A long-term effort to construct a women’s history Smithsonian in the nation’s capital is gaining new steam with both Democrats and Republicans supporting a measure to dedicate space on the National Mall for the museum.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act, which now has over 90 co-sponsors, was introduced by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) last month. Malliotakis later held a press conference early this month celebrating Women’s History Month where she was joined by Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the hit TV show.
“We had Republicans, we had Democrats, we had Freedom Caucus members, we had Speaker Pelosi, we had Speaker Johnson,” Malliotakis told the Washington Examiner. “That just shows you how significant this project is and how it brings people together and how important it is to members regardless of their political affiliation.”
The legislation includes key provisions to move the building of the museum forward, including allowing the museum to be placed within the reserve of the National Mall while facilitating the land transfer by directing federal agencies to transfer administrative jurisdiction of the designated land to the Smithsonian Institution.
The measure also requires congressional oversight to ensure transparency and does not require new federal spending from taxpayers.
There is no time frame for this legislation yet. The bill has to go through the House Administration Committee first before it can hit the floor. A markup for this bill has not yet been scheduled. The museum has long been in the works though, with Congress authorizing the creation of the Women’s History Museum back in 2020 as part of a $900 billion spending package that was then signed by President Donald Trump.
Bipartisanship has been far and few between, especially since Trump took office, so bills like this provide a pathway for members to make relationships across the aisle.
“I’ve had a lot of members who I’ve never spoken to before who can actually express interest,” the congresswoman continued. “This is something that we share an interest in, and it has definitely helped bring people together. And that’s what the museum is about, I think in the future, this is something that can bring all Americans together, celebrate the women who have come before us, and it should be a project that unites us, and it does.”
This bill has not only appealed to women members.
“It’s something that has certainly brought together not just women in Congress, but men too, men who support women who want to see this done, whether it’s for their daughters or their granddaughters, and for the future generations,” the New York Republican told the Washington Examiner.
The Smithsonian Institute is comprised of 21 museums, with 11 located along the National Mall, and also includes the National Zoo. Admission to all is free with the exception of the Cooper Hewitt in New York. Throughout these 21 museums, not one is dedicated to the long and deep history of women.
“We often do not know about so many other women who have contributed so much, and yet, we need to share those stories, so that’s what kind of inspired me to take on this task and work to get it built on the National Mall,” Malliotakis shared with the Washington Examiner.