Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee) accused the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of promoting a "woke" agenda during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
The exchange highlights a growing conflict between federal lawmakers and cultural institutions over how American history is presented to the public. Critics argue that government-funded museums are shifting away from traditional patriotism toward political activism.
During the hearing in Washington, D.C., Burchett questioned Anthea Hartig, the director of the National Museum of American History. He alleged that the institution has moved away from celebrating the U.S. as a beacon of liberty, democracy, and opportunity [1, 2].
"I feel like the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has become infected by a woke ideology that's seeped into public displays, educational materials, and planning documents," Burchett said [3].
Hartig defended the museum's approach, saying that the institution's goal is to provide a comprehensive view of the nation's past. She said that acknowledging the complexities of the American experience is essential to the museum's purpose.
"Our mission is to tell the full story of America, including its triumphs and its failures, and that work is not radical activism," Hartig said [4].
Committee leaders said that the museum is pursuing a narrow and politically tendentious agenda [5]. This contradicts the museum's stated mission to present a balanced history of the United States.
The hearing focused on whether the Smithsonian is utilizing public funds to advance a specific political ideology, a point of contention for GOP members on the subcommittee [1, 3].
“"I feel like the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has become infected by a woke ideology."”
This confrontation reflects a broader legislative effort to oversee the ideological direction of federal cultural institutions. By questioning the Smithsonian's curation, lawmakers are attempting to define the boundaries between historical scholarship and political advocacy in public spaces.
