National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021--Conference

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I am glad to be here on the floor of the Senate with my friend Senator Bob Menendez asking that the U.S. Senate advance legislation to establish a National Museum of the American Latino.

As a proud Texan, I am fortunate to have grown up in a State steeped in the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos. Approximately 40 percent of our population is composed of Latinos in Texas, but they are not monolithic by any stretch of the imagination, which is why we need a museum to tell their stories.

There are the Tejanos, whose roots in the Lone Star State predate our statehood or even Texas independence, as well as those who have emigrated from other States or countries and have chosen to call Texas home more recently.

From the brave soldiers who fought in the Texas Revolution to the civil rights activists like Cesar Chavez, cultural icons like Selena, and leaders of all types in our communities, generations of Latino Americans have shaped our country as it is today. But, as I suggested a moment ago, many Americans simply aren't aware of the vast contributions made by these men and women who have come before us, and one critical way we can right this wrong is by providing a home for their stories in the Nation's Capital.

I have heard somebody suggest that we don't need a separate museum for different racial groups and ethnic groups or the like, but this is far more important than that because the story of American Latinos is the story of America itself. Many people simply aren't familiar with the vast contributions they have made.

This particular effort has been underway for more than 25 years. Nothing happens very quickly, particularly when it comes to establishing a new museum like this, but we are just two steps away, and I hope the Senate can take one big step this afternoon by passing this bipartisan legislation and sending it to the President's desk for his signature.

I know there are some of our colleagues who have concerns about the museum's location, and I can assure them that Congress will have a voice in the site of this museum. But before construction can begin, congressional committees will be consulted on site selection as laid out in the bill and I believe the colloquy that will be made a part of this record.

The Smithsonian Board of Regents, which will select the site, is chaired by the Supreme Court Chief Justice and comprises multiple Members of Congress, including three sitting Senators and the Vice President. The Congress will also need to appropriate funds to supplement the private fundraising that will help finance this museum. The appropriation requirement will be a de facto ratification or rejection of the site selected by the Smithsonian Board of Regents. So there is going to be a lot of input in that decision. We are not making that decision here today. And I believe there need to be open lines of communication between Members of Congress and the Smithsonian Board of Regents as they undertake this significant project.

It has been estimated that if we pass this bill today, the doors to a new museum will not open for at least a decade, so I am eager to get the process moving.

The National Museum of the American Latino will honor and preserve the stories of Latinos throughout American history so generations can view a more accurate and more complete history of the contributions made by these great Americans, and I hope the Senate will advance this critical legislation today

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