The Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing titled “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History” in Washington on July 24. The session featured testimony from Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D., director of the National Museum of American History; Mike Gonzalez from The Heritage Foundation; Jeff Anderson, Ph.D., from the American Main Street Initiative; and David Blight, Ph.D., from Yale University.
During questioning, Chairman Bryan Steil asked Hartig if she believed her role included connecting research and scholarship to advocacy and activism. Hartig responded, “No, sir, I do not.” Steil referenced a 2020 lecture where he said Hartig previously stated that one of her roles was connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy. When pressed about whether her position had changed since then, Hartig said, “Thank you. I better understand your line of querying. I think what’s important for me is that…” Steil interrupted to request a direct answer regarding her beliefs in 2020. Ultimately, when asked if she currently believes historians can connect research with activism and advocacy, Hartig replied: “As a historian, I believe that intellectually we can connect those two together. Absolutely.”
Representative Laurel Lee discussed how museum exhibits frame topics such as race and identity alongside founding documents like the Declaration of Independence or Constitution. She asked Mike Gonzalez if focusing exhibits on these documents would be an inaccurate telling of history. Gonzalez answered: “Representative Lee, no, it wouldn’t…I think all of history should be presented…The horrors of slavery…but also the fact that the founders created this system to deal with it…That inspiring story also needs to be part of the horrors of slavery.” Lee agreed that both failures and corrective efforts should be included.
Rep. Greg Murphy questioned David Blight about who was the first person to legally own a slave in what became the United States. Blight replied he could not provide a name immediately; Murphy identified Anthony Johnson as his answer.
The House Administration Committee oversees House operations including federal elections and Capitol security, according to the official website. The committee is part of several joint committees focused on administrative matters within Congress.