Three Senate Republicans and two House GOP lawmakers are demanding answers from the National Air and Space Museum over allegations its employees discriminated against pro-life students.
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina wrote a letter Tuesday to the Smithsonian Institution asking it to respond to allegations that it violated the First Amendment rights of a group of students wearing hats that read “Rosary Pro-Life,” pro-life at their Catholic school. club name
Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Josh Brechin of Oklahoma are leading the effort in the House.
After the March for Life in Washington, DC, on January 20, staff at the Air and Space Museum mocked students visiting the museum and asked them to leave the premises.
Cruz is leading efforts to ask Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III about the incident.
“As members of Congress, we are not aware of any law, rule or regulation prohibiting the public from wearing pro-life hats inside the Smithsonian office building,” read the letter, which was also signed by other GOP members of the House and Senate. . “As a federal entity and recipient of more than $1 billion in federal funds each year, there should be no debate as to whether the First Amendment applies to the Smithsonian.”
The letter continued:
We are deeply concerned about this unfair expulsion of young Americans from museums — subsidized with taxpayer dollars — for wearing clothing that your staff disagrees with.
The letter asked Bunch whether he was aware of the January 20 incident, whether the Smithsonian had investigated the allegations and was taking disciplinary action against the employees who expelled the students, and what he would do to protect the First Amendment rights of Americans moving forward at the Air and Space Museum.
Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing some of the students, told Fox News that legal action against the Smithsonian is “imminent.”
“We’re going to get to the bottom of it,” he said. “We’re fighting back.”
The Smithsonian Institution had not responded to an email seeking comment as of this writing.
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