On the recordMarch 20, 2012
I join the Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, in introducing legislation to clarify the legal protections for art that is loaned from overseas for exhibition in the United States. This bill passed the House yesterday by voice vote and I hope it can soon become law. We are blessed in this country to have so many fine institutions that provide exposure to the art, culture, and history of other lands. Both public and private art museums can be found all over America, including at many of our fine universities. We must ensure that the exhibitions hosted by these museums continue to benefit all Americans. A major exhibition can take years to develop and potential overseas lenders must be assured that their art will be legally protected while it is in the United States. Many exhibitions simply will not be possible without that assurance. We have had laws in place for decades that did just that, and they worked exactly the way they were supposed to. Specifically, the Protection from Seizure Act guaranteed that once the State Department reviewed and certified an exhibition as being in the national interest, the art was immune from legal judgments or court orders while in this country. This legal protection was thrown into doubt by a Federal court decision several years ago. The U.S.…
