Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil appeared on The Ingraham Angle to discuss concerns about political activism at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, according to a July 23 interview. Steil said, “This hearing was only the first step. What we have shown the American people is that the director of the American History Museum is driving forward political activism rather than telling our story. The reason for that is, they don’t want to tell the American story that would instill patriotism in the next generation. They would rather put forward displays that divide Americans against themselves. This is what we saw time and again, when she refused to answer the questions or when we highlighted the odd and grotesque displays that she had put forward at the museum.”
Steil also addressed his view of how current museum leadership has moved away from its founding purpose. He said, “The Smithsonian has strayed dramatically from its founding, even the more recent founding of the Museum of American History. When President Johnson was there at the ceremony breaking ground, he talked about how this museum would be used to instill patriotism in Americans, yet the director of the National History Museum claims that it is complicated to love America. We should love our country unequivocally and continue to work to make it the greatest country in the world, which it is. And so they are driving forward a political agenda, and that is wildly problematic as it sits there with taxpayer dollars.”
Regarding next steps for oversight and funding decisions concerning federal support for Smithsonian programs, Steil said, “You’ve got to do two things. You have to address the Board of Regents at the Smithsonian and have these conversations directly with the director. Two, the federal government is a major funder of the Smithsonian Institution. At the end of the day, money matters. And so as we go through the appropriations process for next year, this hearing I think is absolutely essential to show and discuss whether or not we should be funding these types of programs that the Smithsonian is putting forward.”
The House Administration Committee serves as a standing committee within Congress focused on administrative operations such as oversight over House operations, federal elections nationwide—including congressional contests—and Capitol security; it also participates in joint committees on Library and Printing matters, according to its official website. The committee played a role in passing legislation like 2002’s Help America Vote Act which allocated funds toward improving voting systems.
Steil’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about museum content and federal appropriations affecting cultural institutions.