Raskin Statement on H.R. 1329

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement on H.R. 1329, a formerly bipartisan and noncontroversial bill which House Republicans loaded up with culture-war poison pills:

"After the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act was introduced last year as a bipartisan bill to finally establish a museum to honor the remarkable achievements and contributions of women throughout our history, I joined 126 of my Democratic colleagues in cosponsoring it. Unfortunately, the legislation we are voting on today is a dramatic rewrite of the bill I supported.

"Because of the comic shamelessness of House Republicans, we are now voting on a bill to give adjudicated sexual abuser Donald Trump control over the portrayal of women's history in America. Yes, the same Donald Trump who has been credibly accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, who was found liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll and who has led a systematic coverup of the Epstein Files, which feature his name thousands of times. The amended legislation would also take site selection out of the Smithsonian's hands and give it to the same board of Trump pawns overseeing construction of his Marie Antoinette ballroom.

"MAGA Republicans further torpedoed this once-bipartisan effort by turning the bill into their second legislative attack on transgender Americans this week. The bill prohibits transgender women from appearing in the museum and even empowers the aforementioned Trump cronies to object to including women they deem insufficiently feminine.

"Legions of women across the political spectrum fought for years to bring their history to the National Mall. Today's vote should establish the arrival of a long-overdue museum. Instead, it has become one more dismal MAGA culture-war battleground. But, of course, the culture wars are all my Republican colleagues have to work with. As their poll numbers sink and gas prices soar, they've resorted to firing up their base and mollifying their dear leader. I'm voting against this legislative desecration."

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Permalink: https://raskin.house.gov/2026/5/raskin-statement-on-h-r-1329