[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22990]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                RENAMING NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 3201) to rename the National Museum of American Art.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 3201

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. RENAMING OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART.

       (a) In General.--The National Museum of American Art, as 
     designated under section 1 of Public Law 96-441 (20 U.S.C. 71 
     note), shall be known as the ``Smithsonian American Art 
     Museum''.
       (b) References in Law.--Any reference in any law, 
     regulation, document, or paper to the National Museum of 
     American Art shall be considered to be a reference to the 
     Smithsonian American Art Museum.

     SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       Section 1 shall take effect on the day after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thomas) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I do want to thank my colleague and friend, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott), for his willingness to assist us in moving these 
pieces of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 3201 has its House counterpart authored by 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula). This is an interesting bill. It 
is ``what is in a name.'' We currently have the National Museum of 
American Art, and we are going to rename that National Museum of 
American Art not for the first time.
  In 1906, this Museum of American Art was called the National Gallery 
of Art. But in 1937, they built a building, which most of us now know 
is separate, and that name was given to that separate building, the 
National Gallery of Art.
  The National Museum of American Art is confused with a number of 
other museums because of the national museum connotation. So this piece 
of legislation will once again rename this museum so that it will never 
be mistaken again. The new name is the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, to 
state that we have no objection to this legislation and I urge its 
passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the author of this piece of 
legislation on the House side.
  Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, myself, along with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam 
Johnson) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui), serve as 
members of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. We 
have, together, sponsored the legislation that is the House bill, and, 
of course, it parallels the Senate bill which we are working on today. 
This legislation is introduced as a result of the approval of the name 
change for the museum at the September meeting of the Board of Regents.
  The regents believe this name change makes a clarification in the 
minds of many Americans who visit Washington, who are enthusiasts of 
American art, that the museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution. 
With this name clarification and the true connection in people's minds 
with the Smithsonian, the regents believe that more visitors will want 
to explore the treasures of the museum. We further hope that both 
attendance and private support for the museum will increase with this 
change.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the Members to adopt the Senate bill.
  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5214, offered by 
my good friend and colleague on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, Mr. 
Regula. 
  H.R. 5214 simply redesignates the current National Museum of American 
Art as the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This name change has been 
unanimously approved by the Smithsonian Board of Regents, but requires 
legislative approval to become official.
  The renaming directed in this legislation has become necessary to 
allieviate confusion that has arisen between the current National 
Museum of American Art, which is a Smithsonian museum, and the many 
other museums titled ``National Museum'' most of which are not 
Smithsonian museums.
  This will be the third name change for this museum, which was first 
established in 1908 as the ``National Gallery of Art.'' When Congress 
founded the current National Art Gallery, in 1937, the Smithsonian 
changed its gallery's name to ``National Collection of Fine Arts.'' 
Most recently, in 1980, Congress renamed it to its current title to 
more accurately reflect its collections.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation, while non-controversial, is an 
important formality for the Smithsonian Institution. The name 
``Smithsonian'' is instantly recognized worldwide, and the Smithsonian 
American Art Museum will be the beneficiary of that international 
reputation.
  I want to thank Mr. Thomas, the chairman of the House Administration 
Committee, and Mr. Hoyer, its ranking Member for their support in 
moving this legislation, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the motion.
  This bill renames the wonderful National Museum of American Art as 
the ``Smithsonian American Art Museum''. This museum is dedicated to 
the arts and artists of the United States, and its collections enable 
the public to enjoy America's visual arts both at the museum and on-
line.
  The museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, shares the historic 
Patent Building with the National Portrait Gallery.
  Known first as the National Gallery of Art, and later as the National 
Collection of Fine Arts, Congress in 1980 gave the museum its present 
name, at the Smithsonian's request, to reflect its mission and to 
conform to the style of the other Smithsonian ``national'' museums.
  However, since 1980, dozens of other museums have assumed the 
designation ``national'' in their names, thus weakening the 
Smithsonian's distinction as America's primary museum of works by 
American artists. Visitors to Washington are doubly confused by the 
presence on the Mall of the current National Gallery of Art, which is 
not part of the Smithsonian Institution.
  This change will clarify the museum's mission and status, and it is 
hoped, increase visitation numbers as museumgoers better understand and 
discover the contents and location of this important part of the 
Smithsonian. This non-controversial legislation has the support of the 
Smithsonian's Secretary and Board of Regents, and passed the Senate 
without dissent. I urge its passage by this House.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 3201.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________