To Secure National Mall Prominence for New Smithsonian Museums, Rep. Chu & Bipartisan Coalition Lead Legislative Effort
Current law prevents Women’s History Museum & Museum of American Latino from placement on National Mall
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) joined Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), and Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL) to announce the introduction of H.R.9274, the Smithsonian History of American Women and Latino (SHAWL) Act. This legislation would authorize the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
In December 2020 and with broad bipartisan support, Congress officially established the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino with the passage of the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations omnibus legislation. The Smithsonian has already completed its customary two-year site selection process and identified optimal spots on the Mall for both museums, but the Smithsonian cannot move forward with construction on these sites without Congressional authorization.
“The National Mall tells the story of our country, and that story is incomplete without the inclusion of the prolific accomplishments of America’s women and the Latino community, and the ways they have made our union a more perfect one,” said Rep. Chu. “I’m working with a broad coalition of Members of Congress to introduce and pass the bipartisan SHAWL Act, which will see to it that the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino secure their rightful, prominent spots on the National Mall.”
“I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the bipartisan SHAWL Act to continue building on efforts to make these critically important museums a reality,” Congresswoman Malliotakis said. “By establishing these museums, we can share the stories of the trailblazing women and Latinos who came before us so future generations can learn about their many contributions, how they helped build our nation and fought for equal rights and protections under the law.”
“The introduction of this critical bill brings us one step closer to fulfilling the dream of having both museums right where they belong - on the National Mall,” said Rep. Cárdenas. “Building these museums on the mall will enrich the experience of the millions of visitors to our nation’s capital and will serve to tell a more complete history of our country.”
“As the first woman to represent Puerto Rico in Congress, I have been honored to support the creation of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum and National Museum of the American Latino to tell the full story of our nation,” said Rep. González-Colón. “Women and Hispanics were integral to the foundation of America and who we are today. Despite accounting for 51 and 19 percent of the U.S. population, respectively, their history is absent from the National Mall where it belongs. I thank my colleagues Nicole, Judy, and Tony, my fellow Board Member, for this joint bipartisan effort to make these Museums, and the more representative history they will tell, a reality.”
The text of the bill is available here.