Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me thank the gentlewoman for really letting us know what a joy the Smithsonian is, even in front of the…”

“Let me thank the gentlewoman for really letting us know what a joy the Smithsonian is, even in front of the Appropriations Committee. Mr. Chair, I want to emphasize that the Smithsonian outreach programs increase connections between the Institution and targeted audiences: African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and new Americans, and provide kindergarten through college age music education and outreach opportunities. Mr. Chairman, I failed to say that when we were putting this together, once the African American museum was established, the museum personnel leadership, Dr. Lonnie Bunch, went on the road across America collecting artifacts from African Americans and historic families to put in this museum, real items of slave history and the history from through the years, through the centuries, and it made the museum a living example of the history of our time here in the United States. That has been done by the Smithsonian in many different groups. And so I would offer this article that says: ``New National Data Reveals the Economic Impact of Museums Is More Than Double Previous Estimates.'' The American Alliance of Museums released two groundbreaking reports revealing indisputable evidence that museums contribute more to the United States economy than previously thought and have widespread support. Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.…”