[inaudible conversations] the committee on House Administration will come to order. I note a quorum is present without objection c the chair my declare a racist at any time but also that objection the meeting record will remain open for five legislative days so members may submit any materials they wish to be included therein. Thank you Ranking Member, members of the committee and s secretary for joining us for todays hearing. The Smithsonian Institution are the largest educational complex comprised of museums Educational Resources and services. The sodium preserves our heritage and history while sharing its knowledge with the world for each year millions of americans visit the Smithsonian Museum of each joint each of the spaces and Educational Opportunities the smithsonian provides. Roughly 137s objects in its collection visitors have an abundance of history and heritage to explore paid the smithsonian receives 1. 14 billion to the federal government in the last fiscal year. Two thirds of its total budget employs over 4000 fulltime employees. Today the commitment House Administration of the Smithsonian Institution will discuss the institutions operations and longterm goals. It has been three years since a Committee Held a wide ranging oversight hearing of the smithsonian on a variety of issues have come up during that time. In t the last three years the institution has frequently been in the news hot button cultural topics from panda diplomacy to museum repatriation policies. We have seen the smithsonian and a handful of headlines. The committee will explore how the smithsonians materials reflect america diversity of opinions. As a taxpayerfunded institution the smithsonian must ensure that stop partisan or bias our job is to ensure the smithsonians acting as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars of also export to museums congress has authorized in the Institutions Division t for these divisions n 2020 congress authorized the creation of the National Museum of latino and smithsonian American History museum. A final decision for placement of thesese museums looms the smithsonian Strategic Plan annual planset congressional budget plans outline a robust and complex enterprise but did not articulate a longterm strategy for the team used new museums without a clear longterm strategy the museum may find it hard to bounce longterm vision with a more mundane daily operation which are so critical for success. Todays hearing will examine both the daytoday operations of the smithsonian while also looking to his longterm goals. As chairman im committed to ensuring that institutions are working the best interest of the american people. Mr. Secretary appreciate you being with us today. I look forward to our discussion in particular i look forward to hearing more about what ive been told is the original cheese head after a loss of the Green Bay Packers last night to the new york giants it is a little tough to look at the cheese head this morning. But appreciate you being here. Look forward to our conversation on all recognize the Ranking Member to provide an Opening Statement. Thank you for committing this hearing. Take no sides which mean you are a new jersey they probably appreciate the giants are playing new jersey and the packers are playing wisconsin. But i appreciate you being here. We are really grateful to the chairman for convening it. In this hearing providing oversight over what is the crown jewels of america the Smithsonian Institution certainly welcome mr. Secretary for being here is our witness. As the chairman said since its founding more than 175 years ago, the smithsonian has become the most visited Museum Complex on the planet. It has grown to 21 museums, Numerous Research center the Library System network of hundreds ofs affiliates and the national zoo. It is one of the worlds most for most Research Entities the smithsonian is on the cutting edge of advances in science. In the arts and in the humanities purchased last month the smithsonian partnered with nassar to unveil a fragment of an asteroid currently in orbit around the sun. Truly remarkable. To provide insights in how water and organic molecules first reached earth billions of years ago. Now its and form our understanding of the solar system for generations to come. Getting a piece of this asteroid tfor free it is truly remarkabl. A bit closer to home while we are all sad to say goodbye to that national zunes giant pandas americans should take solace peknowing these smithsonian observations and research over the last decades have played a significant role in moving giant pandas off the endangered species list despite the smithsonians many successes it is not without challenges. These challenges must be addressed so the smithsonian can continue its Great Mission for the next 175 years and beyond. Earlier this year requested an update from you, mr. Secretary, on the smithsonians response to allegations of Sexual Misconduct for more than a dozen female scientists. The allegations are deeply unsettling theon conduct descrid is completelyac unacceptable. Im very grateful for the secretarys thoughtful response in the creation of the smithsonian Civil Program a centralized resource employees to report harassment or other inappropriate behavior and look forward to continued updates this morning. In addition while i am thrilled congress authorized the National Museum of the latino and american womans History Museum on the overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, i remain frustrated the original legislation was amended to make the law conflict with itself. After the house passed legislation declaring congress intense that the museums to be on the nationaln mall and even requiring certain locations be considered in the senate added language prohibiting the museum for being built on the National Mall. He obviously that makes no sense us but since the language expressing Congress Intent requiring ahsan on the mall stay in the bill im hopeful we can Work Together to fix the law to ensure the mute these take place in americas front yard. In the meantime im interested in learning about the progress made in developing exhibition of programs to these museums. Im especially interested house and senate maintains territorial independence at a time at many look to exploit cultural issues to score political points. I am also eager for an update on the smithsonian efforts to write a revolting historical wrong 19th and early 20 century practice of removing brains from deceased a black and Indigenous People for study without consent of them or their families. Theyre not words in the english language sufficient to capture just how repugnant and dehumanizing a practice this was. Earlier this years of the secretary bunch of letters asking for details on the smithsonians plan to repatriate return human remains to victims families. I again appreciate secretary response detailing the work of the smithsonians Human Remains Task force and public apology in behalf of the institution. Im looking forward to hearing more about the work of the task force and any headway that has made been made in the repatriation effort. Finally i am interested in learning more about efforts to strengthening smithsonian infrastructure and facilities i hope your updates on a renovation to the air and space museum my alltime favorite place in the world, the status of the deferred maintenance backlog to take collections against the effects of quite climate change. Okay mr. Secretary thank you for not only being here today we continue Public Service of the country with that mr. Charlie yelled back progress dermot yields back without objection all members Opening Statements will obey part of the hearing s record they are submitted to the city clerk by 5 00 p. M. Today pursuant to paragraph b of Committee Rule six though it is a police stand or break your. I do solemnly swear or affirm the testimony that you are about to give t us the truth, the whoe truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . But the r record showed the witness answered in the affirmative and they be seated. I will now introduce our witness secretary ronnie bunch assumed the role as the 14th secretary of the smithsonian on june 16, 2019 the secretary received 21 museums, 21 library scum at the national duke, Numerous Research center several educational units and centers. Previously mr. Bunch served as a founding director of the smithsonians National Museum of africanAmerican History and culture. Secretary bunch we appreciate you being here today look forward to your testimony. As a reminder weve rated a written statement it will appear in full in the hearingng record. Under Committee Rule nine a brief summary of your written statements. Please return on your microphone so members can hear you i now recognize you secretary bunch for five minutes. Thank you very much. Thank you for the opportunity to not to testify tonight hopee you take times to see these amazing artifacts the original cheeses, head, to be able to look at eight morning watch for Mary Todd Lincoln. To look at some the pins that were given to the Suffrage Movement. I want to make sure you spend time looking at that today but became since i became secretary in 2019 i have been impressed and gratified by congress, the administration and the American Public at the smithsonian to hep advance the , educational, scientific and artistic life of this nation. This support we receive enables us to engage with and educate people on importantic topics lie the essence of the american experience, the diversity of world cultures the sustainability of the planet on the nature of the universe. One of my goals as secretary is ton reach every home in every classroom in the country assuring our content to celebrate ourac achievements and help us grapple with contemporary issues. All of which helps us to come together to work towards a better shared future. Our Educational Programming is becoming more crystallized as we establish strategic collaboration with organizations like the 4h club, boys and girls clubs of america pbs we are hosting students to washington for facilitated learning experiences with educators centering around engagement. At the same time we are bringing our content to others to these partnerships for for example are currently developing a pilot programir into the boys and girs clubs focusing on civics and history which we hope to take nationwide in 2026. And as you have mentioned our worldclass scientific endeavors alsoif continue with efforts wih the capturing the first image of a black hole to running a century long reforestation project. Families are science provide incredible return on investment to the american people, its a work that can only happen at the smithsonian and it is work researchers around the world rely on. And as i look ahead to the future of this institution im excited about what lies ahead for the Worlds Largest museum, education and Research Complex the nations 2050th anniversary will be a launching point for the transformation of the smithsonian into an o institution that better reach the needs of the nation. That pivotal event will not only serve as a celebration of what we have been but will also give us a glimpse of a more nimble relevant and effective institution. Proving these smithsonian matters today, tomorrow, and every day and every part of the country. To coincide with that event we are programming celebrating as a nation and the smithsonian place in it. We will invite americans to explore all corners ofri her complex histories and find ways of moving Forward Together in our shared a future. The renovated air and space museum should be fully open to thepu public in time. Ive asked my team to work toward temporary opening to the public and explore and celebrate that as we look forward to the the world is rapidly changing and with that sore the needs and expectations of the american people. We look ahead to the next tune of 50 years the smithsonian will need to adapt. We want to be more digital institution we want to provide resources to helplp communities understand challengers like the challenge of climate change. We must help our citizens become more engaged and become better informed and have civil discourse on important topics that affect us all. Building the smithsonian American History museum will help us tell him opera most expensive version of the american story. As impressive as these museums will surely be when they rise in the National Mall, they will only represent a fraction of the Institution Transformation in the years to come. With your support we will build on our resources, our expertise in our trust we will restore our facilities while creating new ones will take advantage of technology and partnerships to reach more people than ever we will chart a bold new course for the smithsonian that strengthens our shared future but thank you for your and the opportunity to testify before you today and im now happy to answer any questions you might have a. Thank you very much thank you for being here today record dismissal for five minutes for the purpose of asking questions. I want to drill down a little but the broader spendingf requet of the smithsonian. In particular balancing the backlog of maintenance with the two new museums that are coming online in the nottoodistant future. As i understand it with the smithsonian is about 2 billion in backlog for maintenance of current facilities, is that accurate . Whats it iss correct. We have a new program that gives me more assessments but i believe its 2 billion progress inside of that is the smithsonian request for funding to congress it seems to only half of the broader recommended rate of two 4 of the aggregate current replacement value. Many are we falling further behind on deferred maintenance of fleet fulfill the smithsonian request . A plan to baby want to make sure we can utilize all the resources you give us. Part of what i am trying to do now is to be more strategic in terms of how we utilize our capitol budgets as wells or Building Maintenance budget. Therefore with dumb things like wheat redundant space museum it allowed us to reduce our current backlogs. I think reality is we need the support you will give us and any dollars you give us we do use towards building to make sure we handled the backlog. But in the funding request is the amount of funds requested sufficient to not fall for the hot or is that a sufficient amount . Quick so help us move forward but will ask for more in the future brickwork the reason i ask we have two new museums were looking to bring online you are uniquelyn qualified and the role of your previous work on african American History museum. We look at that the broader focus here on the Strategic Planning and your efforts to bring them forward whether or not we arere prepared to move tt forward. Could you give color t as to whe you are at in the broader Strategic Planning process for the two new museums in particular the location of the two museums . Whats a child with the two new museums are that we have to make sure that we get the Site Selection resolved. There is very little we can do without siteon selection. We have been very successful and raised over 60 million for each museum already. But that will only grow once we come point towards here is where the museums would be part of what we have done is a recognized we do not want to wait until he museums her up it may be 10 or 12 years away. We have already begun to do things like more offline work to get people that history about the Latino Community weve create a new latino exhibition gallery that will allow us to demonstrate to the public, here are the stories we can tell and get people excited. The bottom line is we are ready to move forward. We are going to need however more support to build the staffu of those museums. To be shoot able to get the ultimate decisions about sites and construction print what i will say though based on my experience is that we are able to as we build the new museums we are able to get funds that will pay for construction and a lot ofsk things we know we haveo ask congress for. So its really a crucial moment inhe the history of these museus to see what we are going to be over the next year regrets the time i have left on a shift topics of aiken might nieces and nephews came to d. C. They got to see the pandas before they departed. I can tell you for kids love the pandas. But, as we dive in and we talk about panda diplomacy if you will theres a policy sides of this as well. And it is, i understand the national zoo paid china at 10 million would loan the giant pandas for 10 years is that accurate . Whats it is correct free. That what was extended throughout that