History Belongs to the Public, Not Political Appointees

America's museums and research institutions exist to increase and diffuse knowledge, not to serve as megaphones for the political agenda of whoever holds executive power. The administration's executive orders and a White House Domestic Policy Council report targeting the Smithsonian Institution go beyond simply mandating what historical facts public museums can display. The executive order bans funding for exhibits on slavery, racism, and white supremacy that mainstream historians recognize as accurate scholarship, while separately mandating the reinstatement of monuments that were removed specifically because historians found they promoted a false version of history. In effect, this does not just silence true, well-documented facts. It requires museums to present a distorted version of events as though it were fact, and calls accurate scholarship "ideology" in the process. History is at its strongest when it is presented accurately and completely, grounded in primary sources, peer-reviewed scholarship, and the work of accredited curators. Replacing evidence-based historical analysis with state-mandated political messaging does not build national unity; it degrades public trust in our civic institutions. That is why I support Representative Melanie Stansbury and lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee who are fighting to defend the Smithsonian from political interference. At this week's hearing, Stansbury introduced the Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act, which would bar federal officials, including the White House, from interfering in the Smithsonian's independent work. I urge you to support this bill and any companion legislation that reaches the Senate. Safeguarding institutional freedom isn't about partisan politics. It is about protecting factual integrity and ensuring future generations have access to our nation's full story. Congress must reject executive attempts to censor public history and uphold the nonpartisan independence of the Smithsonian.