch that I have art from the Weisman Art Museum
in Minnesota on loan in my office. I appreciate your
leadership, Mr. Bunch.
I know the goal number four of the Smithsonian
Institution's strategic plan discusses the need to understand
and impact 21st century audiences. It reads exactly this, it
says, ``we will tell the complete American story, in person and
online, in all our museums, exhibits, and programs--and across
them--with a focus on all Americans, Nationally and locally.''
To me, the American Women's History Museum and the National
American Latino Museum both embody the spirit of that goal. Do
you agree?
Mr. Bunch. I do indeed agree. I think it is crucially
important that my career has really been about expanding the
narrative and making sure we have a diverse, inclusive history.
I think that has really always been the goal of the Smithsonian
under my leadership. These museums can help us achieve that
goal.
Senator Klobuchar. I understand you have this backlog. You
are very prudent about how to manage the museums. We appreciate
that, but when the African-American Museum started you were so,
of course, involved in all of this, did you have this kind of
pushback and you have advice for all of us as we move forward
on these two museums?
Mr. Bunch. I think it is important to recognize that there
is the great need to help the Smithsonian improve its backlog,
but my notion has always been that with the right resources and
creative leadership, the Smithsonian can do several things at
once. It is really important to me to make sure that we
maintain all that we have, but we are also open to the
possibility of new.
Senator Klobuchar. Very good. I think that is really
important for us to remember. In my opening statement, I talked
about how even during the Great Depression, that Roosevelt
thought ahead and did the WPA. I have one of those Smithsonian
murals actually in my personal office here, and thought ahead
to the WPA murals that are such a big part of us not losing--
our soul.
That is what I want to remember as we look at doing this
during the middle of this economic crisis and pandemic. I turn
to Ms. Longoria. Thank you so much for being here. I gave you
some nice words at the beginning and thank you. You talk about
how we depict our world to generations to come is going to
matter to kids, Latino kids, is going to matter to little girls
that they see that they are represented with their own museum.
Ms. Longoria. Yes. Thank you, Senator Klobuchar. Thank you
for all of your work. Look, representation matters, if we have
learned anything. There is--it is a twofold benefit because it
is important for everyone to see themselves reflected in our
history and in our art so they can feel that their experiences
are seen and understood; so they can be inspired to similar
feats by people who look like them and sound like them. That is
for young little girls and it is also for Latinos everywhere.
But the second part is, it educates others about us, okay,
and quality representation teaches us about each other. For
some folks who don't have a Latino in their town, learning
about journalist Gwen Ifill or labor rights leader Dolores
Huerta, it teaches them about the values of our community, the
values and strength of women, and it shares who we are and what
we care about.
I think it more importantly allows us to better understand
and appreciate diverse viewpoints and shared priorities as
Americans. That is what we are missing right now, I think, in
our society. Those museums are not for women and for Latinos.
It is going to be for everybody.
Senator Klobuchar. We do appreciate the work that Secretary
Bunch has done in terms of bringing these exhibits in, but I
think so much--many of us would be so excited to actually get
these museums. We have been talking about them for so long. I
really appreciate also you brought up the statue and maybe I
will end with this, you are somehow competing, Ms. Longoria,
with Mark Zuckerberg and Dorsey in a judiciary hearing I have
going on at the same time but I prioritized you.
Ms. Longoria. Thank you.
Senator Klobuchar. I love that you brought up that statue
because I don't know that everyone knows about this, that this
was presented to Congress in 1921 with the suffragettes. Of
course, it didn't have full representation of votes, but it had
this inscription that read, ``Justice, not favor, men their
rights and nothing more, women, their rights and nothing
less.'' It was these three women and it got put in the basement
of the Senate as an attempt to erase especially the words that
were at the bottom of the statute that were considered
blasphemous at the time.
I do want you to know is we have gotten the statue out of
the basement, our first step, and are bringing it up and
restoring it where it belongs, but I want to let you know that
and thank you for your work. Thank you to all the witnesses. I
know we are not going to be able to do a second round because
of the vote schedule and other things, but thank you so much to
all of you. I am really excited to get moving and look forward
to working with the Smithsonian.
Chairman Blunt. Thank you, Senator Klobuchar.
Ms. Longoria. Thank you, Senator.
Chairman Blunt. I am not--I don't believe any other Member
is waiting to ask questions. I have one other question, if they
don't. I think everybody is on the floor at this at this point
or headed to the floor to vote. Thinking about the next 10
years, Ms. Rojas and Mr. Vargas, are you comfortable with the
way the story is being moved in a new direction as to how we
tell it?
Is there enough input in telling the story, the Latino
story, as part of the current structure of the Smithsonian? Ms.
Rojas? Have you been asked for input on that? That would be
another part of that question for both of you.
Ms. Rojas. Yes, well, yes and I will turn to my colleague,
Mr. Vargas, as well, but yes, I believe that we have been able
to--this has been a journey, obviously. We have been very
actively seeking input and content along the way and with
advocates like Ms. Longoria. You know, we have many people that
are also thinking about this actively and how we can make--how
we can create the most robust storytelling that we can and
obviously trying to project out, you know, who we should be
talking to now for what, you know, because as you said, 2034.
We have to certainly be curating all the potential content
that we believe, but I think we have--I believe we have great
resources and talent. Thinking about that, Danny, I would ask
you as well to weigh in.
Mr. Vargas. Thank you--we applaud strongly the efforts of
the Smithsonian Latino Center. They have done wonderful work in
terms of making sure that they are able to build a bench of
curators and professionals within the museum community. They
are incorporating exhibits into other Smithsonian Institution
museums. They have got the Molina Gallery coming up soon.
We strongly support their efforts and we applaud what they
have been able to do, but I will tell you, as one of the former
commissioners on the Commission, we travel all over the country
reaching out to audiences from California to New York and
Puerto Rico and everything in between. What we heard was that
there was a strong need and desire to be able to tell this
incredibly complex story. This is a story of not just the
origin of the United States of America, but also the ongoing
evolution of the Latino community in the country, 23 or 24
different countries of origin over time, the diaspora.
It is a complex, multidimensional journey through time and
space. To be able to tell that story well is going to require a
full museum, full complement of museum professionals and
curators. I think the Latino Center is an important,
significant first step, but until we have a full museum over
the next 10 years or so, I think that story is still yet to be
told well and completely.
Chairman Blunt. Well, thank you. Thanks to all of our
witnesses. The record will remain open for 1 week from today.
The committee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:31 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
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