[House Hearing, 108 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 4863, TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO
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HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 22, 2004
__________
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
BOB NEY, Chairman
VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan JOHN B. LARSON, Connecticut
JOHN L. MICA, Florida Ranking Minority Member
JOHN LINDER, Georgia JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD,
JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California California
THOMAS M. REYNOLDS, New York ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
Professional Staff
Paul Vinovich, Staff Director
George Shevlin, Minority Staff Director
H.R. 4863, TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO
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THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2004
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to call, at 1:37 p.m., in room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Robert W. Ney
(chairman of the committee) Presiding.
Present: Representatives Ney, Ehlers, Larson, and
Millender-McDonald.
Staff Present: George Hadijski, Director, Office of Member
Services; Paul Vinovich, Staff Director; Payam Zakipour,
Professional Staff; George Shevlin, Minority Staff Director;
Matt Pinkus, Minority Professional Staff Member; and Charles
Howell, Minority Chief Counsel.
The Chairman. The committee will come to order.
Today's hearing will focus on the proposal to form a
commission to examine the potential establishment of a National
Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC.
A couple of bills have been introduced on the subject, but
today, our committee will focus on the most recent, H.R. 4863.
I would like to thank our panel members who authored the
bill, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who will
discuss the Smithsonian's perspective on the potential of the
museum, and our distinguished witnesses, who have extensive
backgrounds in museums as well as Latino art, history and
culture.
My goal in today's hearing will be to discuss this issue
broadly, and provide some guidance to the future commission
looking to the challenges that would face all museums we would
authorize. These challenges always have included, in the past,
budgetary constraints, the physical location of the museum
itself, staffing, what exhibits would be a part of such a
collection and ensuring a diverse audience to sustain the
museum for decades to come. The proposed commission would have
a great responsibility putting forth recommendations to create
a museum that would make the Hispanic community proud, make our
Nation proud and capture the important contributions that the
Hispanic community and Latino community have made to the
history and culture of our Country.
The very discovery of our Country by Christopher Columbus
can be directly attributed to assistance he received from Queen
Isabella of Spain. Our ranking Member is a history expert, and
he will verify that is accurate when he speaks, I hope.
In fact, two of the panes in our U.S. Capitol Rotunda
highlight the accomplishments of Columbus' discovery of the New
World for Spain and Hernando de Soto's discovery of the
Mississippi River. As a part of our revolutionary history,
Hispanic General Bernardo de Galvez, who was governor of the
Louisiana Territory at the time, sent money, rifles and other
supplies to General George Washington during the Revolutionary
War.
These are a small sampling of the impact and contributions
Hispanics have made to our Country's history. Significant
events such as these deserve to be captured and memorialized
for future generations to learn and appreciate. However, our
job today is to ensure that we create a process for doing so,
and to make sure it is fiscally and socially responsible, yet
sustains the idea that we unite as one Country of many
different cultures, which I think makes our Country so great.
There should always be a compelling reason for the
establishment of such a museum. If not, we diminish the
significant contributions of all other communities. A strong
argument can definitely be made, based on the broad impact
Hispanic Americans have made on our population, as it is widely
predicted that, within 10 years, Hispanic Americans will
comprise the largest minority group in our Country. There is a
sizable audience who would have a strong interest in the
establishment of such a museum, but it would not be limited to
Hispanic Americans. This museum would be available to all
people, not just in the United States, but around the world.
A strong interest is a vital component of a proposed
museum, as there is an ongoing concern that, as more and more
museums are proposed for each respective community, there will
be increasing pressures on the Federal Government to sustain
each museum if there is insufficient public interest. This is
something that is looked at every single time we talk about a
new museum.
That is why precisely we have to look at these decisions
and with significant forethought. The formation of a commission
to look into these specific issues, definitely I think, is a
step in the right direction that can lead to the building of
this great museum.
Again, I want to welcome everybody here today. I appreciate
both of our Members, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and also
Congressman Xavier Becerra, and Iappreciate your insight on
this and the bipartisan support of the bill and bringing this to the
committee's attention.
With that, I yield to our distinguished ranking Member,
Congressman Larson of Connecticut.
Mr. Larson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
And let me too extend our welcome to our panelists and
distinguished Dr. Small, who joins our two distinguished
Members from Congress as well.
I think this is a bill that is long overdue. I thank you
for putting everything into proper historic perspective. A few
gaps, perhaps, but nonetheless, I think that is why it is so
important that we not only treasure our past, but our future.
And I think, based on the conversations that I have had
with our distinguished Representatives from California and
Florida about not only their persistency but the richness in
the culture and the contribution that that culture has made to
this great Country of ours and indeed around the globe and what
a fitting way to establish this through a museum. As we project
that into the future and we see that population of the United
States, it would be near travesty if we did not have here in
Washington, DC, a museum that focused on the incredible
contributions that have been made on behalf of the citizens of
this Country by the Latino community.
I join with you, Mr. Chairman, also in making sure that,
for mostly jurisdictional purposes, that any such museum would
be part of the Smithsonian Institution. I expect the commission
would look at and study whether that would be desirable along
with any other questions that the bill calls for them to
examine. And I am pleased that Secretary Small is with us here
today to hear his testimony as well.
And with that, Mr. Chairman, I would yield back and wait
with anxious anticipation to hear from our distinguished
Members of Congress.
[The statement of Mr. Larson follows:]
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The Chairman. I would like to thank the distinguished
ranking Member, and we will go right to the panel.
STATEMENTS OF THE HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA; AND THE HON. XAVIER
BECERRA, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
The Chairman. I have relatives in both of your States, but
we will start with the gentlewoman from Florida.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Ney and Mr.
Larson, for being good friends of this legislation and trying
to help us shepherd it through its various channels.
And I especially want to thank my great friend from
California, Xavier Becerra, for his leadership on this bill.
And I want to thank him for letting me help him make this bill
a reality. I cherish this opportunity. Thanks to Xavier, a
museum to commemorate Hispanic Americans will soon become a
reality and I hope it is soon in our Nation's capital.
The National Museum of the American Latino is meant to be a
salute to the nearly 40 million Hispanics who proudly call the
United States their home. These Americans have contributed
their time and hard work to make this a better Country.
Hispanics have accounted for nearly half of the 9.4 million
residents added to the Nation's population just since the 2000
census, and our numbers show no sign of decreasing.
The Hispanic population growth rate of 13 percent over the
39-month period was almost four times that of the total
population. We Hispanics are very proud to call ourselves
Americans. We may come from many different places, but we are
united in the common cause of making this the best Country in
the world.
From the Rio Grande to the Tierra del Fuego, we make up
countries as diverse as Mexico and Chile. We populate mountains
in Peru and beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Some,like
Nicaraguans or Cubans like me, came from countries fleeing communism,
while others came fleeing failing economic situations. Still others,
like the residents the Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, are
Hispanics who are born Americans and are as honored to be a part of
this great Nation as anyone else in this Chamber. And while we are
different in many ways, we are also intimately connected. We share the
same language and many of the same traditions.
In the United States, Hispanics have made and continue to
make great contributions. We have served our Country with
valor. While only comprising 13 percent of the U.S. population,
Hispanics make up 18 percent of those serving under uniform.
Almost one-fourth of the active-duty enlisted men and women in
the United States Army are Hispanic.
We Hispanics have also served our Country in public office.
Xavier and I are just two of the 23 Hispanics who serve in the
U.S. House of Representatives, and over the entire history of
this Congress, 56 others have served in this distinguished
Chamber, along with three others who have had the privilege of
being elected United States Senators. Currently, Hispanics also
serve in over 4,400 other elected public offices throughout our
great land.
Our contribution to this Nation does not stop there. In
fact, Hispanics have and will continue to contribute to make
sure that this remains the greatest Country in the world.
Whether it is as director of the Bureau of Citizenship and
Immigration Service, like Eduardo Aguirre, or the former
Secretary of HUD, Mel Martinez, we are helping to make and keep
this the strongest economy in the world as a member of the New
York Stock Exchange, my constituent, Leo Guzman.
But this museum is first and foremost for the Hispanic
family and will continue to work for the American dream.
Whether by foot, bus, boat or by plane, millions have come here
to be part of what is still the greatest political experiment
in the world. Hispanics also came so their children may grow
and have access to higher education, so that they can find work
and because they know that, if you work hard in America, you
will achieve your dreams.
In trying to advance themselves, they have immensely
improved our Country. They have added also a little bit of
Latin flavor along the way. And what better way to recognize
the past contributions of the Hispanic community and to
encourage new ones from our youth than by establishing this
National Museum of the American Latino right here in
Washington, DC.
This museum will allow our young Hispanics to visit our
capital, to learn the rich contributions their ancestors have
made. But more importantly, it will allow them to dream of the
endless possibilities and achievements that they can make as
part of this Nation. This museum is an invaluable asset to our
Nation. And what better place than our Nation's capital to
provide a voice and a face to these 40 million Americans.
And I want to thank the Chair and the ranking Member for
allowing my constituent, Diane Camber, the executive director
of the Bass Museum of Art of Miami Beach, to be one of the
witnesses here who is a proud promoter of this museum. And I
thank the Chairman, the ranking Member and the Members of the
committee as well.
Thank you, Xavier, for your friendship.
[The statement of Ms. Ros-Lehtinen follows:]
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The Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for her testimony.
And the gentleman from California.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. XAVIER BECERRA
Mr. Becerra. Mr. Chairman, ranking Member Larson and
Members of the committee, thank you very much for holding this
hearing on H.R. 4863.
I would also like to thank my friend and colleague from
Florida, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, not just for being a
cosponsor but being an indispensable supporter and cosponsor of
this legislation.
This is a bill that will, we hope, move through Congress in
a bipartisan fashion and gather the support of people
throughout this Country that recognize that there is not only
an interest but a need to reflect what is America throughout
our institutions of culture, art and history.
The commission that would be established under H.R. 4863
would establish the National Museum of the American Latino
Commission. And this commission would be charged with examining
and reporting to Congress and the President the parameters of a
plan to establish a new museum dedicated to the art, history,
and culture of the Latino population of theUnited States.
The commission would be comprised of experts from the
various fields of national art, the museum communities, and it
would also include individuals with experience in
administration and development of cultural institutions. The
commissioners would be appointed on a bipartisan basis by the
President and leaders of the House and the Senate.
Three years ago, the National Capital Planning Commission
gave expression to the primary function of the cultural and
historical exhibitions on the National Mall. It said, quote,
``The memorials and museums that define Washington's monumental
core express America's connection to its past and its direction
for the future . . . They help us understand what it means to
be an American.''
Latinos have been part of American history since before the
founding of the United States. They were present on the
American continent for more than 2 centuries prior to the
Declaration of Independence. Spanish colonists founded the
first permanent settlement in the continental United States in
St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, four decades before Jamestown
and Plymouth Rock. And during the American Revolution, General
Washington's army was successful at Yorktown in part because of
support from a multi-ethnic army lead by Bernardo de Galvez on
a southern front against the British, driving them out of the
Gulf of Mexico, fighting them on the Mississippi and in
Florida.
In every subsequent military conflict, Latino soldiers have
fought alongside their American brethren. In fact, there are
proportionately larger number of our Nation's Congressional
Medal of Honor awardees that are of Latino heritage than from
any other ethnic group.
We are a Nation of 290 million people, 40 million of whom
are Latinos that share a heritage drawn from a combination of
Old World and New World cultures. Among America's ethnic
groups, Latinos are unique in the fact that you can find mixed
strains of cultural influence from Europe, Africa and the pre-
Colombian Americas, and the mixtures of cultures makes many
Latinos open to change, to adoption of new norms and customs,
to add new flavors to the recipes we cook and to accept
differences in others. In a word, Latinos reflect what it means
to be an American, a citizen of a Nation that welcomes and
embraces diversity.
For many, many years, many Americans--Latinos and
otherwise--believed that the mosaic portrayed in Washington
museums was missing a few tiles. In response, during the
1990's, the Smithsonian examined itself and determined in its
own studies that the mirror it was holding up to America was
indeed incomplete. In 1997, The Center on Latino Initiatives
was launched in part as an effort to respond to those studies
and to help lead to the future.
In the last several years, the Center For Latino
Initiatives has successfully promoted many more Latino-
inclusive programs for the entire Smithsonian. The center
itself made the museum community in Washington more reflective
of the entire American population and has been at the core of
the organization of several important national traveling
exhibits.
I am not a museum expert nor an art historian, but there
are plenty of talented people in the community that could think
seriously about what it would take to begin this project. The
commission proposed by this legislation would determine how
best to reflect historical and cultural contributions of the
diverse community and of the 40 million Latinos living in the
United States.
Washington is a capital that represents so much of what is
America, and so many people come to visit Washington because of
what it represents: 17 million people visited last year, and 1
million came from outside of this Country to visit Washington,
D.C. One in three of these individuals who visited did visit an
art or history museum. Over 35 million individuals attend the
Smithsonian museums and traveling exhibits every year; 90
percent of these visitors are from the United States. As you
can imagine, many are children visiting with their parents or
on school trips.
This legislation, H.R. 4863, is just another building block
in developing what has become the American experience--what we
teach ourselves and share with the world. Passage of this bill
would be the first step towards giving America and all of its
people a better chance to fully experience what it means to be
an American.
Once again, Mr. Chairman, ranking Member Larson and Members
of this committee, thank you to you, to the Members of this
committee.
Thank you to principal cosponsor and friend, Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
We look forward to working with all of you to make sure
that this legislation has an opportunity to pass.
Thank you.
[The statement of Mr. Becerra follows:]
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The Chairman. I want to thank you for your testimony.
And I will defer at this time to the ranking Member if he
has questions.
Mr. Larson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Again, I just want to applaud both of you.
Both the Chairman and I have discussed how important we
believe this legislation is and will do everything to move it
forward in an aggressive a fashion as we can. I know that we
have been joined by two other distinguished Members, so I will
yield at this time back to the Chairman so he can recognize the
other Members for any statement that they might have.
The Chairman. The gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. Ehlers. No questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. The gentlewoman from California.
Ms. Millender-McDonald. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and ranking
Member.
I thank my friends for being here this morning. It is a
pleasure for you to come before this committee to talk about
the rich heritage of the Latino population. We recognize the
contributions that you have made to this Country and to your
own native countries, the doctors and lawyers and attorneys and
just those who work in the commonplace that provide such
distinction among Americans because they are Americans.
And so it is so fitting for you to be in front of this
committee to talk about a museum of culture. A museum that will
display the rich heritage of your people, which really are our
people because we are all people of one, and that is America.
Thank you all, both of you, for being here and for bringing
this piece of legislation and this initiative to us.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. With that, no further questions, you are
getting off the hook easy.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Muchas gracias.
The Chairman. Si.
Mr. Becerra. We did not realize you are bilingual.
The Chairman. Si, Si. Two si's.
We appreciate you bringing up the idea, and I think it is a
tremendous idea. I think it is good for the Country. It is good
for the culture, and the people, and I think visitors from all
over the world would really appreciate it. I think it is
something for future generations that will be a wonderful
legacy that the Congress can give to the people who visit D.C.
I really do not have any questions.
Mr. Becerra. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Members, thank you very much.
The Chairman. We will move to the second panel.
I want to welcome the second panel to the table. We have
joining us Lawrence Small, who is Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution. In addition, we have Diane Camber, executive chief
and curator of the Bass Museum of Art in Miami, Florida, and
Dr. Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba, who chairs the Latino Network
Professional Interest Committee of the American Association of
Museums.
STATEMENTS OF LAWRENCE M. SMALL, SECRETARY, SMITHSONIAN
INSTITUTION; DIANE W. CAMBER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-CHIEF CURATOR,
BASS MUSEUM OF ART, SOUTH BEACH, FLORIDA; AND JONATHAN LORENZO
YORBA, CHAIR, LATINO NETWORK PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COMMITTEE,
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS
The Chairman. I want to welcome all of to you the Capitol.
And Secretary Small, we will begin with you.
STATEMENT OF LAWRENCE M. SMALL
Mr. Small. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and Members of
the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today
regarding legislation concerning a National Museum of the
American Latino within the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithsonian, as a matter of policy, does not comment on
pending legislation. However, I do want to say that the
Smithsonian's Board of Regents and I would certainly welcome
working with any commission the Congress might establish to
study the establishment of a National Museum of the American
Latino.
I am here today to stress that the Smithsonian is deeply
committed to enhancing its role in presenting the great
contributions made by Latinos to the history and culture of
this Country. We would like to be farther along in this
important effort than we are, and we are working diligently to
do just that.
As you all know, the Smithsonian is the largest museum and
research complex in the world, so I also want to stress today
that I firmly believe that the Smithsonian has the managerial
capacity to handle the sizable and complex challenges that are
inherent in delivering the vital service that we do to the
American people and public. And by way of example, just think
of this: Last year, in less than a year we have opened the
National Air and Space Museum's $300 million-plus companion
facility that is adjacent to Dulles Airport. We have opened up
the $35 million Hall of Mammals at the National Museum of
Natural History, the $31 million Transportation Hall, America
on the Move, at the National Museum of American History. Just 2
months from now, the $220million National Museum of the
American Indian will open up on the Mall. We are rapidly progressing on
the $216 million revitalization of the 168-year-old Patent Office
Building, which is home to the National Portrait Gallery and the
Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as completing $1.5 billion
worth of deferred maintenance on our more than 400 buildings in the
Smithsonian. And then, pursuant to last December's legislation, we have
started on the National Museum of African American History and Culture
which will be the 19th museum within the Smithsonian.
So I am convinced that the fundamental challenge we face is
not managerial capacity. We can get big projects done. The
challenge is getting the money to do them. The Smithsonian
thrives because of a public-private partnership that has been
in place since its founding in 1846. That is essential to our
future success. If the Government and the private sector
provide the money, the Smithsonian can get the job done.
With those two points in mind, let me just very briefly
outline the efforts that have been made by the Smithsonian to
tell the compelling story of the extensive Latino contribution
to our Country. As Congressman Becerra mentioned, the
Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, established in 1997,
is really galvanizing efforts across the entire Smithsonian.
There are major initiatives under way with exhibitions, with
public programs, with Web sites, education, activities and
outreach.
Just here on the National Mall a few weeks ago, we had the
38th Annual National Folklife Festival; 800,000 people came to
it. And featured very prominently was the Latino music program
which was called Nuestra Musica: Music in Latino Culture. This
is a first in a 4-year series that we are doing on Latin music.
The public loved it. Congressman Becerra came and participated
in the opening festivities, and while that was going on, we
held the 2004 Smithsonian Institution Interpretation and
Representation of Latino Cultures which is an annual forum that
we do for cultural representatives and scholars to discuss how
to improve the connection between museums and Latino
communities.
These two events occurring simultaneously served as
bookends for this vibrant array of programs that take place in
the Smithsonian. I do want to say that these programs would not
take place without your help. I really want to thank the
Members of Congress for the support of the Smithsonian's Latino
Initiatives Pool which was created in 1995. This pool
distributes a Federal appropriation of about $1 million each
year to Smithsonian units that are seeking to produce Latino-
related events and reach Latino audiences. In the past 10
years, the pool has distributed more than $10 million to over
130 projects, programs, exhibitions, live performances and
outreach initiatives.
Congress has, in fact, increased the appropriated funding
for the Latino Initiative Pool in fiscal year 2004 to $1.2
million, approximately. And in turn, what this has done is
given the ability to the Smithsonian to leverage dollars from
the private sector. Most recently, the Ford Motor Company has
donated approximately $1.8 million in support of two major
traveling exhibitions, one, Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits
of Latino Achievement, and another which is called Retratos--
which means ``portraits''--2,000 Years of Latin American
Portraits.
This most recent exhibition that we have done, Our
Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement--which
many Members saw at the National Museum of American History--is
now touring the Country. It is now on exhibit in Chicago and
will open in San Jose in September, Fort Wayne in December, San
Juan in April 2005, Detroit in November 2005, and Decatur in
February 2006.
We have a great array of Web sites that are sponsored by
the Smithsonian Center of Latino Initiatives. They are getting
roughly 2.7 million hits a year. And the bottom line is that we
want to do more of this type of thing. We are seeking to
increase private-sector support across the Institution for our
Latino-related activities because, frankly, the Smithsonian
faces significant constraints regarding its Federal budget.
Our requirements simply far exceed what is available and
not having enough money to do what needs to be done remains an
issue. Dealing with our dilapidated buildings and many exhibits
that are in need of modernization while keeping the public, our
employees and the Nation's treasured collections safe is a real
challenge.
But in spite of that, we are very serious about our
commitment to seeing that the Smithsonian represents the
cultural mosaic that has made the United States so vibrantly
unique. The Smithsonian is truly dedicated to reaching out to
every American with the story of all Americans.
Thank you.
[The statement of Mr. Small follows:]
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The Chairman. I thank the Secretary for his testimony.
Dr. Yorba.
STATEMENT OF DR. JONATHAN LORENZO YORBA
Dr. Yorba. Thank you, Chairman Ney and Members of the
Committee, for inviting me to comment on H.R. 4863, which will
authorize the establishment of a Presidential Commission to
develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance
of the National Museum of the American Latino.
My name is Jonathan Yorba, and I am honored to appear
before you wearing three professional hats. First, I am chair
of the American Association of Museums Latino Network
Professional Interest Committee, a national group of museum
professionals that is dedicated to fostering a greater
understanding and exchange of cross-cultural dialogue on issues
pertinent to Latinos and Latino art and culture.
Second, I am adjunct professor of museum studies at John F.
Kennedy University in Berkeley, California.
Third, I am executive director of La Plaza de Cultura y
Artes Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that is
building--in collaboration with the County of Los Angeles--a
significant institution that will celebrate the founding of the
city, the continuing Mexican influence on arts and culture, and
the growing Latino presence and contributions.
My hope is that my brief testimony today will help you in
considering, at a future point, approving legislation that
would establish the Commission.
In thinking carefully about my charge, I bear in mind a
lesson that continues to resonate with me personally and
professionally: The humanities are referential, dialectic and
tentative. In the same way, a Presidential Commission would
need to carefully and thoughtfully consider a number of
critical factors related to the establishment of a National
Museum of the American Latino, by placing such factors in
comparative perspective to other national cultural
institutions, by engaging in considered dialogue with a number
of stakeholders, and then presenting to the President and
Congress a more richly informed perspective than what the
Commission Members began with.
In the time that I have, I will address a few of these
considerations that I imagine the Commission would need to
explore. They are: need, viability, programs and community
reception and impact.
On the idea of whether the Nation needs a Latino museum,
two ideas come to mind. The first is from the report Excellence
and Equity, Education and the Public Dimension of Museums,
whose principles state in general that museums have the power
to nurture an enlightened humane citizenry that appreciates the
value of knowing about its past, is resourcefully and
sensitively engaged in the present, and is determined to shape
a future in which a variety of experiences and points of view
are given voice. This speaks to one of the unique features of
the American museum: its educational dimension.
The second is a provocative quote that I once heard ethnic
studies scholar Dr. Ronald Takaki paraphrase: ``What happens
when someone with the authority of, say, a teacher describes
the world and you are not in it? There is a moment of psychic
disequilibrium--as if you looked into the mirror and saw
nothing.''
If museums are indeed at their core educational
institutions, then current residents of and visitors to
Washington, DC would not be able to find a single prominent
cultural institution in which to learn about the many
contributions of Latinos through permanent exhibitions and
educational programs. But were a National Museum of the
American Latino to be considered, its viability would then need
to be examined. This could include such elements as structure,
site and support. There are a number of existing models to draw
upon for examples, which again, a Presidential Commission would
need to explore.
In reading through the Congressional Record regarding H.R.
4863, various findings of Congress on the subject are
presented. Therefore, through such organizations as the
American Association of Museums Latino Network and other
related organizations, the Commission would surely discover the
tremendous variety of Latino cultures and potential exhibitions
and collections that are available for possible display in such
a National Museum of the American Latino. The key will be to
determine how such primary issues as representation and
(re)presentation--that is the interpretive component--are taken
into consideration.
Last but not least, in the American museums' move toward
civic and community engagement, the Presidential Commission
would need to listen to the voices of many communities to
understand how such a national museum would be received.
Furthermore, in talking with a number of stakeholders around
the Nation, the Commission Members would learn about the
existence of a number of Latino museums--whether they are
focused on a single culture or their mission is to serve pan-
Latino audiences. The Commission Members would then have to
explore what effect the establishment of a National Latino
museum would have on these institutions.
Museums began as cabinets of curiosity, assumed a
civilizing function, asserted their educational importance,
have become forums for cultural exchange, and are determined to
play a significant role in community and civic engagement.
In order to explore the factors I have briefly raised, as
well as others that will emerge, I overwhelmingly support the
establishment of a Presidential Commission to establish a
National Museum of the American Latino.
Thank you.
[The statement of Dr. Yorba follows:]
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The Chairman. Thank you, Doctor.
And Director Diane Camber.
STATEMENT OF DIANE W. CAMBER
Ms. Camber. Mr. Chairman and committee, thank you for
inviting me to provide testimony to your committee on H.R.
4863, creating a commission to study a National Museum of the
American Latino within the Smithsonian Institute. I very much
appreciate this honor to be able to speak about this major
piece of legislation.
My name is Diane Camber, and I serve as the executive
director and chief curator of the Bass Museum of Art in South
Beach, Miami Beach, Florida. I have served in this position
since 1980, and during this time, we have been fortunate to
increase the size of our permanent collection fivefold and
institute a broad range of educational programs, a school
specializing in technology and art and produce many scholarly
publications plus organize more than 150 special exhibitions, a
number of which represent Latino culture.
We will be one of the host institutions for the Retratos
exhibition that Secretary Small referred to earlier which will
open at El Museo Del Barrio in New York and then travel
throughout the Country, and I believe its last stop will be
here at the National Portrait Gallery or on the Mall.
Currently, we are exhibiting Picasso's famous Suite 341 in
conjunction with the Bancaja Foundation of Valencia, Spain.
This exhibition reflects the mission of the museum to exhibit
the best of world art as well as serve our diverse ethnic
constituents. The Bass Museum of Art is a municipal art museum
of the City of Miami Beach, and it is also a public-private
partnership like the Smithsonian.
It is the city's cultural centerpiece, an encyclopedic art
museum with the most comprehensive collection in the region.
The Bass Museum is undergoing a major multiyear expansion
designed by world renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki,
which will triple our exhibition space, add a media center and
expanded capabilities for interactive exhibitions and
educational programming which will undoubtedly enable us to do
even more with Latino culture.
Mr. Chairman, we are in the district of Congresswoman Ros-
Lehtinen, and we share her enthusiasm and Congressman
Becerra's, for the legislation being considered by the
committee today. We are proud of the leadership that these two
Congress people have given to this important legislation. And
before us is an example of their forward thinking, both for the
District, our district, and the Nation.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's district, in fact all of the
State of Florida, has been greatly enriched by its long
association with Hispanic culture as well as a significant and
increasingly diverse Latino population that resides there
today. Miami and South Florida receive enormous benefits from
its close proximity to so many vibrant Latin American
countries. Indeed, Miami is considered the capital of Latin
America.
As the committee knows, both native and foreign born
Latinos in the United States have influenced and enriched this
Country since its founding, and today, they continue to make
such a significant contribution in all realms, in academia, the
arts, humanities and in popular culture, to the benefit of all
Americans. Their contributions and accomplishments should and
must be recognized on a scale that is fitting of them.
In view of this large and growing segment of our
population, in view of the astounding contributions that
Latinos have made to our Nation, consideration of this National
Museum of the American Latino is essential. On a personal note,
as a native Floridian, I should share with you that Desi Arnaz
performed as a 17-year-old immigrant from Cuba in a small cafe
that my father opened in South Beach in the 1930s and went on
to great fame as an entertainer. Recently, I had the delight to
meet his daughter, Lucie, who was performing in Picasso at the
Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, who told me when I revealed
this that her father talked about this. His parents in Cuba
hadn't wanted him to be an entertainer. He left Cuba, came from
an affluent family, came to Miami and got his first job as a
guitarist and went on to great fame and fortune.
Other Latinos like Desi Arnaz have come to our shores and
added so much from every country in Central and South America
and the Caribbean, and I have been fortunate to work with
artists from many of these countries and communities. I have
long been impressed with the significant contributions in the
realm of the visual arts, of course, but also in the realm of
popular culture and entertainment.
The exhibits on our National Mall that are so important as
an attraction to this area, but not only that, as a mecca for
all of us who reside in this Country, will only be enhanced by
the addition of such a museum. With the leadership of this
committee and the Smithsonian, I am looking forward to the day
when this happens. And when such a museum will join the family
of Smithsonian museums, it will surely become a nationally and
internationally renowned center for the study and appreciation
of the diverse and great contributions that Latinos have made
and continue to make to the benefit of our Nation. And it will
be a beacon for all time.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and committee, for
considering and forwarding this important legislation.
[The statement of Ms. Camber follows:]
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The Chairman. Thank you very much for your testimony.
I have a question, and I don't know who would be the most
appropriate to answer, possibly the Secretary, also Congressman
Becerra is still here if he would like to answer. I was looking
at the Senate language, and it said, ``possible locations for
the museum in Washington, DC, and its environs to be considered
in consultation with,'' et cetera. In the House bill, it says:
``possible locations for the museum on or adjacent to the
National Mall in Washington, DC.'' So that is one difference of
the two bills.
With the African-American museum we had discussions about
sites--where it would go. The commission to set-up the museum
had a lot of different opinions. Of course, we worked with
Congressman Lewis and Kingston and developed a totally agreed-
to bill. However the issue always comes up of site locations.
On this particular issue, like you said, the one bill is
saying in the environs of Washington, and the other says on or
adjacent to the National Mall. I am not debating that issue,
but I have a question. When commissions look at this, if it
says on or adjacent to the National Mall, does that limit the
commission's ability to look at a wide scope of where a museum
would go? Considering we are running out of space, does that
limit it or does that not hinder a commission's ability to look
at where a museum would potentially go?
Mr. Becerra. Mr. Chairman, I think you have articulated
well some of the issues that come up with regard to any museum
or institution that we may try to place somewhere in
Washington, DC.
The language that we used in the House differs slightly
from the Senate. The adjacent allows it to be something that
could be built somewhere within the D.C. area, certainly close
to the Mall. The language in the Senate offers you more of an
expansive interpretation of where it could be placed. And I
think most us, whether in the Senate or the House, probably
would agree that this is something really that the commission
would come back to Congress and recommend.
Those of us who are interested in moving this issue forward
want to move the issue forward and do not want to, in the
initial step of forming the commission, constrain that
commission and its experts from coming up with the best place,
the best way and all of the different implements and tools that
would be needed to make it happen from being inside the ability
of the commission to decide.
So those are the issues that, at the end, will be left to
the commission to decide. And the language provides some
latitude for them to make those determinations.
The Chairman. So the Senate language is quite broad, but
your language is not saying it has to be looked at only on the
Mall, because the commission might come back and say there is
no room, but it would be adjacent areas to the Mall.
Mr. Becerra. That is correct.
The Chairman. Thanks. That clears up my question.
The District of Columbia--help me on this, I am sympathetic
of our Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, because any
time something goes on within the District--(it is our second
city, we have our home cities but we spend a couple of days a
week here). The District of Columbia is involved in
consultation--are they or are they not--when the commission
looks at it?
Mr. Secretary. Any input--I am talking about traffic,
parking.
Mr. Small. Probably, that would be the case when a
commission like--I would imagine--I believe that would be the
case because, obviously, when people get to either siting a
building or designing a building, they end up having to talk to
various authorities in the City Government, the National
Capital Planning Commission, the Fine Arts Commission et
cetera. So it would be perfectly normal that they would be
consulted.
The Chairman. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, whether
we are talking about closing Independence or Constitution, we
always try to agree for the interests of the District of
Columbia. I am just talking about traffic and the future plans
of the District of Columbia, and that answers my question.
The only other one I would have, so I won't take up all the
time, Ms. Camber, you have had a lot of success in expanding
the collections at the Bass Museum of Art, and you have grown
the museum itself. Can you just tell us a couple of key
ingredients doing that? Also were there any key stumbling
blocks?
Ms. Camber. I think the key ingredient is recognizing the
diversity of the community, and it is recognizing their
interests. Because when I came to the museum, the only
collection was a predominantly European old masters collection.
And while that has proved very significant and served the
universities in particular as being an area where they could
study in the flesh, if you will, a Rubens painting or a
Botticelli, it was important to look at the greater community
and see where its interests were.
So I think that is very, very important. I would hope that
this new museum will be as diverse as it could possibly be and
give some attention--I am sure people have given thought to
this already--to the Caribbean communities also that are part
of the Latino culture. In a way, if we are talking about
linguistically, we are less recognized--Miami is such a
microcosm for the diversity of the Latino culture,we have
virtually every Latin American, Central American and Caribbean culture
residing in our area, and many, many artists. And also, involving
artists is very important in this effort. They are often overlooked in
the process. We are consumers of art in an art museum, but involving
the artist in the planning process may be important.
Growing the collections, I think, for a national museum
will probably be far easier than it has been for a regional or
local museum. I think, when you do this, people will come
forward with collections of all sorts. But there are many
important Latino culture collections that reside in private
hands that may come out when it is announced in a formal way
that there truly will be such a museum. And I see it as being a
highly successful endeavor.
The Chairman. Dr. Yorba, if this proceeds, do you see--in
what you have been involved with as professional interest--a
networking where you will get advice or consultation from
museums across the U.S. to come up with ideas?
Mr. Yorba. Absolutely. A number of years ago, one of the
programs that the Center for Latino Initiatives produced was to
bring together, for the first time, all of the directors of
Latino museums. There is a broad network. In addition, the
Latino Network that I chair has as its purpose to be that
vehicle. In addition, I brought with me a listing of the Latino
museums in the Nation. We are in the process of updating it,
but when I flipped through it this morning as I was flying in,
there is nothing in Washington, DC. So as we are talking about
the concept of physical space, there surely is a need.
There is another kind of a space though that I would like
to bring up, and that is the concept of social space. Having
the level of representation at the national level is critical.
The Chairman. Thank you.
The gentleman from Connecticut.
Mr. Larson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And again, I want to thank the panelists. I have three
questions and primarily informational, and one of them I am
going to direct to Representative Becerra who has worked so
hard on this and whose passion I so deeply appreciate. It is
really just one of a semantical question, I guess. But in terms
of arriving at--in the discussion between you and Ileana and
the committee, how did you arrive at the name of American
Latino? And was there discussion?
Because oftentimes my constituents will inquire of me the
difference between Latino and Hispanic and what that means
culturally. I would find that informative myself and would be
interested in how you arrived at that.
My second question would be directed to Dr. Small and that
would be on, based on the already $1 million budget cut in the
Appropriations Committee--and I noted your very political
answer, and plus your enthusiasm for wanting to move forward
with this, what is it that you would need, facing all the
conditions that you face currently, as you pointed out very
appropriately, with all the challenges the Smithsonian has,
what kind of funding level do you think you would need in order
to proceed?
And finally, to both Dr. Yorba and Ms. Camber, when you are
looking at the largest Latino museums in the Country, where are
they? And do you have particular specializations by type of
exhibit or countries represented? Do they tend to be in general
collections?
Those are the three questions I have, and I will start with
the distinguished gentleman from California.
Mr. Becerra. Mr. Larson, if there is any question more
difficult to answer than where will you site this museum in
Washington, D.C., it is what will you name it, for the reasons
you just pointed out. If we were to go to certain parts of the
Country, New Mexico, you might want to call it the Hispano-
American museum. Some areas of the Country would say Hispanic-
American. Others would say American Latino.
I, frankly, do not care so much about the name. I am more
interested in what Dr. Yorba said, about having the social
presence, physical presence of an institution that would
reflect what we are as an American people. And the last thing I
would want us to do is get to the point where a name is what
stops us from having an institution.
But it was a name that was discussed among many who worked
on this issue. And we adopted what we thought was what was most
supported and proposed by those who have been expert in moving
this issue forward over the many, many years.
Mr. Larson. Again, I thank you for your passion.
And Dr. Yorba I saw you nodding your head did you want to
comment at all?
Mr. Yorba. There is an African American historian who has
written that ``naming is a form of power, and images have the
power to define place and personality.'' And very much what
Congressman Becerra said is true. If you go to different parts
of the Nation, people will say that they self-identify in
different ways.
The most critical part of the name to me is the ``national
museum.'' It speaks, therefore, of the place and power to
define that social space for Latinos.
And, again, I am sure that the Commission will have some
very interesting, perhaps contentious, conversations. But in
the end, what really matters is that we are creating the actual
entity for the display of Latino material culture.
Mr. Larson. Very well put.
Did you want to comment as well, Diane?
Ms. Camber. I agree with Dr. Yorba. What is most important
is that there be such a national movement. I think the word
Latino or the use of that term perhaps wise to an extent
because it is the most inclusive. So you might want to consider
in this museum representing cultures that are represented in
our population, certainly in Miami, such as Brazilians who are
not Spanish speaking and Caribbean cultures. That is going to
be for the commission to decide. But that is a personal
perspective. I deal with that on a daily basis.
Also, we have a large Haitian community which can be
considered Latin in the broadest sense, because French is a
related language there. But whatever it is, it should be a
national museum that finally represents this huge and growing
part of our population. And the diversity of the collections is
a consideration also. Will it have history and art? I think it
probably should, but, again, that is my personal perspective.
Mr. Small. If the question is what kind of incremental
resources would a museum of this nature entail, obviously, it
would be premature to comment simply because the commission has
not even made any recommendations as to what it would be.
Empirically, if you look back at other museums that the
Smithsonian has done, the National Museum of the American
Indian or other large museums, you are talking about a project
that, had it been done in the late 1990s and early 2000, a
museum like the new Air and Space Museum is a $300 million-plus
project. The National Museum of the American Indian totals $220
million.
And then you end up ultimately with staffs in these stand-
alone museums of several hundred people, costing tens of
millions of dollars a year. So, if the commission were
ultimately to recommend such an institution and have it in the
Smithsonian, you can be sure that it will require hundreds of
millions of dollars to create it and tens of millions a dollars
a year to run it.
Mr. Larson. Plus that also we must take into consideration
as well, as you said, the ongoing maintenance of all the
Smithsonian facilities, sets. So my point was that with budget
cuts like this, I know the balancing act that goes on, and I
think it is important that our committee especially, which has
cognizance, makes sure to the appropriating committees just how
important this is and the fact that we want to see appropriate
funding there because of the kind of treasures, as you so
appropriately put it, that you protect and safeguard and the
tremendous exposure that Americans have.
I was here on the 4th with my family and just saw the
massive crowds; in fact, went by and didn't have the fortunate
experience of hearing Mr. Becerra, but nonetheless we did enjoy
a lot of the music that was pervading from the Mall as well. It
is an extraordinary experience.
We are so well served by the Smithsonian and we should
endeavor to do everything we can to make sure you are
appropriately funded. Thank you.
For Dr. Yorba and Ms. Camber, my question was about the
largest museums that exist today and what kind of specialties
they present and perhaps your vision, part of which you already
started down the path, to talk about what you see for the
national museum.
Mr. Yorba. To your point, you said, ``Where are they?'' And
I imagine you are talking about the collections, the material
culture that exists. If you go to the majority of the leading
institutions in any State, you will find something. Diane
mentioned that there are a number of private collections. But
there is also an important collection, and that is the
Smithsonian Institution itself, in which it has art, history,
and other kinds of material culture that are in the process of
being revealed through exhibitions.
I know that that is something Secretary Small and other
initiatives are working collectively on with the Institution.
The critical point is that the Nation owns much of this
material, and it is now up to the Commission to determine how
to work not only with the Smithsonian, but also with other
institutions throughout the Nation--perhaps in some kind of
reciprocal relationship to have the works displayed.
Ms. Camber. I am not an expert on Latino museums in the
United States, but my overall impression is that they tend to
be small and started up because of local interest and
participation, and that they need a lot of nurturing and are
beginning to grow and develop. But I think having such a
national museum would help these institutions, because
therewould be this great national recognition of these important
cultures.
Mr. Larson. I thank all three of you for your very fine
contribution and testimony.
The Chairman. The gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to get
into some of the broader policy issues. Before I do that, I
would just suggest to resolve the naming controversy, just name
it the Becerra museum or the Ros-Lehtinen, things like that.
That is the good news. The bad news, of course, we couldn't do
that until you die, so you will never get to see it.
But I am most worried about the broad policy issues. And I
recall when we considered the African American Museum and its
location, they wanted it on the Mall. The argument was, well,
the American Indian or Native American Museum is on the Mall,
so we should be in the Mall too. Largely because of the Senate,
I believe they simply said no. And, frankly, my druthers would
be that the American Indian not be on the Mall either.
And, Mr. Small, these questions are primarily addressed to
you, because even though you said you don't comment on pending
legislation, you do have the responsibility for the overall
planning and policy setting for the museum along with your
board. And it seems to me what would be ideal in this situation
rather than to do as we have been doing, which is just sort of
a hodgepodge--someone wants a museum, we say yes, and they
raise some money and we do it, and on an ad hoc basis decide
where it is to be located, et cetera--it would be much better
to have an overall policy of we are going to have, for lack of
a better term, cultural museums. I think there would be real
advantages to having them side by side so that members of the
general public who are interested in all these different
cultures can see them on one trip or become acquainted with
them on a one-by-one basis.
Another question is the financial aspects. I recall meeting
with you shortly after you took your position, and your biggest
concern was where is the money coming from? And you had to do
some serious chopping over a number of years. In fact, I was
worried you might get the nickname ``Chainsaw Larry'' with all
the cutting that you had to do. And I wouldn't be surprised if
your staff had already dreamed that up before I mentioned it.
There are some serious problems here.
Another issue that it seems to me is important, are you
going to do this on a linguistic basis? And, Ms. Camber, you
mentioned something related to that problem. I had thought of
the same thing before. If we do something for the Latinos, what
about the Brazilians, what about some of the Caribbean nations'
different languages, or even there are some that speak Dutch.
So are you going to do it on a linguistic basis or location
basis or a cultural basis? And then the question is how are we
going to deal with all the future requests. My parents were
Dutch immigrants, so I am partial to the Dutch. My wife's
parents were also Dutch immigrants. So we are both partial to
the Dutch. I think it would be wonderful to have a Dutch
museum. But then you may have other groups. Our Chairman may
want a Farsi-speaking museum. Appalachians that speak Farsi.
Okay, that might reduce the fund-raising basis quite a bit.
But at any rate, what I am getting at, Dr. Small, is the
real issue here of what is our policy going to be. We can't ad-
hoc it anymore. We have done that already and I don't think the
results have always been that good. I think it would be great
if we could establish a cultural center. They are supposedly
going to tear down the old Convention Center. Would that be a
good location for a cluster of culture museums where people who
are interested in that can see not only their own heritage but
the heritage of many other peoples? Because after all, we are
Americans. We come--there are many cultures, but we are unified
as Americans. And so you can have something that brings
together everyone.
These are some of the issues I would like to see addressed.
We are not going to do it as long as we do this on a one-by-one
basis, building-by-building basis.
Now my question to you is, have you thought about any of
these questions? Has your board looked into any of these
questions? Are you interested in developing an overall policy
for cultural museums? And if so, where does that stand?
Mr. Small. These questions most certainly have been debated
and extensively discussed by the Board of Regents at the
Smithsonian, and certainly by the staff, for an extended period
of time. I think the essence of it all is that the Smithsonian
is responding more than anything else to Congress.
Congress's first wish over the last few years has been for
the Smithsonian allegedly not to expand. And the reason is that
there is a billion and a half dollars of deferred maintenance
on the existing buildings, and the funding has been very tight.
And there is certainly no lack of logic in that particular
point of view. But at the same time, legislation has been
passed to have a National Museum of the American Indian, a
National Museum of African American History and Culture, and to
have them in the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian is delighted to be working on these and
honored to be working on them, but has to deal with the issue
that, as these multi-hundred million dollar projects get put in
place that carry with them tens of millions of dollars
ofoperating cost, it also to a certain extent, has had its base
operations cannibalized to do these new things. And these new things
involve further maintenance.
As to whether there could be a master plan for this, that
would be something that the Congress would get behind in a big
way, I honestly don't know. But we are right now dealing with a
series of very specific pieces of legislation that have been
enacted in the past.
The issue of the Mall has not been put out of bounds for
the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The four sites cited in the legislation have to ultimately be
chosen among by the Smithsonian's Board of Regents; and two of
them are, in fact, on the Mall. So that is not a topic that has
come to an end.
It may be that there could be some master plan out there
that would be acceptable to Congress. But I think the fact is
that we are dealing with specific pieces of legislation that
have been initiated by Members of Congress. And it may well be
that there will be others coming as other groups, as you point
out, see the success of, let's say, the National Museum of the
American Indian, which I think is going to be brilliantly
executed, and the National Museum of African American History
and Culture, which will have all the signs of being a superb
institution as well.
Mr. Ehlers. So your basic answer is you don't see yourself
as setting the policy unless the Congress asks you to establish
the policy for these museums.
Mr. Small. I think it would be highly improbable that the
Smithsonian could set the policy on this when the issues that
the Smithsonian faces regarding its museums are largely
financial. And if the money isn't there to run the Smithsonian,
which is the case today, the Smithsonian certainly wouldn't put
itself in the position of recommending expansion. If the
Congress decides to expand by adding on new institutions, the
first thing we would say is let's take care of what we have;
then, if you want to do a new institution, let's make sure the
funding is there for that. But for us to be proposing--given
the billion and a half dollar backlog of maintenance that we
have--new institutions, without having the Congress saying that
is what we want to do--would strike me as just falling on--
something that would fall on deaf ears.
Mr. Ehlers. So your first answer really is, show me the
money.
Mr. Small. Not only the first one; it is going to be the
last one, too.
Mr. Ehlers. All right. I appreciate your forthrightness. I
believe it is important.
Mr. Chairman, I really think it might be advisable that we
do this in conjunction with the Senate; that we simply say we
can't go on one by one this way. We have to have an overall
plan of location, of financing, of how we are going to do this.
I think we are in a real problem here with if we don't get
more money allocated for this. And I have nothing against any
of the projects proposed, but we can easily destroy what we
have and add something new, which in turn would be destroyed as
something else comes along. So I would suggest that as we
consider this we talk about either establishing a commission to
do the overall policy planning, or ask the Smithsonian to do it
and outline very specifically what the financial needs are
going to be. I yield back.
The Chairman. Just for the record, so we don't get
thousands of letters from Afghani or Iranian Americans that
speak Farsi, I am an Appalachian that happens to speak Farsi.
So we are saying that in jest. So it would be a museum of three
people.
The gentlelady from California.
Ms. Millender-McDonald. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am concerned about the safety issue that has been brought
to the attention of those of us who sit on this committee and
on the Transportation Committee with reference to these old
buildings and the renovation of these buildings, namely that of
the Smithsonian. It comes to the buildings, public buildings
and Federal buildings, in the Transportation Committee.
So the first thing, setting aside this, where are we in
terms of Mr. Small, Secretary Small, the $1.5 billion that we
are talking about their renovation, because in trying to make
sure we secure the perimeters of all of these buildings, we
need to look at the inner workings of these buildings when the
public is coming through. So the first thing that I ask you is,
where are we in trying to get the appropriation that is endemic
to the renovation of the Smithsonian, which is one of our prize
buildings?
Mr. Small. Thank you for that question, Congresswoman,
because I think it is a very, very important question. My
answer to you would be that we are making very strong progress
because of the support that Congress is giving to this issue.
We are not where we need to be yet. If you have a billion and a
half dollars worth of deferred maintenance, our thought was it
would be prudent and reasonable to ask the Congress to try to
give us 150 million dollars a year towards that problem, so
that over the course of the decade we could whittle away at it
and clean it up.
When I came on board at the Smithsonian in the year 2000,
we were getting about $44 million a year and we are now at over
the $120 million level. So in about 4 or 5 years' time we have
made significant progress. But given that we are adding on
these new museums, we are going to have to get over $150
million a year that will have to be there allthe time to take
care of these buildings.
So I think to realistically go from $40 million-plus a year
to $120 million-plus a year in 4 or 5 years represents clearly
that Congress is getting behind this effort. But we have to
remember, we have to get over $150 million a year.
I couldn't agree more with what you have said. I haven't
met anybody in Congress who really doesn't agree that the
safety of the collections, the safety of our visitors, the
safety of our staff--we even have day care centers in these
buildings--so of the children who are there, not to mention all
the millions of students who come--is paramount.
I think we are making good progress. The Smithsonian
buildings are safe and where there have been safety issues we
have closed off those areas and made sure they are not being
accessed by the public.
Ms. Millender-McDonald. Those are things that I think we do
have that is disturbing to me, because that is one of our prize
possessions here this country. You should not be closing off
any institution or any Federal building that suggests art work
by all of the people of this country, other countries.
So I would like to talk with you more about that, as I have
talked with Congresswoman Holmes Norton, about the Federal
buildings and as we look at the outer perimeters of protecting
the buildings, we have to ensure the protection inside of the
buildings where the public and our children who have child care
come through.
Now, when it comes to the request for the other museums,
certainly one would suggest that most groups want to see the
establishment of something that holds dear to them their
culture and the art work and the material records that will
connote generations to come knowing those things that are
inside of these museums.
It seems to me like we need to have an assessment of land
use around here, Mr. Chairman, to see just where we are, where
we must and need to go, where can we go, if anyplace. I know
the Museum of African American--the National Museum of African
Americans has had its growing pains in trying to find a
suitable place--which has yet, I suppose, Secretary Small, has
not been decided?
Mr. Small. Correct.
Ms. Millender-McDonald. Because of myriad issues in the
limitation of land use. So it appeared to me that before we can
do anything else, giving that we have this one kind of in
abeyance, the National Museum of African Americans, we need to
look at some land-use space and the limitations so that we can
provide any commission that comes forward with those
limitations.
And certainly I would suggest to my friend, the
distinguished gentleman out of California, that we do not wish
to limit ourselves on talking about where we want it, because
the Senate will sure enough come in and say no, or you can't do
this, or a group of persons who may have gotten together on the
African American one has suggested that we can do that, as well
as the citizens here in Washington also have weighed in on
this. So we have to first see where we are before we can get to
where we want to go. And that would be my request to have an
assessment of the land use.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. I want to thank the gentlelady. She has hit
on something very important. That is why I mentioned the
District of Columbia and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton,
the Mayor, the Council, planning commissions, because as we sit
here--and I think we have to be cognizant and sympathetic
toward communicating and working with the District of Columbia.
It is great to have all the tourists, and to see them back
here.
This committee, all of you on this committee, have helped,
as we all have since 9/11, to keep the building open. The
Speaker has been insistent on safety and security, keeping the
building open, and that is great. There are a lot of tourists
now that are coming back; you see the crowds.
The more museums or buildings or whatever that are built,
if we always just look towards the Mall, what do we do about
traffic and parking? How do tourists actually park somewhere
within walking distance; or are there going to be more shuttles
or transportation use that can be thought of to get people back
and forth? I think those are things that must be taken into
consideration--I know Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has
always been cooperative, but obviously wants the input of the
District. I think that is a good thing to be aware of and to
look at future planning. Thank you.
With that, I want to thank again all the witnesses, both
panels who have worked so hard, our two Members of Congress who
are working together on this. Everybody is prepared for the
hearing as usual, Mr. Larson, his staff and our staff and all
the members that are here today.
I ask unanimous consent that members and witnesses have 7
legislative days to submit material in the record for their
statements and materials. It will be entered in the appropriate
place in the record. Without objection, materials will be
entered.
I ask unanimous consent that staff be authorized to make
technical and conforming changes on matters considered by the
committee at today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered.
Having completed our business today, the committee is
hereby adjourned. Thank you.
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[Whereupon, at 2:55 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]