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Committee member presses museum director on alleged bias, explicit material near youth exhibits and requests records
Summary
At a House Administration oversight hearing, a committee member asked Dr. Hartig whether museum exhibits show political bias and whether explicit material has been placed near youth-focused content; the member asked for a two-year list of "603" reviews and for details on OIG-recommended changes.
A committee member on the House Administration oversight panel pressed Dr. Hartig, the museum director, on whether the institution’s exhibits reflect political bias and whether potentially explicit material has been displayed near youth-oriented exhibits.
The committee member cited an online comment alleging the museum’s displays showed "the hand of liberal politics" and said the director appeared not to recognize there was a problem. "As a common sense person, we could clearly see the hand of liberal politics at work," the committee member said, reading aloud a comment submitted about the museum’s exhibits.
The member also demanded a direct answer about whether "explicit material should never be near youth content." "Explicit material should never be near youth content. The answer should be no," the committee member said.
Dr. Hartig responded that he wanted to ensure he understood which content the member meant and said, "I can absolutely answer the question," before describing the institution’s review process. On whether the museum had organized youth-targeted drag programming, Dr. Hartig said, "We have not held, to the best of my knowledge, ... a drag story time," and asked for clarification of the exact events referenced.
The committee member requested that the director provide the committee with a list of every "603" review conducted in the past two years and the revisions made to exhibits as a result. Dr. Hartig said he would provide the requested information and told the member the museum adheres to the "603" process "that was outlined first in 1995, revised in 2021." The member pressed why the director had previously said he needed to consult general counsel before providing this information to the board or the committee.
The member also cited a June 30 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report recommending tightened procedures and mandatory periodic training for personnel involved in content development and asked whether those recommended changes have been implemented. Dr. Hartig told the committee, "We're happy to get back to you, ma'am," indicating the museum staff would follow up with details.
The exchange ended after the member reiterated the requests and yielded the floor to the chair. No vote or formal action was taken during the exchange.
The committee has asked the director to supply records of 603 reviews from the past two years and to report which OIG recommendations have been put into practice; the museum agreed to provide that information to the committee.
