Date: 2015-06-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. let me just say. in concluding. there are many things that this bill does. I am hoping that we will rid ourselves of sequester to let it do more. and one of the things would be this outreach that brings us together as a Nation in a positive way. I cannot say good accolades about Houston museums in general. the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. the Houston African American Museum that has a great purpose. and other museums that I hope we can address the Smithsonians outreach capability. Mr. Chair. thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of my amendment to H.R. 2822. the "Interior and Environment Appropriations Act of 2016." Let me also thank Chairman CALVERT and Ranking Member MCCOLLUM for their leadership in shepherding this bill to the floor. Among other agencies. this legislation funds the Smithsonian Institution. which operates our national museums. including the Air and Space Museum. the Museum of African Art. the Museum of the American Indian. and the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian also operates another national treasure: the National Zoo. Mr. Chair. my amendment is simple but it sends a very important message from the Congress of the United States. The Jackson Lee Amendment provides that increases funding for the Smithsonian Institution by $1.5 million to fund outreach programs administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Mr. Chair. the Smithsonians outreach programs bring Smithsonian scholars in art. history and science out of "the nations attic" and into their own backyard. Each year. millions of Americans visit the Smithsonian in Washington. D.C. But in order to fulfill the Smithsonians mission. "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." the Smithsonian seeks to serve an even greater audience by bringing the Smithsonian to enclaves of communities who otherwise would be deprived of the vast amount of cultural history offered by the Smithsonian. The Smithsonians outreach programs serve millions of Americans. thousands of communities. and hundreds of institutions in all 50 states. through loans of objects. traveling exhibitions. and sharing of educational resources via publications. lectures and presentations. training programs. and websites. Smithsonian outreach programs work in close cooperation with Smithsonian museums and research centers. as well as with 144 affiliate institutions and others across the nation. The Smithsonians outreach activities support communitybased cultural and educational organizations around the country. They ensure a vital. recurring. and highimpact Smithsonian presence in all 50 states through the provision of traveling exhibitions and a network of affiliations. Smithsonian outreach programs increase connections between the Institution and targeted audiences (African American. Asian American. Latino. Native American. and new American) and provide kindergarten through collegeage museum education and outreach opportunities. These outreach programs enhance K12 science education programs. facilitate the Smithsonians scholarly interactions with students and scholars at universities. museums. and other research institutions. and disseminate results related to the research and collections strengths of the Institution. The programs that provide the critical mass of Smithsonian outreach activity are: 1. the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). 2. the Smithsonian Affiliations. the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies (SCEMS). 3. National Science Resources Center (NSRC). 4. the Smithsonian Institution Press (SIP). 5. the Office of Fellowships (OF). and 6. the Smithsonian Associates (TSA). which receives no federal funding. To achieve the goal of increasing public engagement. SITES directs some of its federal resources to develop Smithsonian Across America: A Celebration of National Pride. This "mobile museum." which will feature Smithsonian artifacts from the most iconic (presidential portraits. historic American flags. Civil War records. astronaut uniforms. etc.) to the simplest items of everyday life (family quilts. prairie schoolhouse furnishings. historic lunch boxes. multilingual store front and street signs. etc.). has been a longstanding organizational priority of the Smithsonian. SITES "mobile museum" is the only traveling exhibit format able to guarantee audience growth and expanded geographic distribution during sustained periods of economic retrenchment. but also because it is imperative for the many exhibitors nationwide who are struggling financially yet eager to participate in Smithsonian outreach. For communities still struggling to fully recover from the economic downturn. the ability of museums to present temporary exhibitions. the "mobile museum" promises to answer an evergrowing demand for Smithsonian shows in the field. A single. conventional SITES exhibit can reach a maximum of 12 locations over a twoto threeyear period. In contrast. a "mobile museum" exhibit can visit up to three venues per week in the course of only one year. at no cost to the host institution or community. The net result is an increase by 150 in the number of outreach locations to which SITES shows can travel annually. And in addition to its flexibility in making shortterm stops in cities and towns from coasttocoast. a "mobile museum" has the advantage of being able to frequent the very locations where people live. work. and take part in leisure time activities. By establishing an exhibit presence in settings like these. SITES will not only increase its annual visitor participation by 1 million. but also advance a key Smithsonian performance objective: to develop exhibit approaches that address diverse audiences. including population groups not always affiliated with mainstream cultural institutions. SITES also will be the public exhibitions face of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. as that new Museum comes online. Providing national access to projects that will introduce the American public to the Museums mission. SITES in FY 2008 will tour such stirring exhibitions as NASA ART: 50 Years of Exploration. 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story. Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes. The Way We Worked: Photographs from the National Archives. and More Than Words: Illustrated Letters from the Smithsonians Archives of American Art. To meet the growing demand among smaller community and ethnic museums for an exhibition celebrating the Latino experience. SITES provided a scaleddown version of the National Museum of American Historys 4.000squarefoot exhibition about legendary entertainer Celia Cruz. Two 1.500squarefoot exhibitions. one about Crow Indian history and the other on basket traditions. will give Smithsonian visitors beyond Washington a taste of the Institutions critically acclaimed National Museum of the American Indian. Two more exhibits. "In Plane View" and "Earth from Space." provided visitors an opportunity to experience the Smithsonians recently opened. expansive National Air and Space Museum UdvarHazy Center. For almost 30 years. The Smithsonian Associatesthe highly regarded educational arm of the Smithsonian Institutionhas arranged Scholars in the Schools programs. Through this tremendously successful and wellreceived educational outreach program. the Smithsonian shares its staffhundreds of experts in art. history and sciencewith the national community at a local level. The mission of Smithsonian Affiliations is to build a strong national network of museums and educational organizations in order to establish active and engaging relationships with communities throughout the country. There are currently 138 affiliates located in the United States. Puerto Rico. and Panama. By working with museums of diverse subject areas and scholarly disciplines. both emerging and wellestablished. Smithsonian Affiliations is building partnerships through which audiences and visitors everywhere will be able to share in the great wealth of the Smithsonian while building capacity and expertise in local communities. The National Science Resources Center (NSRC) strives to increase the number of ethnically diverse students participating in effective science programs based on NSRC products and services. The Center develops and implements a national outreach strategy that will increase the number of school districts (currently more than 800) that are implementing NSRC K8 programs. The NSRC is striving to further enhance its program activity with a newly developed scientific outreach program introducing communities and school districts to science through literacy initiatives. In addition. through the building of the multicultural Alliance Initiative. the Smithsonians outreach programs seek to develop new approaches to enable the public to gain access to Smithsonian collections. research. education. and public programs that reflect the diversity of the American people. including underserved audiences of ethnic populations and persons with disabilities. For all these reasons. Mr. Chair. I urge adoption of my amendment and thank Chairman Dicks and Ranking Member TIAHRT for their courtesies. consideration. and very fine work in putting together this excellent legislation. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment at this time and begin to work the process to provide funding to the Smithsonian for that purpose. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Texas?