Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, pressed Smithsonian leadership during a Committee on House Administration hearing Wednesday over the National Museum of American History's decision to remove the phrase 'American history' from its mission statement.
Carey questioned Anthea Hartig, the museum's administrator since 2019, about comments she made explaining that the change was intended to help people 'get out of the America-first mentality.' The exchange highlighted ongoing tensions between Republicans and some federal cultural institutions over how American history should be presented.
"What did you mean by America-first?" Carey asked Hartig during the hearing.
The questioning comes as Republicans in Congress have made preserving America's heritage a central theme, particularly as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. The Trump administration released a report titled 'Saving America's Story' that specifically highlighted the museum's mission statement change and criticized Hartig's leadership.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive lawmakers and museum advocates argue that presenting a fuller picture of American history—including difficult chapters involving slavery, oppression, and systemic inequality—does not constitute hostility toward the country but rather a more honest accounting of the national experience.
"When historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, we do not mean erasing it. We mean adding the evidence, voices and objects that earlier tellings left out, so that more Americans can see themselves in the national story," Hartig said during her testimony. "Examining the harder chapters of our history is not the same as hostility toward America."
Hartig also stated that the museum does not take sides in political debates. "We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions," she said.
Progressive critics of Republican scrutiny argue that efforts to restrict how history is taught or presented amount to censorship rather than preservation. Some progressive thinkers contend that acknowledging historical injustices should inform present-day policy discussions about equity and justice.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have argued that removing explicit references to American history from a museum dedicated to American history represents a deliberate effort to diminish patriotic education. They point to documents like Hartig's stated view of history as a 'prime tool of social justice' and her description of connecting 'research and scholarship to activism and advocacy.'
"That shift from history to activism is clearly documented in this report," the administration's 'Saving America's Story' document states, referencing Hartig's public statements.
Carey quoted George Orwell during his questioning. "'The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history,'" he said, drawing from Orwell's cautionary novel 1984.
"Let me get back to my original question—why do you think that 'American history' should be erased from the American History museum?" Carey added. Hartig did not provide a direct response before time expired in the hearing.
Conservative lawmakers have framed these debates as part of a broader struggle over national identity, with Speaker Johnson warning that students are being 'indoctrinated' to see America through 'wrong lenses.' Many Republicans argue that American ideals articulated in foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence transcend failures to fully implement those principles.
What the Numbers Show
The National Museum of American History receives federal funding through Smithsonian Institution appropriations. The museum's annual operating budget is part of approximately $1 billion in total annual Smithsonian funding provided by Congress.
Attendance figures at federal museums fluctuate annually based on factors including public health conditions, tourism trends, and programming decisions. The Smithsonian Institution collectively serves millions of visitors each year across its multiple facilities in Washington, D.C., and New York.
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is scheduled for July 4, 2026, prompting increased congressional attention to patriotic education initiatives.
The Bottom Line
The hearing reflects deepening partisan divisions over how American history should be taught and displayed at federally funded institutions. Republicans argue that removing references to 'American' identity from cultural institutions represents a troubling departure from patriotic education, while museum leadership contends it is simply expanding whose stories are included in the national narrative.
Hartig did not directly answer Carey's final question before her time expired, leaving the exchange unresolved. The Committee on House Administration may schedule additional oversight hearings on Smithsonian operations as the 250th anniversary approaches.
Congress has authority over federal cultural institution funding and has used that leverage to press museum leadership on programming and messaging decisions in recent years.