WASHINGTON—At a Senate Committee on Rules and Administration hearing titled “Oversight of the Smithsonian Institution,” with Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III testifying, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, led the discussion about the Smithsonian’s ongoing priorities and future plans. 

A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Download a recording HERE.

Senator Klobuchar: Good afternoon. I call to order this hearing of the Rules Committee on oversight of the Smithsonian. I would like to thank Ranking Member Fischer and our colleagues for being here, as well as Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch….And we welcome you once again to the Committee, Secretary. I know that you've planned the announcement of the return of the pandas to coincide with our hearing, so thank you. 

Today's hearing is an opportunity to discuss the ongoing priorities and what's next for the Smithsonian as it works to maintain and share with the public its vast collection of treasures, including some that you brought for us today–including from a Minnesota perspective. Everyone should go over and see these items when we’re done here, a comic book about Minnesota’s own Hubert Humphrey. 

These are just part of the Institution's nearly 157 million artifacts, in addition to the 2.25 million volumes in its 21 research libraries. Its collection is just part of what makes the Smithsonian a global leader. In fact, since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian has grown to become the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, and its researchers are tackling cutting-edge questions at the frontiers of science.

Earlier this year, Deputy Secretary of the Smithsonian Park testified in this Committee about the impact that AI is having on the Institution and the work researchers are doing to harness its potential – from astrophysics to conservation efforts – while guarding against risks. 

Importantly, the Smithsonian is reaching people in all 50 states and across the globe. In recent years, it has broadened public access to its online resources, welcoming nearly 170 million visitors to its website last year. This has expanded the Smithsonian’s reach, building on the many millions of in-person visits – 17.7 million last year – that it hosted in its 21 museums and the National Zoo, sites that have remained popular – and in some cases, far more popular than expected – over time. 

To cite one example, the National Air and Space Museum was originally designed for 2 million visitors annually, but it's so popular that it has welcomed many more visitors – up to 7 million a year. We look forward to the completion of the Air and Space Museum’s needed renovations – and to it fully reopening in time for the country’s 250th anniversary in July 2026, along with other cultural activities that Secretary Bunch is planning to honor 250 years that will be taking place on the National Mall. 

I also look forward to hearing about the ongoing efforts with the two new museums established with bipartisan support after the legislation passed this Committee unanimously in 2020: the American Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino. Progress is well underway, with fundraising for both new museums at over $65 million each, that’s $65 million each, in private money, for the two museums. 

There are two open sites on the National Mall that would look even better with the new museums, as the Smithsonian Board of Regents has determined, and the work to develop these museums is ongoing. Dr. Elizabeth Babcock started work as Director of the Women's Museum this month, joining Jorge Zamanillo, founding director of the Latino Museum, and staff are working hard to build these collections. 

These museums represent a critical opportunity to help families visiting Washington learn about the remarkable contributions of Latino Americans and women to the fabric of our country and our shared American story. 

At the same time, we know that addressing the backlog of maintenance projects at the Institution must remain a priority. I look forward to hearing about the Smithsonian’s work to assess its facilities and what else is needed to complete ongoing maintenance and repair projects to protect collections for future generations.  

The Smithsonian will continue to play a critical role in preserving and telling our country's history, and at the same time, it will write new chapters through its groundbreaking research. 

I know I forever cherish my photo, which is in a little black-and-white Polaroid from eighth grade. I made my first visit to Washington and posed in what is now, I know, an antiquated astronaut costume with my face in it. That went right in my scrapbook, probably displayed on the first page. So many kids are having that same experience, maybe a little more modernized.  

Thank you, Secretary, for being here. And I will now recognize Ranking Member Fischer for her opening statement. 

In January, Klobuchar held a Rules Committee hearing titled “The Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Library of Congress, Government Publishing Office, and Smithsonian Institution,” where she highlighted how AI has affected the three agencies.

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