Word. From the capitol to wherever you are. The opinion that matters the most is your own. Cspan, powered by cable. Now, the Smithsonian Institution secretary showcases the collection at an oversight hearing held by the house of menstruation committee. Artifacts on display include an original 1990 wisconsin cheese head, a watch belonging to the former first Lady Mary Todd lincoln and pins from the Suffrage Movement. They also focus on efforts to bring pandas back to the national zoo, in the process of choosing which exhibits to put on display. This is just over one hour. H. The committee of House Administration will come to order. I note that a quorum is present. Without objection the chair may declare recess at any time. The committee on House Administration will come to order. I note that a quorum is present. Also, without objection the meeting record will remain open for five legislative days so materials may be submitted therein. Thank you members of the committee and the secretary for joining us for todays hearing. The Smithsonian Institution is the Worlds Largest educational complex comprised of museums, educational resources, and research services. Founded in 1846, it preserves our heritage while sharing knowledge with the world. Each year millions of americans visit the Smithsonian Museum join the educational opportunities. With 21 museums and roughly 137 million objects in its collection, visitors have an abundance of history and heritage to explore. The smithsonian receives 1. 41 billion from the federal government in the last fiscal year. Two thirds of its total budget and employs over 4000 employees. Today the committee on House Administration charged with conducting oversight of the institution will discuss the operations and longterm goals. It has been three years since the committee has held a wide ranging oversight hearing of the smithsonian and on a variety of issues they have come up over time. They have frequently been in the news on hot button cultural topics from panda diplomacy to museum repatriation policies. We have seen the smithsonian in a handful of headlines. The committee will explore how the materials reflect americas diverse diversity of opinions. As a taxpayerfunded institution they must ensure work is not politically partisan or biased. Our job is to ensure that the smithsonian is acting as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. The committee will also explore two new museums that congress has authorized in the vision for these facilities. In 2020, congress authorized the american latino and smithsonian womens history museum. While the final decision for placement of these museums looms, the smithsonians strategic strategic requests outline a robust and complex enterprise, but do not articulate a longterm strategy yet for the two new museums. Without a clear longterm strategy, the museums may find it hard to balance longterm visions with the mundane daily operations that are critical for success. This will examine the dayto day operations of the smithsonian while also looking to its longterm goals. As chairman i am committed to ensuring that institutions are working in the best interest of the american people. Mr. Secretary, i appreciate you being with us today and i look forward to our discussion. In particular, look forward to hearing more about what im told is the original cheese head and after a loss of the Green Bay Packers last night to give the Opening Statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman for this hearing. You probably appreciate the giants play in new jersey and the packers play in wisconsin. But i appreciate you being here. Were really grateful to the chairman for convening it. And this providing an oversight in what i think is the crowning jewel of america. The smithsonian. Thank you mr. Secretary for being here as our witness. As the chairman said, since the founding of the 175 years ago the smithsonian has become the most visited Museum Complex on the planet. It has grown to 21 museums, library system, network of hundreds of affiliates and a national zoo. As one of the four institutes, the smithsonian is a head in the sciences. As we fspeak, smithsonian scientists are looking at an asteroid. Its truly remarkable that were anable to do it. A bit closer to home, were all sad to say goodbye to the National Zoos giant pandas. America should take solace knowing the experts observations has played a significant role in moving giant pandas off the endangered list. I requested from you mr. Secretary the smithsonians allegations of misconduct. The conduct described is completely unacceptable. Im completely thankful for the secretarys report and look forward to continued updates this morning. In addition while i am thrilled congress authorized the museum of the american l atino museum, the house was amended to make the law conflict with itself after the house passed legislation declaring congresss intent that the museum be on the National Mall and the mall be considered. The language expressing Congress Intent and requiring a site of the mall be considered stayed in the bill. So were hoping we can work together. Im interested in developing exhibitions on these museums. Im interested how the smithsonian maintains cultural. Im eager for eager for the smithsonians efforts to write a revolting wrong of museums removing the brains of black and Indigenous Peoples to study them ewithout the permission of their families. Im looking on renovations to the air and space museum. My all Time Favorite place in the world. Status of cthe deferred maintenance backlog and answerst taking to protect the collections against the effects of Climate Change. So again, mr. Secretary thank you for not only being here today but for your continued Public Service to the country. With that i yield back. The chairman yields back. Pursuant to paragraph b, the witness will please stand and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear and affirm that your statement is the truth and nothing but the truth. Secretary lonnie bunch assumed the role as the 13th secretary of the smithsonian in 2019. As a secretary mr. Bunch oversees 21 museums, 21 libraries, the national zoo, Numerous Research centers and several educational units and centers. Previously mr. Bunch served as the founding director of africanamerican history and culture. Secretary bunch we appreciate you being here today and your testimony. We have read your written statement and will appear in full in the record. Under committee nine, please remember to turn on your microphone so that members can hear you. I onow recognize you secretary bunch for five minutes. Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify today. I hope you do take some time to see the amazing artificials. The first cheese head, to look at some of the pins that were given for the Suffrage Movement. I want to make sure you spend some time looking at that today. But since i i became secretary 2019, i have been impressed and gratified by the support of congress, the administration of the american public. At the smithsonian we seek to maintain. Goals is to reach every home and every classroom in the country. Sharing our content to celebrate our achievements and help us grapple with issues. All of which helps us come together and to work toward a better shared future. Our Educational Programming is becoming more crystallized and we examine strategic collaborations with organizations like the 4h club, boys and girls club of america and pbs. We are hosting students to washington for facilitated learning experiences with smithsonian educators centered around civic engagement. At the same time were bringing our content to others through these partnerships. Were currently developing a Pilot Program focusing on civics and history which we hope to take nationwide in 2026. Our world class scientific endeavors also continue. With efforts as varied as helping the first imagine, capturing the first imagine of a black hole to running a century long reforestation process. To the american people. Its work that can only happen at the smithsonian. And its work that researchers around the world rely upon. Im excited about what lies ahead for the Worlds Largest museum, education and research complex. The nations 250th nlanniversar will be launching point for the transformation of the smithsonian into a institution that better meets the needs of the nation. That pivotal event will only serve where weve been and nibble and more reliable institution proving plthat the smithsonian matters tomorrow, today and every day all across the country. We have programming that will both celebrate and contemplate as a nation and the smithsonians placement. And we will invite americans to find ways of moving Forward Together in our shared future. The renovationed air and space museum should be fully open to the public in time for the commemoration. Ive asked the staff to open temporary opening of the castle. The world is rapidly changing and with it so are the needs and expectations of the american people. As we nslook ahead to the next 250 years, the smithsonian will need to adapt. We want to be called more digital institution that uses tools like ai in a responsible way. We want to provide resources to help communities understand challenges like the challenge of Climate Change. We must help our citizens become more engaged and help them become better informed and have civil discourse on important topics that affect us all. And building the Smithsonian American History Museum and the museum of the american latino will help us tell a more advanced american story. They will only represent a fraction of the institutions transformation for years to come. With your support, we will build on our resources, our expertise and our trust. We will restore our aging facilities while creating new ones. We will take advantage of technology and partnerships to reach more people than ever. And we will chart a new course. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today and i will answer any questions you may have. I recognize myself for five minutes. In particular, balancing the backlog. Inside of that is the smithsonian request for funding to congress it seems that its only half of the broader recommended range of 2 to 4 of the physical plants aggregate value. Meaning are we falling further behind on deferred maintenance if we fulfill the smithsonians request. The plan would be that we want to make sure that we can utilize all the resources you give us. And part of what im trying to do now is be more strategic in terms of how we utilize our capital budgets as well as our building budgets. Thrafrp weve done things when we the af have redone the air and space museum its allowed us to reduce our current backlogs. I think the reality is we need the support that you will give us in any dollars that you give us we do use toward building to make sure we handle the backlog as e effectively as we can. Its the amount of funds requested sufficient to not fall further behind in the backlog. Do you feel thats the sufficient amount to not fall behind. I think it will help us move forward. And i think it will phelp us move forward in the future. We have two museums that will helping move. As we look at that, the broader focus here on the Strategic Planning and your efforts to bring that forward in whether or not were prepared to move that forward. Could you give color as where youre at in the further Strategic Planning process for the two new museums in particular. The challenge with the two new museums are avwe have to ma sure that we have to get the Site Selection resolved. Theres very little we can do without the Site Selection. We have been very successful with fund raising and we have raised over 60 million for each museum already. But that will really only grow once we can point toward heres where these museums would be. Part of what weve done though is recognize that, we dont want to wait until these museums are up. There may be 10, 12 years away. So weve bialready begun to do things like more online work. To give people that history about women or about the latino community. Weve also created 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 about it. The bottom line is that, we are ready to move forward. Were going to need however more support to be able to build the staffs for those museums, to be able to make sure that we can get the ultimate decision about sight. We are able to as we build the new museums we are getting funds for ac and things we usually have to ask funds for. In the time that ive left, my nieces and nephews out to dc recently, they got to see the pandas before they departed. I can tell you for our kids, loved the pandas. But as we dive in and we think about whats called panda diplomacy if you will, theres a policy side to this as well. One is, as i understand it the national zoo paid china 10 million to loan the giant pandas for 10 years, is that accurate . Thats correct. That loan was extended throughout that Time Beginning from 2000 through this year. We extend every year. Is there a extended effort to bring the pandas back. Negotiation. We would love to have the pandas iaback. We would love to get that negotiation with china. Do you have policies in place during the negotiation. We do, we want to make sure that the staff recognizes this is really about the science and the pandas and not basically compromise our status in working with the chinese. Thank you very much. I now will recognize the Ranking Member for inthe purpos of asking questions. Thank you mr. Chairman and again thank you mr. Secretary for tbeing here. I do want to in just the few minutes i have. I do want to as i mentioned in my testimony just focus for a moment, or two on the smithsonians past process of taking human brains from deceased black and indigenous bodies in af without consent. You mentioned the formation of the Human Remains Task force which has been tasked with returning the best way to for human remains. Whether or not theyre represents from those impacted commune tips communities are part of the task force. Can you give us a time when you think those will be and given the time line and the task before you. Like you i was very upset when i learned about these human remains and my goal was very quickly, to really have a new policy that allows us to understand how we can return remains. What kind of research we should still to. Therefor i put together a committee of people, the best scholars, some community people. Both internal and external to the smithsonian issues. To help us think this through. Whats the difference between human remains if they have consent versus that we didnt have consent. How do we return these human remains. How do we work with communities. The work is to frget this repor and use the report to reshape the smithsonian policies. My goal would be that over the next year we will be able to form the policies, understand what the resources are needed to return material and also to be clear if were doing any research heres the limit. Heres whats possible and heres what were not going to do. Thank you, thats important. Consent would be a big part of that. Im assuming that would be a minimum to their demise and family members be at least aware of or if its posthumously that the family would give consent. Going forward d i would love to continue to be kept abreast of your efforts over the next year. How are you dealing with the, i dont know how many remains you still have, i know some had been returned but i think a relatively small number and i think the amount, the number was well in excess of 200 brains and human remains that you said. I just wonder what the status of repatriation is. Theres probably over 20,000 remains in the smithsonian. Oh, wow. Most are of native american. Bum were also now looking at other communities. And what were doing is by this task force, help me understand what we need to put in place to return that material. The material that we ldo not have consent for we should really work toward either returning or reburying this material. We need to get what it takes to do all of that and this task force will move that forward. Your expectation on when that will be done. I expect to get the report in the next week or two. I want to use the next six months of the year figuring out what were going to do. What policies get changed. What are the financial needs to do this. And begin to move forward on returning materials. Got you. Thank you for that. I look forward to continue being updated with that. I want to switch topics with the last minute i have. I know you expressed your support for building both the latino and women museum on the arlington on the National Mall, let us know why you think it should be there rather than a different location. The National Mall ensuring they get the visitation they deserve. That millions of people will come and wrestle with questions they want in their hometowns. So we want people to do this. I think its really important that we build these museums on the mall so that they can be symbols of america for the world to see. Very good. I, wthank you mr. Chair. I yield back my time. The gentleman yields back. Thank you mr. Chairman, secretary bunch good to see you again. Appreciate you what said about the american story. Its very important that we preserve the history and heritage of our nation. One of those is First Amendment right comes up quite often these days. The First Amendment doesnt exist to only protect the speech youre comfortable with but the things youre uncomfortable with. And brings me