As Trump threatens the Smithsonian, Congress is on the sidelines

Summary

As the White House accuses the Smithsonian Institution of “ideological capture,” it’s put members of Congress in a tough spot as they weigh what, if anything, they can do. A handful of lawmakers have introduced bills aimed at codifying President Donald Trump’s executive order last March that called for the removal of “divisive, race-centered ideology” across the Smithsonian’s 21 museums and the National Zoo. In his executive order, Trump directed Vice President JD Vance and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to work with Congress to ensure that appropriations for the Smithsonian bar any spending on exhibits that “degrade shared American values” or “divide Americans based on race.” Last cycle, the president requested a 12 percent cut to the federal money it receives — which makes up less than two-thirds of the institution’s total annual budget — but Congress didn’t deliver, instead keeping the funding level mostly steady at just over $1 billion and including no policy riders driven by Trump’s vision. One way Congress can shape the Smithsonian is by establishing new museums — which it did in 2020 with a pair honoring women and Latinos . Now those newcomers are waiting on Congress to clear the way for construction within the tightly controlled reserve of the National Mall. In a statement, lead Senate sponsor Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said, “Congress created the Smithsonian to be independent by law.” “I will continue to fight for that independence from any one person, or president, trying to politicize it and rewrite history,” added Padilla, who serves as ranking member of the Rules and Administration Committee. While 36 of the Kennedy Center’s trustees are appointed by the president, the six congressional members of the Smithsonian’s 17-member board are appointed by the Senate president pro tempore and the House speaker. And lawmakers are involved in choosing the nine citizen members, too, who are appointed via a joint resolution approved by Congress and signed by the president. The vice president and the chief justice of the Supreme Court sit on the board as ex officio members. In his executive order, Trump urged the appointment of citizens “committed to advancing” the “truth and sanity” vision he laid out.