[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
OVERSIGHT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
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HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
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Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available on the Internet:
https://govinfo.gov/committee/house-administration
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
38-520 WASHINGTON : 2019
C O N T E N T S
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SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Page
Oversight of the Smithsonian Institution......................... 1
OPENING STATEMENTS
Chairperson Zoe Lofgren.......................................... 1
Prepared statement of Chairperson Lofgren.................... 3
Hon. Rodney Davis, Ranking Member................................ 5
Prepared statement of Ranking Member Davis................... 7
WITNESSES
Mr. Lonnie G. Bunch, III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution..... 10
Prepared statement of Secretary Bunch........................ 13
Ms. Cathy L. Helm, Inspector General, Smithsonian Institution.... 17
Prepared statement of Ms. Helm............................... 19
QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD
Mr. Lonnie G. Bunch, III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution,
responses...................................................... 38
Ms. Cathy L. Helm, Inspector General, Smithsonian Institution,
responses...................................................... 55
OVERSIGHT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:05 a.m., in Room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Zoe Lofgren
[chairperson of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Lofgren, Raskin, Davis of
California, Butterfield, Fudge, Davis of Illinois, Walker, and
Loudermilk.
Staff Present: Sean Jones, Legislative Clerk; Daniel
Taylor, General Counsel; David Tucker, Senior Counsel and
Parliamentarian; Lisa Sherman, Chief of Staff for Mrs. Davis of
California; Matthew Schlesinger, Oversight Counsel; Evan
Dorner, Legislative Assistant for Mr. Aguilar; Lauren Doney,
Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Mr.
Raskin; Kyle Parker, Senior Policy Advisor for Mr. Butterfield;
Veleter Mazyck, Chief of Staff for Ms. Fudge; Mary Sue Englund,
Minority Director of Administration and Operations; Cole
Felder, Minority General Counsel; Jennifer Daulby, Minority
Staff Director; Timothy Monahan, Minority Director, Oversight;
and Nicholas Crocker, Minority Professional Staff.
The Chairperson. Well, I understand the Ranking Member is
on his way, and since we have kind of a tight schedule and we
have a quorum I will start and he can give his opening
statement.
The Committee will come to order. We want to welcome
everyone on this hearing providing oversight to the Smithsonian
Institution.
In 1836, Congress accepted a bequest from James Smithson,
an English scientist who had never visited the United States
but nevertheless decided to leave his substantial fortune to
our young country for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.
Ten years later, in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was
formerly established by Congress.
In the 173 years since, the Smithsonian has grown to a
complex of 19 museums, numerous research centers, a library
system, a network of more than 200 affiliate organizations,
archives, and the National Zoo.
Today, the Smithsonian serves as steward to more than 154
million artifacts, works of art, and specimens. Visitors from
across the country and around the world flock to see this broad
collection, and in 2018 alone, there were nearly 29 million
visits to the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian also works with
entities around the world to advance critical scientific
discovery and research.
Earlier this year, thanks in large part to the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory's leadership, the first ever image of
a black hole was unveiled to the public. I was so honored to
meet the scientists affiliated with the Smithsonian who were
responsible for that photo.
Just last week, we learned that Smithsonian researchers in
the Amazon discovered a new species of electric eel described
as the most powerful ever.
The Smithsonian Institution, however, is not without
challenges as it continues to work through the Strategic Plan
we discussed back in our 2017 Committee hearing. These
challenges need to be addressed for the Smithsonian to carry
out its mission to increase and diffuse knowledge and include a
deferred maintenance backlog approaching nearly $1 billion; a
shortage of storage space for the Institution's ever-growing
collection; insufficient diversity among Smithsonian staff and
leadership; and inadequate information technology security. The
Smithsonian is also in the midst of a large-scale, multi-phase
renovation of the National Air and Space Museum.
These challenges exist in the context of a transition
period for the Smithsonian, which, as of June this year, has a
new Secretary. We are honored to have Secretary Bunch join us
this morning for his first appearance before Congress as
Secretary.
In addition to these challenges, there are a number of
Congressional proposals for new museums at various levels of
maturity. These proposals include H.R. 1980, Representative
Carolyn Maloney's Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, and
H.R. 2420, Representative Jose Serrano's National Museum of the
American Latino Act. These proposals would establish an
American Museum of Women's History and a National Museum of
American Latino History, respectively.
Similar to the authorizing legislation for the National
Museum of African American History and Culture, these proposals
contemplate a combination of federally appropriated and
privately raised funds to finance the construction of the
museum building and direct the Smithsonian to appoint a
director to manage the museum. This hearing will inform the
committee consideration of these proposals as well.
Before I formerly introduce our witnesses, I would like to
recognize our Ranking Member Davis for his opening statement
and any comments he would like to offer on the Smithsonian
Institution oversight hearing.
Welcome, Mr. Davis.
[The statement of The Chairperson follows:]
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Mr. Davis of Illinois. Thank you, Chairperson Lofgren, for
holding this hearing, and welcome to both witnesses today who
are testifying for the first time before our Committee.
It is not that scary, is it? We certainly hope you will
come back.
I do want to thank you, Secretary Bunch, for bringing the
cast of the hands of one of my most famous constituents in
Springfield, Illinois. In some places in Illinois, Abe Lincoln
might still be able to vote, but not in Springfield.
We have before us an opportunity to hear from you, and I am
really honored that you have become Secretary, and I certainly
look forward to working with you. You have already scored a big
success with the Apollo 50 Go for the Moon event on The Mall in
July. It was a well-deserved tribute to the Apollo 11 mission
and an inspirational recognition of a proud moment in our
Nation's history.
Since its establishment in 1846, the Smithsonian has become
the world's largest museum education and research complex. The
Institution preserves and celebrates our Nation's cultural
heritage and advances scientific discovery in multiple
disciplines.
On behalf of the American people, Congress, the Board of
Regents, and the Smithsonian management, you have a
responsibility to ensure the continued success of the
Institution for future generations.
The Smithsonian has a broad mission, the increase and
diffusion of knowledge, and a bold Strategic Plan to support
that mission. The critical goal in the plan is to reach 1
billion people a year through a digital first strategy, making
the Smithsonian's rich collections, first class research, and
empowering educational materials accessible to Americans across
the country, not just those who visit Washington, D.C. That
needs to be a fundamental part of the Institution's strategy
moving forward.
I am particularly pleased that my former boss and my
mentor, Congressman John Shimkus, serves on the Board of
Regents. His experience as a former educator allows him to
provide the Smithsonian with unique perspectives to help
advance the strategy.
I look forward to hearing from you, Secretary Bunch, on
your vision for achieving this goal and the Institution's other
priorities.
As a large and complex organization with 19 museums and the
National Zoo, multiple research centers, and an international
presence, the Smithsonian also faces significant risks and
challenges.
First to mind is the Smithsonian's current $900 million
renovation of one of the world's most visited museums, happened
to be my twin boys favorite, the National Air and Space
facility on The National Mall. That is being done while a
portion of it remains open, thankfully, to the visiting public.
Additionally, an increasing maintenance backlog that is
just over a billion dollars. Furthermore, inadequate storage
space for collections. And finally reports have identified
much-needed IT security improvements.
I welcome the Inspector General's comments on these and
other risks facing the Institution and look forward to
discussing the Smithsonian's approach to addressing them.
In addition, there are several proposals for new
Smithsonian museums. Establishing a new museum is a complex
undertaking and should be carefully considered to ensure its
success. With his experience as a founding director of the
National Museum of African American History and Culture, we are
hopeful that Secretary Bunch can provide the committee with
insight into the issues surrounding the establishment of new
museums and the keys to success in doing so.
Finally, Secretary Bunch, I am excited about the
possibility of your visiting Springfield, Illinois, in my
district, which happens to be the site of the 1908 race riots
and the birthplace of the NAACP. The community would love to
have you view the significant artifacts that are being
excavated right now and tour the site, which the Department of
the Interior just determined was suitable for designation as a
national historic monument.
So thank you. I look forward to hearing from our witness
today.
And I yield back, Madam Chairperson.
[The statement of Mr. Davis of Illinois follows:]
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The Chairperson. The gentleman yields back.
Other Members' opening statements will be put into the
record by unanimous consent.
I would like to note that we have in our audience today
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who is the author of the Women's
History Museum bill, which now has a sufficient number of
cosponsors to actually pass the House.
So welcome, Representative Maloney.
I would like to welcome our witnesses now. Joining us this
morning are the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch, and
the Smithsonian Inspector General, Cathy Helm. Secretary Bunch
is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, and I would like to
highlight, as has been mentioned by the Ranking Member, the
first African American to lead the Institution. He assumed the
role of Secretary in June 2019.
While Secretary Bunch is new to his current position, he is
certainly not new to the Smithsonian. From 2005 until this
year, he served as Director of the Smithsonian's National
Museum of African American History and Culture, a spectacular
museum, and if people have not yet visited it, I highly
recommend that you do so.
When he started that job in 2005, Mr. Bunch had one staff
member, no collections, and no dedicated museum site. Thanks to
his leadership, since the National Museum of African American
History and Culture opened in 2016, it has welcomed more than 5
million visitors. It has compiled a collection of 40,000
objects that are housed in the first green building on The
National Mall.
He has served as the President of the Chicago Historical
Society, as Associate Director for the curatorial affairs at
the National Museum of American History during his career.
He is also an accomplished author, having written on topics
ranging from the American Presidency to diversity in museum
management. His most recent work, ``A Fool's Errand,'' is about
his experience creating the African American History Museum,
really a crowning glory of an achievement for you, sir.
We are so honored, after the hearing, he has brought some
artifacts from the Smithsonian for us to look at which are
really something special. So please do take the time after the
hearing to take a look at them.
Cathy Helm has been serving as Inspector General for the
Smithsonian Institution since 2014. She is responsible for
conducting audits and investigations, keeping the Board of
Regents and Congress informed about problems and deficiencies,
promoting efficiency and effectiveness within the Smithsonian,
and preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse.
Inspector General Helm also serves as the Vice Chair of the
audit committee for the Council of Inspector Generals on
Integrity and Efficiency and is Chair of the Small/Unique OIG
Group, a group of inspector generals who meet quarterly to
exchange ideas.
Before she joined the Smithsonian, Inspector General Helm
worked as the Deputy Inspector General at the U.S. Government
Accountability Office, where she helped lead audit and
investigative programs.
Welcome to both of today's witnesses, and we thank you so
much for coming.
At this time I would ask unanimous consent that all Members
have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks,
and all written statements may be made part of the record. And
without objection, that is so ordered.
I will remind the witnesses that your entire statement will
be made part of the record. We ask that your testimony
summarize your written statement at about five minutes. When
the five minutes is nearing up, the little light will turn
yellow, and when it is red, it means that your five minutes are
up, we would ask you to wind it up.
The record will remain open for at least five days for
additional materials or questions to be submitted to you.
So now we will turn to you, Secretary Bunch. Welcome. We
are eager to hear your testimony.
STATEMENTS OF MR. LONNIE G. BUNCH III, SECRETARY, SMITHSONIAN
INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.; AND MS. CATHY L. HELM, INSPECTOR
GENERAL, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.
STATEMENT OF LONNIE G. BUNCH III
Mr. Bunch. Thank you so much, Chairperson Lofgren, Ranking
Member Davis, and Members of the Committee. Thank you for this
opportunity to testify today.
My tenure as the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian has been
only a few short months, but as you have mentioned, my
relationship with this institution goes back to when I was a
26-year-old kid. I was so honored to serve as the founding
director of the National Museum of African American History and
Culture, and I am more than pleased, in fact, I am humbled, to
assume the role as Secretary of this institution, the
institution I love so much.
The Smithsonian greatly appreciates the continued support
of Congress, the administration, and the American people, and
we take seriously the crucial role we play in advancing the
civic, educational, and scientific life of this Nation. Our
goal is to reach, in meaningful ways, at least 1 billion people
worldwide.
Nothing replaces the authentic artifacts we have on
display, but we need to reach millions who cannot visit us in
person, using all the digital tools available to us. I am
committed to achieving this goal while protecting and securing
our digital assets and those of the users of our technology.
Cultural institutions are uniquely equipped to inspire, and
we magnify that ability when we truly reflect the rich tapestry
of humanity. The Smithsonian is committed to increasing,
attracting, and developing a diverse and talented workforce. I
am pleased that Congress has supported the goal of telling more
expansive and representative stories by shepherding legislation
that advocates for new museums.
If Congress deems it in the interest of the American public
to authorize the Smithsonian to build a new museum and provides
the necessary additional funds for that purpose and
appropriates means for a long-term operation of the museum,
then we will create a museum that exceeds all expectations, a
new museum that builds on the standards of excellence set by
the Smithsonian.
But in the interim, the Institution is committed to making
every single Smithsonian museum and program more inclusive and
more representative of the Nation's population.
It is, as you pointed out, also crucially important that we
recognize the Smithsonian's pressing infrastructure and
collection space needs that demand our immediate and ongoing
attention. We so appreciate the support of Congress in the
renovation of the National Air and Space Museum. Just as
important, we are grateful for the ongoing support of
maintenance needs throughout the Institution.
Regarding the American Women's History Museum legislation,
both the House and the Senate bills largely mirror the
successful model employed by the National Museum of African
American History and Culture. Both bills call to construct a
museum with 50 percent Federal and require the Smithsonian to
raise 50 percent from non-Federal sources.
Legislation has also been introduced calling to create a
National Museum of the American Latino in order to showcase the
life, art, history, and culture of American Latinos and their
contribution to the United States. This legislation also
follows the model of a national museum.
While I do have experience with private fundraising and am
more than willing to advocate for private funds, it is simply
impossible to pursue projects of this magnitude without
explicit appropriations of Federal funding for the projects at
their very genesis. If authorized and funded by Congress, we
would be honored to add these museums to the Smithsonian
family.
As Congress makes these deliberations, we will work
diligently to tell a broader, more complete story with our
resources. An example of this desire is our American Women's
History Initiative Because of Her Story, which was launched in
2018. Because of Her Story represents a paradigm shift. It
allows the entire Smithsonian to wrestle with how issues of
gender have shaped the American experience. We are grateful to
Congress for this support.
We are also so proud to be able to unveil in the fall of
2021 the first gallery to explore Latino culture to open on The
National Mall. And we have worked very hard to make sure that
the Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center, which has served to
further the inclusion of Asian-Pacific Americans, continues to
research, build collections, do exhibitions and programs, and
they, too, are also fundraising for the first gallery dedicated
to them.
Our work to increase knowledge is never ending. The
Institution has been conducting groundbreaking research in
science in marine and terrestrial environments and
reintroducing animals from around the world in their national
habitat.
Ultimately what I want to do is say that museums are more
important now than ever because of their ability to serve as
trusted sources of information. We want the people to see the
Smithsonian as a tool to help them understand their universe,
their history, and our shared future in order to live better
lives.
It is incumbent upon us as an institution to be a more
universal resource, one that earns the American people's trust
and leverages our great convening power to increase our
relevance.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify. I am
happy to answer any and all questions.
[The statement of Mr. Bunch follows:]
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The Chairperson. Thank you very much.
Now we would hear from you, Ms. Helm.
STATEMENT OF CATHY L. HELM
Ms. Helm. Chairperson Lofgren, Ranking Member Davis, and
Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to
discuss the role of the Office of the Inspector General in the
oversight of the Smithsonian.
As you know, OIG's mission is to promote the efficiency,
effectiveness, and integrity of Smithsonian's programs and
operations. We do this through independent and objective audits
and investigations. Today my testimony will focus on our work
related to management challenges in the area of collection
management, facilities management, and security.
Collections are at the core of the Smithsonian. Our office
has done extensive work examining collection stewardship.
For instance, we reported in 2015 that the Smithsonian
faces challenges to fully implement the plan that is to ensure
the proper storage of its collections because of its estimated
cost, more than $1 billion over 30 years, and the need to
balance competing demands to fund other capital projects.
Currently, we are assessing the inventory controls of the
Smithsonian's newest museum, the National Museum of African
American History and Culture.
The Smithsonian also faces challenges in addressing
deferred maintenance for its facilities because it is spending
less than the recommended amounts to maintain the condition of
those facilities. In fiscal year 2017, the Smithsonian had a
deferred maintenance backlog approaching $1 billion. Deferring
maintenance can reduce the overall life of facilities and may
lead to higher costs in the long-term.
Eventually deferred maintenance requires a major capital
investment. In fact, the Smithsonian's $650 million capital
project to revitalize the National Air and Space Museum
includes more than $250 million of deferred maintenance.
Security is also a challenge. Information technology
security is a growing risk for all organizations. Security
breaches cost money, disrupt operations, and erode public
trust.
Each year our office evaluates the effectiveness of
Smithsonian's information technology security program. While
the Smithsonian has made steady progress in improving this
program, it is not yet fully effective.
In addition, the personnel security program helps to ensure
that the individuals responsible for Smithsonian's collections,
security, financial assets, and reputation have the appropriate
character and conduct to be associated with the Smithsonian.
We recently reported that individuals received
preemployment background investigations, but that the
Smithsonian has no assurance that employees receive the
appropriate level of post-employment background investigation.
Moreover, the Smithsonian could have saved a third of its
program costs in fiscal year 2016 if it had used an automated
tool to determine the appropriate level of investigation for
its retail employees.
We also found that computer network access had been granted
to individuals who had not received background investigations.
Finally, in today's world the importance of a skilled,
well-trained security guard force is more important than ever.
In a recent report, OIG found that new security guards were
allowed to graduate from basic training although they had
missed one or more days of instruction. Moreover, guards only
had to qualify on their firearms once a year, rather than twice
a year as recommended by best practices.
Thank you, Chairperson Lofgren, Ranking Member Davis, and
Members of the Committee. This concludes my statement, and I am
happy to respond to any questions you may have.
[The statement of Ms. Helm follows:]
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The Chairperson. Thank you both for your testimony. Now is
the time for Members to ask questions, and I have a few.
Secretary Bunch, one of the great things about being new is
that you are not responsible for any of the problems, all you
have got to do is solve those that have been identified. I am
wondering in terms of the cybersecurity issues that have been
identified, as well as the affirmative action deficits that you
found, what are your plans to approach those identified issues?
Mr. Bunch. In terms of cybersecurity, what we really
appreciate has been the guidance that we have receive from the
Inspector General.
This is a high priority for me. We have taken many steps to
try to make sure that we filled all the holes. We recognize,
however, that cybersecurity is going to be an ongoing issue,
and we are committed to having the appropriate level of
training and the appropriate staff expertise to make sure that
we can respond to the ongoing challenge.
My whole career has really been about making sure that a
diverse array of scholars, educators, employees are allowed to
help shape an institution and make it better. It is really
clear to me that the Smithsonian has made amazing strides in my
time there. But it is still very much a challenge, and I am
committed to looking at diversity, not just in staff, but on
the boards that also shape the Smithsonian.
So ultimately for me, I think that when my tenure is up,
one of the things I expect is the Smithsonian to have a much
more diverse leadership and to really be the kind of place that
mirrors the America we believe in.
The Chairperson. Thank you for that.
That leads me to my next question, which is the new museums
that have been proposed that really reflect the greater
diversity of our wonderful country. First, the women's museum
that has so many cosponsors, but also the Latino museum that
Representative Serrano is supporting and there is also, it is
not as far along, but a proposal for an Asian American museum.
I am wondering, what do you think are the next steps that
we could take as a Congress to move those along? I know that
there has been substantial fundraising for the women's museum
and there are efforts underway for the others. I hear your
testimony that we also need to appropriate funds.
It seems to me that the way to move this forward is to
authorize these museums, which then will challenge our
appropriators to match the private funds that have been raised
with public funds. Your thoughts on that?
Mr. Bunch. I think it is important after going through 11
years of building a national museum, it is really clear that in
order to move forward, one of the first things we need to do is
identify what are all the challenges. And some of those are
about funding and resources. Some of those are about the
process of how that funding gets released.
Also it is really the recognition that this is a long-term
commitment, and that I think that if this is authorized, we
would then really expect to do what we did with the National
Museum of African American History and Culture, which would
have a period of several years to actually move this forward,
to study what exactly we are talking about, what are the
collections needs, what are the building needs, what are the
scholarship needs, so that we would then have a better idea of
what the cost would be.
But I think the key is to have that commitment to
recognizing that it is a challenging endeavor, it is an
endeavor that challenges the Smithsonian, candidly, but it is
endeavor with the right support we can do.
The Chairperson. I think we are very lucky to have someone
leading the whole institution who actually brought a fabulous
museum from concept to reality.
Just one final question. The Smithsonian recently conducted
a very successful fundraising campaign. It raised $1.88 billion
in the course of about 8 years. Can any of these private funds
be used to address the backlog of deferred maintenance? Or what
will those funds be used for?
Mr. Bunch. I think a lot of those funds are committed to
specific things, to educational programs, to supporting some of
the research initiatives. We will always look at wherever we
can take resources and put it towards deferred maintenance and
other issues.
But as you know, deferred maintenance isn't sexy, and so
many of the donors are not interested in putting their money in
that regard, so we have to look to the Federal Government. We
have to look to be more creative in the kind of partnerships we
put together that will allow us, ultimately, to do a better job
of using those funds.
The Chairperson. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
I turn now to the Ranking Member, Mr. Davis, for his
questions.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
The concern of post-employment background checks, huh? What
are you hiding, Mr. Secretary? I am more than willing to offer
up Mr. Aguilar for a test of post-employment background check.
You okay with that, Pete?
Mr. Aguilar. Always.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Thank you.
Mr. Secretary, how concerned are you about the size and
growth of the facilities maintenance backlog and what is your
strategy to reduce it?
Mr. Bunch. I am very concerned about this. I think that we
are looking at prioritizing very clearly in the triage method,
what are the priorities we have to do? What is it about mission
critical? What is it that is clearly about public safety,
safety of the collection?
So we are doing a better job of making sure we are putting
what limited resources we have in the priorities that we are
focusing on. We are also looking at what are creative ways,
like with the renovation of the Air and Space Museum, that we
are able to bring funds in that will allow us to get to some of
those backlogs.
We are also obviously looking very carefully at some of the
initiatives that allow us to look at maintenance, like the
South Mall Master Plan, and looking to see is that the best way
we can accomplish these things.
So I am committed to now revisiting this, taking a hard
look at it, and figuring out what is the best way that we can
use those limited resources.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Great. Thank you.
The Institution must be perceived as an honest broker and
apolitical, particularly when Americans remain divided on many
issues. I have to say after seeing the caption for the portrait
of Ronald Reagan at the National Portrait Gallery that I had
some concerns.
How does the Smithsonian ensure it remains an honest broker
of that information? And I want to emphasize to you how
important it is in your new role of being seen as nonpolitical
and nonpartisan.
Mr. Bunch. I think it is crucially important to emphasize
throughout the organization that we are a nonpartisan entity. I
think the greatest strength of building the National Museum of
African American History and Culture is that we were seen as
nonpartisan, that we had support from both sides of the aisle,
and I continue to work in that regard.
I think it is crucial to understand that things like label
copy, we always vet them. We review them through the curators,
through the directors of the museum. When there are issues that
go beyond that, they are brought to the secretarial level.
We are committed to using our research, using our
scholarship, and that guides what we do, not political
considerations, but the best evidence that comes from the
research that we have.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Well, thank you. Take a look at the
Reagan caption again and then we can talk after that.
You mentioned, Ms. Helm, that the digitization of the
collections will help improve collections management. Have you
been able to assess the Smithsonian's digitization plan,
including the pace of digitization? And if so, what is your
assessment?
Ms. Helm. Yes. Several years ago we did a report where we
looked at the collection storage plan as well as the
digitization plan and found that the Smithsonian was working
towards digitization, is committed to it, but it will be a
long-term effort that will require time and resources.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Okay. Well, let's hope it beats the
Cannon Renewal Project.
Ms. Helm. Okay.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Secretary Bunch, reaching all D.C.
area K-12 students is a worthy objective in your strategic
plan. Can you discuss your plans to achieve it? And do you plan
to extend that reach more broadly across the country, as I
mentioned in my opening statement?
Mr. Bunch. I believe that the Smithsonian is one of the
most important educational institutions in this country and
that it really needs to play a role, not just in the
traditional way museums do work, but in nontraditional ways, in
really figuring out how do we put the resources we have to
really help improve K-12 education.
I have made that a cornerstone of my tenure. I have said
that it is not enough just to bring kids into the Smithsonian,
what you really need to do is make sure we are helping people
wrestle with the curricular challenges, helping students get
the fullest learning journey possible.
I want to use what we are doing in the District of Columbia
as a pilot, to test how it is that the Smithsonian can really
not only help children but excite teachers and give teachers
mid-career rejuvenation, create opportunities for parents to be
part of that learning journey for their children.
What I hope will happen is that the ideas we test, both the
actual ideas and the virtual ideas that we will use in the
District, will allow us then to continue to expand the work
that we already do nationally.
I am committed to the Smithsonian ultimately being a place
that influences, enhances, and enriches K-12 education
throughout the United States.
Mr. Davis of Illinois. Thank you, both.
I yield back.
The Chairperson. The gentleman from Maryland is recognized.
Mr. Raskin. Madam Chairperson, thank you.
Welcome, Ms. Helm, and Mr. Bunch. Congratulations, Mr.
Bunch, on your new book and on your very inspiring and
successful service as the Director of the National Museum on
African American History and Culture. And my first question is
actually about that.
It has obviously inspired other efforts, as the Chairperson
was saying, to create the museum on the woman, American women,
on a Latino museum, an Asian American museum.
One of the remarkable things about the African American
Museum is, first of all, I think it is now the most popular
museum destination. Is that right?
Mr. Bunch. It is one of the most popular.
Mr. Raskin. One of them, yeah. But it is a remarkable thing
when you go over there because you get people coming from all
over the place, all over the world, all over America, large
multi-racial, multi-cultural crowds coming in to check it out.
So I am wondering if you would just reflect for a moment on
how museums that focus on a certain dimension of the American
experience can speak universally to everybody in the country
and how should we think about all of these proposals coming
forward for other museums similar to that.
Mr. Bunch. I think the most important thing that we did in
building the National Museum of African American History and
Culture was from the beginning saying this was not a museum by
a community for a particular community, that we said, this is
an opportunity to understand America through the lens of an
African American community.
And what that meant is it became the story for us all, that
everybody could find themselves in that story, whether they
were interested in our notions of liberty, our notions of
citizenship.
So what I think the major contribution would be is that any
museum that is created, whether it is a Latino museum or
women's history museum, that we are not trying to create that
ancillary story. We are trying to say, this is the best way,
another way, to understand America. And I think that makes it
not something that is separate, but part of the glue that helps
us understand our identity.
Mr. Raskin. Well, I think you achieved precisely that
vision in a remarkable way at this museum. It is a window into
American history for all of us and it deepens everybody's
appreciation of what America is. I salute that vision and I
hope it is one that we will continue to realize as we move
forward with other projects in the future.
The Arts and Industries Building recently reopened as a
space for special events. What do you envision as the long-term
plan for use of this building?
Mr. Bunch. The Arts and Industries Building is really one
of my favorite buildings in the Smithsonian, and I think what
we want to do now is we have put together people working on
what is the long-term future for that building.
Right now we are committed to doing a major exhibition that
will be part of our celebration for our 175th anniversary of
the Smithsonian in 2021. I think that in the meantime we are
now looking at what does it mean to rethink the works of the
Castle building and the Arts and Industries Building and to see
how we are going to use those.
At this stage, I have just put people on that and I will
get briefed, but it is one of my priorities to figure out what
is the long-term use of the A&I Building and the Castle.
Mr. Raskin. Okay. And you are getting input from presumably
the board and other stakeholders?
Mr. Bunch. What we are doing is we are not only looking at
what staff thought or the Board of Regents are very involved in
that. We will do as I always do when we think of long-term use,
we will reach out to a variety of communities and stakeholders
to get an understanding of what they want.
I think it is really crucial for us to recognize that the
history of the Smithsonian is tied up in those two buildings
and we want to make sure that they are always there to serve
the American public.
Mr. Raskin. Okay. I know about the big revitalization
project going on with Air and Space. What other major
facilities projects do you foresee for the Smithsonian in the
next 5 to 10 years?
Mr. Bunch. Well, I think the really big ones are the Arts
and Industry and the Castle, and to figure out what we are
doing there, and then to really make a determination about what
the South Mall Master Plan really is, to look at those
questions.
The other thing will be beginning to look at a sculpture
garden for part of the Hirshhorn Museum, to really think about
how do we make sure The Mall is visitor friendly and that it
serves as great entrances to all the museums. I think those are
some of the things we will be looking at in the next several
years.
Mr. Raskin. Thank you. I think my time is up.
I yield back, Madam Chairperson.
The Chairperson. The gentleman from Georgia is recognized
for five minutes.
Mr. Loudermilk. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Thank you both for being here.
I have always been a huge fan of the Smithsonian, so this
is a chance that we can engage with you guys to make sure that
we have plans and policies in place for long-term
sustainability of this national asset.
Of course, there are always concerns that rise, challenges
we must face, and so I appreciate your willingness to step up
and take the lead and hopefully resolve some of the issues that
are out there. And there isn't an agency or organization that
doesn't face some of these issues.
But I do have some specific questions about some of the
challenges, especially on the deferred maintenance backlog, and
I know that that can be--or it is a significant challenge at
this point.
So, Ms. Helm, what is the current cost in dollars as far as
the deferred maintenance backlog today? Do you know?
Ms. Helm. I believe for fiscal year 2017 it was
approximately $937 million.
Mr. Loudermilk. Okay. Getting close to a billion dollars?
Ms. Helm. Right, approaching a billion dollars.
Mr. Loudermilk. As far as the timeline, how does this go? I
mean, how far back are some of the maintenance issues? How long
have they been out there?
Ms. Helm. The deferred maintenance backlog has been around
for a long time and is created by the fact that the National
Research Council recommends that government agencies spend
between 2 to 4 percent of the replacement value of their
buildings and the Smithsonian's budget has been about 1
percent. So each year the backlog just continues to grow.
Mr. Loudermilk. Do you know what, if I was to look at the
list of the backlog, what is the oldest date? Do you know?
Ms. Helm. I do not know that.
Mr. Loudermilk. Does it go a decade? Five years?
Ms. Helm. I could get that information for you.
Mr. Loudermilk. Okay. I would appreciate it.
Ms. Helm. I would be happy to.
Mr. Loudermilk. Secretary Bunch, what is your plan to go
after the backlog? Are you looking to get more to the 2 to 4
percent in expenditures?
Mr. Bunch. I think my goal is to try to be at 2 to 4
percent, to try to get around at least 2 percent. I would like
to get 3 percent.
I think the challenge for us is to figure out how do we
make sure that when we are looking at our congressional
appropriation to make sure that we have got money that is going
to allow us to grow in that direction.
And also to think maybe creatively more about are there
opportunities when we are fundraising for the projects that
people are excited about, is there a way to layer in some
support for backlog.
I think that that is what we are going to be looking at. I
don't have an answer yet, but I will have it soon.
Mr. Loudermilk. Well, I appreciate anything you do, because
from a prior business owner's perspective and all this, you
clean house before you expand. And through the discussions of
potential new museums, which I am very excited about, I think
it is important that we kind of get the house clean before we
look at expanding anymore, because my concern would be further
expansion just creates more of a backlog unless we address that
early.
So I would appreciate anything that you can provide us on
plans to move forward, because I think as this institution goes
from a funding mechanism, a solid plan would help us in being
able to appropriate more toward that.
I do have some questions on information security since that
is my background, but first, the $900 million cost for
renovation for Air and Space Museum. When I just looked at
that, I thought it had to be a mistake. So I had my staff go
back and look at it again and, like, no, that is the cost.
And it just seems very high to me since the cost to build
the African American Museum was $540 million, the Museum of the
Bible was $500 million. The Nationals Park construction was
only $701 million. Trump Tower was $300 million.
Why such a high cost, almost a billion dollars for
refurbishment?
Mr. Bunch. Well, I think, first of all, you know that it is
often cheaper to build new than to refurbish. I think that part
of this is that this was also the opportunity to upgrade all
the systems, to make sure that this is an effective green-like
museum that we can make.
Also I think that even though the building was opened in
1976, in terms of the life of the construction of that time,
this building has been around a long time.
And so in essence what we are trying to do is to do almost
what you said about the deferred maintenance. We want to fix it
all. We don't want to postpone things so that my next whoever
follows me will have to wrestle with the Air and Space Museum.
That is why it is costing what it is.
Mr. Loudermilk. Okay. I appreciate that.
I know I am out of time. I will submit my questions for
information systems security for the record. But I appreciate
all that you are doing.
Again, Air and Space Museum, as an aviator, that is one of
my favorite, most frequented museums, and we thank you for all
you are doing.
I yield back.
The Chairperson. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
The gentlelady from California, Mrs. Davis, is recognized
for five minutes.
Mrs. Davis of California. Thank you very much, Madam
Chairperson.
Secretary Bunch and Ms. Helm, thank you for your leadership
as well.
I am so glad you had an opportunity to talk a little bit
about how the experience of delivering the African American
Museum of History and Culture informs what you are doing today.
I still remember that day. It was extraordinary. And I am very
hopeful. That really makes a difference for all of us and we
appreciate the fact that you are there.
I wonder if you could add just a few more thoughts about
the importance of the treasures that we have on our Mall, the
Smithsonian, for the young people of our country. I often ask
students when I go into classrooms if they have been to
Washington, D.C., before. Maybe if they are by 8th grade, they
have come, but most often that is not the case. I was just with
a class the other day. And while that is a local effort, it is
incredible to me that a large number of our children throughout
this country never make it here to the capital and to see these
treasures that we have.
So I think as we can think more about that and
collaborating with the local communities, that would be
helpful. The role of teachers is obviously very important to be
able to translate that experience for young people as well, if
you have any thoughts about that.
The other thing I wanted to ask you briefly is, we are
talking about the pressure and the need for more museums. I
mean, there are so many interests that we want represented on
The Mall. How much space do we have for that? How do you see
that space as you look at the entire Mall? Are there areas that
we could redevelop, perhaps, better on The Mall? Where does
that stand?
Mr. Bunch. Let me ask the last first. I think that it is
clear that there is very little space left on The Mall and that
one of the questions is to begin to think about, what is the
best use of what we have left? Are there other spaces near The
Mall that ought to be used that can continue to maybe spread
the influence of the Smithsonian?
I understand the power of The Mall. It was really important
to me that the National Museum be on The Mall. So I think the
key is to look at the spaces, what can we do with what we have,
but recognize there are really limited spaces on The Mall.
I think that from an education point of view, the
Smithsonian is amazing. I think about in my career holding the
compass that Lewis and Clark carried when they went across the
country or looking at the Apollo 11 capsule, and what I
realized is that we have to find ways to get this around the
country.
Part of that is through the traveling exhibitions and all
the things we tend to do, but also it really is looking at what
can we do virtually. It seems to me there ought to be a way
that virtually the Smithsonian can get into every classroom in
the United States.
And even simple ideas of helping people get the virtual
Lincoln's top hat or Lewis and Clark's compass that they can
make on a 3D printer that allows the teachers in the classrooms
to talk about the importance of citizenship or exploration.
So I think the goal that I have challenged the educational
staff is to say to me, how can we touch every classroom? How
can we share the wonders of the Smithsonian research, science,
art, and history? So that is a major commitment to me, because
I want people, I want children to be made better by the wonders
of the Smithsonian.
Mrs. Davis of California. Thank you. Appreciate that.
I am going to turn back over to the Chairperson. Thank you.
The Chairperson. The gentlelady yields back.
The gentleman from North Carolina is recognized for five
minutes.
Mr. Butterfield. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Let me thank both of you for your testimony today.
Dr. Bunch, I want to thank you, particularly, for your
service, not just to the Smithsonian, but to the country. I
have got to get used to calling you Secretary Bunch. That is
going to be a transformation for me. But in any event, I have
followed your career down through the years and I have said to
you privately and I will say publicly today thank you.
Mr. Bunch. Thank you.
Mr. Butterfield. You have a great challenge in front of
you, and I am sure those of us on this committee will join
hands with you and try to make the Smithsonian even better than
it is. I will certainly do my part.
But let me just spend just a couple minutes talking to you
about diversity. You know how strongly I feel about that and we
have talked about it over the years. Give me some appreciation
for the workforce, the size of the workforce that is under your
jurisdiction?
Mr. Bunch. There are approximately 7,000 people that work
for the Smithsonian.
Mr. Butterfield. All based in D.C.?
Mr. Bunch. No, they are all over the country, whether it is
people that work out of the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory in Boston, the people that work at the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute in Panama. In New York City, we
have----
Mr. Butterfield. These are Federal employees?
Mr. Bunch. Federal employees.
Mr. Butterfield. On your payroll?
Mr. Bunch. Yes.
Mr. Butterfield. Okay.
Mr. Bunch. In essence, the goal for us is to make sure that
these staff reflect the diversity of America. We are not there
yet.
And especially I want to make sure it reflects diversity at
the senior positions. I want to make sure that we are not just
looking at the lower introductory positions, but that senior
curators, leaders of institutions.
The Smithsonian has done, I think, a very good job on
issues of gender and leadership. Many of the museum directors
are now women. I think we have done a less successful job of
embracing diversity of racial or ethnic minorities in
leadership positions.
Mr. Butterfield. So the different layers are senior
leadership, lower level leadership. Would that be entry level
type jobs?
Mr. Bunch. Right, right.
Mr. Butterfield. What is the middle strata called, what do
you call that, just career?
Mr. Bunch. Well, basically, I would say career, career
staff.
Mr. Butterfield. And do you collect data on the
demographics of these different layers?
Mr. Bunch. We have all that data, and I can make sure that
we can present that to you.
Mr. Butterfield. Which category is the strongest and which
one is the weakest in terms of racial diversity?
Mr. Bunch. Well, in racial diversity is, quite candidly, at
the lower levels--guards, securities, low level administration.
I think that within the levels where it fundamentally shapes
the Smithsonian--curators, scientists--that is where we are
working to improve that.
Mr. Butterfield. What about your vendors? Do you have a
vendor list?
Mr. Bunch. We do very well with that. We have a very strong
supplier diversity program, that whether it is the fact that
when we built the National Museum of African American History
and Culture we made sure that minorities, women-owned
businesses received a higher percentage than ever before. We do
that throughout the Smithsonian.
So I am very pleased with that part of the Smithsonian. The
vendor work that we do really reaches a broad and diverse
audience.
Mr. Butterfield. Do you pledge to us that you will continue
that and try to build upon that?
Mr. Bunch. There is no doubt about that. That is crucial to
our success.
Mr. Butterfield. You mentioned in your earlier testimony
something about the boards that shape the Institution. I didn't
quite--I don't quite understand what that means.
Mr. Bunch. So that each Smithsonian museum has its own
board. And these are boards that help with fundraising, help
guide the institute, the different museums, for example.
What I want to make sure is that we don't forget that they
need to be made more diverse, that there are opportunities for
people of color, women, to play a more leading role on some of
those boards.
Mr. Butterfield. I guess there are dozens of boards across
the spectrum?
Mr. Bunch. Each museum has its board, some of the research
entities have their own boards.
Mr. Butterfield. And is that data available?
Mr. Bunch. Excuse me?
Mr. Butterfield. Is that data available?
Mr. Bunch. We can make sure you can have that data.
Mr. Butterfield. All right.
Finally, sir, do you provide technical resources to
community-based groups who want to preserve their history? I
won't ask you about financial resources because I know you are
kind of stretched on that, but technical resources.
Mr. Bunch. We do it on several different levels. Different
museums do it in different ways. The National Museum of African
American History and Culture, when I created it, I actually
created a unit whose job it was to work with local museums, to
provide training, to provide expertise. So what I am hoping is
that that is a model that will be picked up by some of the
other museums within the Smithsonian.
But we also do a fair amount of training through some of
the programs we do when we do sites exhibitions. Sometimes
there is training, reaching out to local communities. So that,
in essence, we want to do a much better job, a more formal job,
and I am looking to see how much do we emulate the model that
we created at the National Museum of African American History
and Culture.
Mr. Butterfield. This is exciting. Thank you very much.
Thank both of you.
I yield back.
The Chairperson. The gentleman yields back.
The gentlelady from Ohio is recognized for five minutes.
Ms. Fudge. Thank you very much, Madam Chairperson.
Mr. Secretary, it is nice to see you again.
Mr. Bunch. Nice to see you.
Ms. Fudge. Thank you both for your testimony.
I do want to just recognize Madam Clerk, Cheryl Johnson has
joined us, who I think came from the Smithsonian.
It is nice to see you, Madam Clerk.
Mr. Secretary let me also say it is refreshing to have both
the Secretary and the Inspector General on the same page. We
don't hear that an awful lot. So thank you.
Let me ask a question. You talked about the cost of
deferred maintenance. I ask you, beyond cost, are any
collections at risk because of deferred maintenance?
Mr. Bunch. It is important for us, for me, that we protect
those collections because that is what is really at the heart
of the Smithsonian. We have really worked hard to make sure
that collections are not at risk. We have worked hard to
identify areas of concern and will continue to do that. When we
know that if there are collections at risk, we move quickly to
try to protect them and to give them the proper housing that
they need.
I think that the goal will be, however, that we are really
stretched and we need the resources to continue to do things
like build new storage pods out in Suitland or out near the
Udvar-Hazy museum. Those are the kinds of things that are going
to allow us not to just provide bare maintenance but provide
the kind of quality care that is at the heart of the
Smithsonian.
Ms. Fudge. Do you agree, Madam Inspector General?
Ms. Helm. Yes. I do think that the collection space plan
that they developed has that in goal. I think there are
facilities that have been identified as being at an
unacceptable level, but I am not aware of collections being at
risk of immediate harm or anything like that.
Ms. Fudge. All right. Let me ask this question. We are
talking about now the revitalization of the National Air and
Space Museum. What do you do with things like the large pieces
of those collections while it is underway?
Mr. Bunch. What we do is, the goal is to try to give the
public as much access to those collections as possible. So some
of the large pieces that get moved out to the new storage
places out in Dulles, and other areas out in Suitland, but we
try to make sure that there is enough on display so that the
public is really still engaged and gets a lot of that history.
We also encourage people to go out to the Udvar-Hazy Center out
in Dulles, which is where a lot of the larger airplanes are,
and it is another way to continue that story of understanding
the history of aviation.
Ms. Fudge. Okay. So now does your digitization initiative,
is it going to save physical storage at some point? How is that
going to work?
Mr. Bunch. What digitization does is about protecting the
collections by reducing the use on them, pulling them out. It
also, however, gets the collections out to a broader possible
audience. It doesn't reduce the collections we have.
I think the challenge for the Smithsonian is to realize
that we are always going to continue to grow the collections.
What we want to do is make sure that we have got the sort of
processes to make sure that it is crucially important when we
collect something and that we have the space and the resources
to protect it.
Ms. Fudge. If there were one thing that you would ask us
today that is your top priority, what would it be?
Mr. Bunch. Can I get two?
Ms. Fudge. I will give you two.
Mr. Bunch. All right.
I think that my top priority has to be making the
Smithsonian accessible virtually, to really make sure we can
educate people around the country and around the globe.
I think my second priority, candidly, is to find ways to
address the backlog, to make sure that these amazing facilities
are protected and made accessible to the American people.
Ms. Fudge. Thank you very much.
Madam Chairperson, I yield back.
The Chairperson. The gentlelady yields back.
The gentleman from California is recognized for five
minutes.
Mr. Aguilar. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Secretary Bunch, you talked a little bit about the creation
of the National Museum of the American Latino. You are familiar
with the history. In 2008, President George W. Bush created the
Commission. The report was completed in 2011. It gave a project
cost, I am certain at the time, $600 million.
You mentioned identifying future challenges involved if
Congress was to move forward and to give you guidance. Right
now there is authorizing language, as the Chairperson
mentioned; 179 members in a bipartisan fashion have signed on
to this bill. I know the sponsor, Mr. Serrano, has worked with
you on the public-private partnership funding piece, making
sure that the language was sufficient for your needs.
What is the timeline from when the bill is signed into law
to the next steps and to ultimately a completion? If history is
our guide, what does that look like?
Mr. Bunch. It took 11 years to build the National Museum of
African American History once we had leadership, because that
is really the key, the Director. So I really think that that is
probably a good framework. We might be able to do some things
that can shorten it a little. I have got ideas about doing
that.
But the challenge of building the staff, building the
mechanism that allows us to raise the money, getting a better
sense of what the content is really going to be, bringing on
people that can help think about the building itself, and
ultimately looking at what are the long-term resource needs to
make sure that when it opens we recognize that is the
beginning, not the end of the process.
So I think that it is a decade-long process once you
actually begin by bringing on the director.
Mr. Aguilar. I appreciate that.
This year Congressman Serrano is working on language in the
Interior Appropriations bill that would encourage the
Smithsonian--report language--to continue exploring the
creation of the museum and to look to programs, exhibits,
collections, and public outreach.
Do you see any problems complying with language that
continues to give you guidance to move in that direction?
Mr. Bunch. Not at all. And in fact, I would argue one of
the ways that you can shorten the period of building a museum,
if that is where we go, is to really have curators to do
exhibitions that allow us to begin to get the research.
One, that gets people excited, and that is part of the key
to raising the successful funds.
Two, one of the great challenges is going to be building
the collection. If we can do work now that will foreshadow some
of the collection needs actually bring collections into the
Smithsonian, that will allow us to move this a little quicker.
Mr. Aguilar. Great. I appreciate it.
Following up on what my colleague Mr. Butterfield talked
about, I know you are familiar, in 1994 the Smithsonian
Institute task force produced a report called ``Willful
Neglect.'' Since that report the Latinx workforce in the
Smithsonian has risen 2.7 percent to 10 percent. Unfortunately
that growth hasn't met the same numbers at the executive level.
So you started to answer Mr. Butterfield's question about
the higher levels, curators, scientists, executives. Can you
talk to me about what is being done to increase the diversity
at the executive level?
Mr. Bunch. One of the things that is important to me is, as
I look at whatever changes, individuals I bring into the senior
level, I want to make sure that diversity is really at the
heart of what I am trying to do.
I would be unbelievably disappointed if I didn't by the end
of my tenure have a staff that is more diverse. It is a
challenge in many ways because, one, people never leave the
Smithsonian. But my goal is to make sure that the Smithsonian
is made better when it has those diverse voices around the
table.
Mr. Aguilar. I appreciate the answer. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
The Chairperson. The gentleman yields back.
All Members have now had an opportunity to ask questions.
And as I mentioned earlier, the record will remain open for
five legislative days.
We would like to thank you both for your testimony here
today. I will just note that I think I speak for the entire
Committee of how proud we are of the Institution, of the
Smithsonian Institute. It is really a jewel that belongs to the
American people.
I was just thinking and talking to the Ranking Member, back
in the mid-1990s, I think former Congressman Vic Fazio was the
Chairman of this Committee and took the lead to insist that we
do the funding necessary to repair the Library of Congress and
the Botanical Gardens.
Repairs and maintenance are not sexy, but these facilities
are really held in trust for the American people. I think one
of the things we need to do is to see whether this is that kind
of time to work with our appropriators to make sure that we are
fulfilling our obligation to make sure that these jewels are
maintained for future generations. Your leadership is very
important in that regard.
Unless there are further matters before us on this
oversight hearing, we thank you. And without objection the
hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:09 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
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