Republican senator blocks ‘divisive’ proposal for Museum of American Women

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah

Credit: Bill Clark /Bloomberg

A Republican senator has blocked a bill to establish a national museum for American Latinos and an American women’s history museum, arguing the proposal would "further divide an already divided nation".

Mike Lee, a senator for Utah, objected to legislation to create a National Museum of the American Latino and American Women’s History Museum within the Smithsonian Institution, a collection of museums dedicated to American history and culture in Washington DC.

Mr Lee argued that the legislation, which had passed the US House of Representatives in July after a decades-long effort, would create "separate-but-equal museums", a reference to a segregation era legal doctrine.

The Smithsonian Institution currently includes museums dedicated to African Americans and Native Americans.

"I understand what my colleagues are trying to do and why," Mr Lee said. "I even share their interests in ensuring that these stories are told. But the last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation with an array of segregated, separate-but-equal museums for hyphenated identity groups".

The legislation was the result of a decades long effort to recognise Latino Americans

Credit: Sarah Silbiger /Bloomberg 

"At this moment in the history of our diverse nation, we need our federal government and the Smithsonian Institution itself to pull us closer together and not further apart."

Mr Lee argued against "an exclusive museum of American Latino history or a museum of women’s history or museum of American men’s history or Mormon history or Asian-American history or Catholic history. American history is an inclusive story that should unite us."

The senator’s opposition to the bill was criticised on both sides of the aisle.

Bob Menendez, a Democrat senator and longtime advocate for a Latino museum, called Mr Lee’s position "pretty outrageous."

Mr Menendez underscored the bipartisan support for the legislation, adding that just one Republican "stands in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing Americans of Latino descent having their dreams fulfilled and being recognised," he said.

Susan Collins, a Republican senator for Maine, also criticised Mr Lee, asking whether the Utah senator had also "tried to block the museum celebrating and telling the history of African Americans."

Ms Collins, who had pushed for a women’s history museum, added: "Surely in a year where we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, this is the time, this is the moment to finally pass the legislation unanimously recommended by an independent commission to establish an American Women’s History museum in our nation’s capital."