[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 126 (Friday, September 19, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9725-S9726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND THE BOY SCOUTS

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to note a recent injustice 
done to one of America's most valuable associations, the Boy Scouts, by 
one of our most valued institutions, the Smithsonian. I also rise to 
express my appreciation to Smithsonian Secretary I. Michael Heyman for 
his assurance that such an injustice will not occur again in the 
future.
  Mr. President, in January of this year the Smithsonian Institution 
denied an application from the Boy Scouts of America to use the 
National Zoo's auditorium for a Court of Honor ceremony for District of 
Columbia area Scouts.
  Why would the Smithsonian deny such an application from a group known 
for its commitment to environmental conservation? According to Robert 
J. Hoage, Chief of the Smithsonian's Office of Public Affairs, the 
Smithsonian's policy prohibits co-sponsoring events with any 
organization that exercises bias on the basis of religious beliefs.
  Asked about this decision, the Smithsonian's communications director, 
David Umansky, explained: ``Our lawyers have documented cases of the 
Boy Scouts denying membership to atheists, and that violates our non-
discrimination code.'' The Smithsonian also claimed that the honor 
court event was not sufficiently relevant to the National Zoo's 
mission. But that claim stretches credulity because of the Boy Scouts' 
myriad programs devoted to environmental education and conservation. 
Indeed, the Scouts' highest honor, awarded to only about 1,000 Scouts 
since 1914, recognizes exceptional work for environmental conservation.
  In a letter to my colleagues dated September 12, I expressed my 
dismay that the Boy Scouts, an organization that has helped literally 
millions of American boys reach responsible manhood, should be denied 
access to a federally supported institution because it exercises its 
constitutional right to free exercise of religion. I also expressed 
concern that the Smithsonian Institution should enforce a policy 
diametrically opposed to the principles on which our nation was 
founded. The Smithsonian, our premier teaching museum, is entrusted 
with, among other treasures, the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that 
Francis Scott Key saw flying when he penned our national anthem. I 
recently sponsored legislation appropriating $8 million to the 
Smithsonian for restoration of that flag. I was frankly disturbed to 
see that the institution to which it has been entrusted was acting in 
this manner.
  However, Mr. President, I am now relieved to report that Secretary 
Heyman, in a September 15 letter to my distinguished colleague, Senator 
Frist, who serves as a regent to that Institution, has apologized for 
this action. Further, Secretary Heyman's letter expressed his 
conviction that ``our special events policy clearly allows the 
sponsorship of events by all groups, including religious groups, that 
are consistent with the mission and tradition of the Smithsonian.''
  Recent events at the Smithsonian, including the proposed Enola Gay 
exhibit, with its misleading and inaccurate treatment of the Second 
World War, and a number of new exhibits distorting history to cast 
America and American values in a bad light, have caused me to worry 
about the future of this distinguished and crucially important 
institution. I thank Secretary Heyman for his courageous statement of 
fundamental policy and hope that it heralds a new, more positive era at 
the Smithsonian.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of my 
September 12 letter to my colleagues and the September 15 letter from 
Secretary Heyman to Senator Frist be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                               Washington, DC, September 12, 1997.
     Smithsonian Snubs Boy Scouts
       Dear Colleague: I want to bring to your attention the 
     latest in an unfortunate series of decisions made at the 
     Smithsonian Institution, America's premier teaching museum. 
     It has come to my attention that in January of this year the 
     Smithsonian denied an application from the Boy Scouts of 
     America to use the National Zoo's auditorium for a Court of 
     Honor ceremony for District of Columbia area Scouts. The 
     application was denied on the grounds that the scouts require 
     members to believe in God and that the event supposedly did 
     not meet the ``relevance requirement'' needed for Smithsonian 
     cosponsorship.
       In a letter to T. Anthony Quinn, president for District 
     Operations for the National Capital Area of the Boy Scouts of 
     America, Robert J. Hoage, Chief of the Smithsonian's Office 
     of Public Affairs stated that ``the Smithsonian's policy 
     prohibits co-sponsoring events with any organization that 
     exercises bias on the basis of religious beliefs.'' Asked by 
     a reporter from the newsweekly Human Events to explain this 
     decision, David Umansky, communications director for the 
     Smithsonian responded: ``Our lawyers have documented cases of 
     the Boy Scouts denying membership to atheists, and that 
     violates our non-discrimination code.''
       I find it deeply disturbing that the Boy Scouts, one of 
     America's most important private organizations, which has 
     helped literally millions of American boys reach responsible 
     manhood, should be denied access to a federally supported 
     institution because it exercises its Constitutional right to 
     free exercise of religion. I also am disturbed that the 
     Smithsonian Institution, the repository of so many objects 
     central to our heritage as a people, should enforce a policy 
     diametrically opposed to the principles on which our nation 
     was founded.
       In an August 14 follow-up letter to Mr. Quinn, Smithsonian 
     Under Secretary Constance Berry Newman failed to so much as 
     mention the ``anti-discrimination'' motivation behind this 
     rejection. Instead the Under Secretary detailed two 
     Smithsonian events involving Boy Scouts, both of which took 
     place several years ago. Her argument was that Smithsonian 
     ``policy emphasizes that the activity or event proposed by 
     the outside organization should have some Smithsonian 
     involvement and participation in the proposed activity or 
     event.'' That an event put on by the Boy Scouts, an 
     organization devoted to outdoor activities and knowledge of 
     the natural world, should be found ``irrelevant'' to the 
     National Zoo stretches credulity to the limit. Further, 
     recent events at the National Zoo clearly have had little to 
     do with that institution's mission. Events have included a 
     naturalization ceremony by the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service and a Washington Singers musical concert.
       I urge you to contact Smithsonian Secretary Michael Heyman 
     and/or members of his staff to express your deep concern that 
     the Boy Scouts, an institution of longstanding importance to 
     our culture, traditions and public life, is receiving such 
     inappropriate treatment. Further questions on this matter can 
     be directed to Bruce Frohnen of my office at extension 4-
     8841.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Spencer Abraham,
     U.S. Senate.
                                  ____



                                      Smithsonian Institution,

                               Washington, DC, September 15, 1997.
     Hon. William H. Frist,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Frist: As was discussed in this morning's 
     meeting of the Board of Regents, and knowing of your concern 
     on this issue, I am writing to apologize for an unfortunate 
     decision that denied the use of facilities of the National 
     Zoo to District of Columbia Boy Scouts last February. In a 
     letter

[[Page S9726]]

     denying the request, a determination was made that the event 
     did not comply with a requirement that all events be relevant 
     to the mission of the Smithsonian and further that the Boy 
     Scouts violated standards of non-discrimination with regards 
     to religion. I have reviewed this determination and reversed 
     it. Scouting is an important American institution that helps 
     in educating young men and women about the outdoors with 
     special emphasis on protection of the environment, a mission 
     relevant to and shared by the National Zoo.
       Further, as I mentioned in our meeting, I believe that our 
     Special Events Policy clearly allows the sponsorship of 
     events by all groups, including religious groups, that are 
     consistent with the mission and tradition of the Smithsonian. 
     This event certainly complied with that standard and its 
     denial on that ground was in error.
       The Smithsonian and the Scouts have over the years jointly 
     sponsored many events too numerous to mention here. I 
     apologize for this unfortunate mistake and look forward to 
     continuing our long standing and mutually productive 
     relationship with the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.
           Sincerely,
                                                I. Michael Heyman,
     Secretary.

                          ____________________