{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/lead-sponsors-of-american-latino-womens-national-museum-bills-push-for-inclusion-in-year-end-omnibus", "Lead Sponsors of American Latino, Womens National Museum Bills Push for Inclusion in Year-End OmnibusRead More", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  The lead sponsors of separate bipartisan\r\nbills to create the National Museum of the American Latino and Smithsonian\r\nAmerican Women's History Museum today urged Senate and House leaders to include\r\nboth pieces of legislation in the year-end omnibus spending package. The letter to Senate Majority and Minority Leaders Mitch\r\nMcConnell (R-Ky.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\r\n(D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was signed by Sens.\r\nBob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Reps. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.)\r\nand Will Hurd (R-Texas), lead sponsors of the National Museum of the American\r\nLatino Act, and Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)\r\nand Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), lead sponsors\r\nof the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act. With near universal support from Congress, as well as the\r\npublic at large, H.R. 2420 and S. 959 would establish museums under the storied\r\numbrella of the Smithsonian Institution, the lawmakers wrote. As\r\nwe strive to become a more perfect Union, Congress must lead the way to ensure\r\nall Americans are included in our shared history. We are all part of this grand\r\nexperiment in democracy and have contributed much to its greatness. Our\r\nvoices deserve to be heard and our stories deserve to be told for generations\r\nto come. Otherwise, the story of America, and its struggles and triumphs,\r\nwould be rendered incomplete. The lawmakers noted that both bills have gone through regular\r\norder, hearings have been held, and each was discharged favorably from their\r\nrespective primary committees of jurisdiction in both Houses with broad\r\nbipartisan support. Both bills unanimously passed the House of\r\nRepresentatives by voice vote, but attempts last night to pass amended versions of the\r\nlegislation in the Senate by unanimous consent were blocked when Sen.\r\nMike Lee (R-Utah) singularly objected. We thank you for your careful consideration of this urgent\r\nrequest and understand the delicate nature of on-going negotiations. However,\r\nwe believe this represents our last best hope in seeing these museums become a\r\nreality for millions of Americans who lack historical and cultural\r\nrepresentation within the Smithsonian, the letter continued. We stand\r\nready to work with you in any way that we can. The finish line is in\r\nsight. A copy of the letter can be found here and below. Dear\r\nLeader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy: We\r\nwrite with great urgency to ask for the inclusion of H.R. 2420, the National\r\nMuseum of the American Latino Act, and S. 959, the Smithsonian American Women's\r\nHistory Museum Act, in any final fiscal year 2021 omnibus package considered\r\nbefore the end of the 116th Congress. Since\r\ntheir respective introductions last year, both H.R. 2420 and S. 959 have\r\nenjoyed broad bipartisan and bicameral support. They have made their way\r\nthrough the normal legislative process with hearings through their primary\r\ncommittees of jurisdiction. Both have seen versions of their legislative text\r\npass by overwhelming margins in the House of Representatives under suspension\r\nof the rules. Support continues to build for their passage. Last\r\nmonth, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration conducted legislative\r\nhearings on H.R. 2420 and S. 959. Two weeks later, under the leadership of\r\nChairman Blunt and Ranking Member Klobuchar, the Committee favorably reported\r\nboth bills, without opposition, to the Senate floor for a final vote. After\r\ncareful negotiations with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,\r\nChairman Murkowski voiced her full support, setting the stage for passage of\r\nSenate amendments to H.R. 2420 and S.959. With\r\nnear universal support from Congress, as well as the public at large, H.R. 2420\r\nand S. 959 would establish museums under the storied umbrella of the\r\nSmithsonian Institution. Each museum within the Smithsonian tells a unique part\r\nof the collective history of America, but there are still so many parts left to\r\nbe told. The National Museum of the American Latino and Smithsonian American\r\nWomen's History Museum will add rich, new perspectives to our American identity\r\nthat simply cannot be found in Smithsonian museums today. One that fully\r\nembraces American women and Latinos in their quests for greater inclusion in\r\nsociety and honors their countless contributions in service to our country. The\r\nSmithsonian is the Nation's most iconic, public, cultural institution. Millions\r\nof guests from around the world travel to Washington, D.C. each year to visit\r\nthese storied museums. Tens of thousands of American school children make their\r\nannual pilgrimage to the District to learn more about American history, space\r\nexploration, natural wonders, and more. Yet, many children  more than half are\r\nlittle girls and nearly a quarter are Latino  will wander the halls of each\r\nmuseum without seeing the presence of historical figures who look like them or\r\nshare their name. We\r\nare reminded by the National Motto, which is enshrined along the halls of\r\nCongress, E Pluribus Unum. Out of out of many people, we are one. As we\r\nstrive to become a more perfect Union, Congress must lead the way to ensure all\r\nAmericans are included in our shared history. We are all part of this grand\r\nexperiment in democracy and have contributed much to its greatness. Our voices\r\ndeserve to be heard and our stories deserve to be told for generations to come.\r\nOtherwise, the story of America, and its struggles and triumphs, would be\r\nrendered incomplete. We\r\nthank you for your careful consideration of this urgent request and understand\r\nthe delicate nature of on-going negotiations. However, we believe this\r\nrepresents our last best hope in seeing these museums become a reality for\r\nmillions of Americans who lack historical and cultural representation within\r\nthe Smithsonian. We stand ready to work with you in any way that we can. The\r\nfinish line is in sight. Sincerely,  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/lead-sponsors-of-american-latino-womens-national-museum-bills-push-for-inclusion-in-year-end-omnibus"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5497710555791855, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}