Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History Act
This bill would codify an Executive Order (EO 14253) into law, aiming to restore what it calls a “truth and sanity” approach to American history. It asserts that there has been a deliberate effort to rewrite U.S. history and to portray the nation’s founding and achievements in a negative light. The measure would direct the executive branch to take specific actions at national museums and historic sites, especially the Smithsonian Institution, to promote a traditional, unifying patriotic narrative. It would require the Vice President and other officials to oversee the Smithsonian to remove or modify content that violates the policy or civil rights laws, and to restrict programs that “divide Americans based on race” or promote certain ideological perspectives. The bill also orders infrastructure improvements and a review of public monuments and memorials under the Interior Department’s jurisdiction to reinstate pre-2020 configurations where appropriate and to emphasize national achievements rather than divisive content. In short, it seeks to reshape federal historical interpretation and museum programming, apply new funding conditions, and restore certain monuments and sites to a more traditional portrayal of American history.
Key Points
- 1Codifies Executive Order 14253 into law, including findings that current historical interpretation is biased and politically divisive, and outlines a policy to promote a solemn, uplifting, and unifying narrative of American history.
- 2Smithsonian governance and funding controls: directs the Vice President, acting through the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to remove or modify content that violates the policy or civil rights laws or that divides Americans by race; requires future appropriations to prohibit exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values or promote divisive ideologies; includes a controversial provision stating that the American Women’s History Museum should celebrate female achievements and not recognize men as women in any respect, with specific restrictions related to gender and related content.
- 3Independence Hall restoration: mandates renewed funding to improve Independence National Historical Park infrastructure, with a completion target of July 4, 2026.
- 4Review and restoration of public monuments: tasks the Interior Department to assess monuments and memorials since 2020 for content that distorts history, minimizes events or figures, divides by race, or recognizes men as women; authorizes actions to reinstate pre-existing monuments and to ensure current monuments emphasize American achievements and the landscape’s beauty rather than divisive or inappropriate content.
- 5Rule of Construction: clarifies that the bill does not alter the general authority of executive departments or the budget process, and it does not create new legal rights enforceable in court.