WASHINGTON — The House rejected HR 1329, legislation to establish the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the National Mall, in a 204-216 vote last week after an amendment requiring the museum to recognize biological women turned the bill into a flashpoint over gender ideology.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., initially introduced the bill, which had bipartisan backing and a statement of support from the Office of Management and Budget. The measure became contentious after Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., added language clarifying that the museum’s exhibits would recognize biological women — a provision that prompted most Democrats who had previously supported the bill to withdraw.
Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., who voted against the bill from the opposite direction, said in a public statement: “Without clear statutory guardrails to protect against radical left-wing ideology being injected into American/women’s history at the Smithsonian, this new museum is set to provide a permanent venue on our National Mall for pro-abortion and LGBT ideology.”
Brecheen was not alone among Republicans who opposed the museum on institutional grounds. The Smithsonian’s existing National Museum of American History already frames portions of women’s history through gender ideology. One athletics exhibit features Lia Thomas and asks visitors, “Do transgender athletes upset the competitive balance?” Another display is dominated by a projected image of a drag queen accompanied by the phrase, “And may the best drag queen win.” Additional panels celebrate cross-dressing, sexual independence, and what the museum describes as flouting “traditional gender roles.”
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., framed his opposition in broader terms: “We say we need to unite this country, but then we isolate every group.”
Congress authorized the women’s museum in the 2020 omnibus spending bill, but no site on the National Mall has been designated. With the bill’s failure, no new funding or construction timeline is in place. Supporters of HR 1329 have not announced whether they intend to reintroduce the legislation in a revised form.