HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

GOP Sen. Mike Lee Blocks Bipartisan Bill to Create Latino, Women’s History Museums

“The last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation within an array of separate but equal museums of hyphenated identity groups,” he declared.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on Thursday blocked a bipartisan effort to create two new national museums dedicated to women’s history and the lives of Latino Americans. “The last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation within an array of separate but equal museums of hyphenated identity groups,” he said. The bills, which likely won’t pass Congress this year as a result of his actions, would’ve allowed for the establishment of a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino and another institution for women’s history. Lee insisted those experiences should simply be covered in the National Museum of American History. One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), accused the Republican of standing “in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing Americans of Latino descent having their dreams fulfilled and recognized.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called it a “sad moment.” The Smithsonian opened the doors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016.