Anthea Hartig, the director of the National Museum of American History, testified Tuesday before the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. The hearing examined the museum's curatorial practices following a 162-page White House report that criticized the institution for failing to properly represent United States heritage.
The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), focused on whether the museum has shifted its primary mission from historical preservation to social activism. Members of the panel cited Hartig's previous comments regarding history as a tool for social justice as a point of inquiry regarding the museum's objectivity.
The White House report, which preceded the hearing, described the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution as activists and argued that current exhibitions do not fulfill the museum's mandate. Hartig appeared before the panel to respond to these claims and discuss the museum's role in presenting American history to the public.