Text of US SB 2385 (2025)

II 119TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2385 To codify Executive Order 14253 relating to restoring truth and sanity to American history, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JULY 22, 2025 Mr. BANKS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To codify Executive Order 14253 relating to restoring truth and sanity to American history, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restoring Truth and 4 Sanity to American History Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 14253. 6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 7 (1) Over the past decade, Americans have wit- 8 nessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite 9 our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 •S 2385 IS distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than 1 truth. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine 2 the remarkable achievements of the United States by 3 casting its founding principles and historical mile- 4 stones in a negative light. Under this historical revi- 5 sion, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing 6 liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is re- 7 constructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, 8 or otherwise irredeemably flawed. Rather than fos- 9 tering unity and a deeper understanding of our 10 shared past, the widespread effort to rewrite history 11 deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of na- 12 tional shame, disregarding the progress America has 13 made and the ideals that continue to inspire millions 14 around the globe. 15 (2) The prior administration advanced this cor- 16 rosive ideology. At Independence National Historical 17 Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—where our Na- 18 tion declared that all men are created equal—the 19 prior administration sponsored training by an orga- 20 nization that advocates dismantling ‘‘Western foun- 21 dations’’ and ‘‘interrogating institutional racism’’ 22 and pressured National Historical Park rangers that 23 their racial identity should dictate how they convey 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 •S 2385 IS history to visiting Americans because America is 1 purportedly racist. 2 (3) Once widely respected as a symbol of Amer- 3 ican excellence and a global icon of cultural achieve- 4 ment, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent 5 years, come under the influence of a divisive, race- 6 centered ideology. This shift has promoted nar- 7 ratives that portray American and Western values as 8 inherently harmful and oppressive. For example, the 9 Smithsonian American Art Museum today features 10 ‘‘The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American 11 Sculpture’’, an exhibit representing that ‘‘[s]ocieties 12 including the United States have used race to estab- 13 lish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and 14 disenfranchisement.’’ The exhibit further claims that 15 ‘‘sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting 16 scientific racism’’ and promotes the view that race is 17 not a biological reality but a social construct, stating 18 ‘‘Race is a human invention’’. 19 (4) The National Museum of African American 20 History and Culture has proclaimed that ‘‘hard 21 work’’, ‘‘individualism’’, and ‘‘the nuclear family’’ 22 are aspects of ‘‘White culture’’. The forthcoming 23 Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum 24 plans on celebrating the exploits of male athletes 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 •S 2385 IS participating in women’s sports. These are just a 1 few examples. 2 (b) POLICY STATEMENT.—It is the policy of this 3 Act— 4 (1) to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, 5 including parks and museums, to solemn and uplift- 6 ing public monuments that remind Americans of our 7 extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward 8 becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched 9 record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human 10 flourishing; 11 (2) that Museums in our Nation’s capital 12 should be places where individuals go to learn—not 13 to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divi- 14 sive narratives that distort our shared history; and 15 (3) to restore the Smithsonian Institution to its 16 rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and Amer- 17 ican greatness—igniting the imagination of young 18 minds, honoring the richness of American history 19 and innovation, and instilling pride in the hearts of 20 all Americans. 21 (c) SAVING OUR SMITHSONIAN.— 22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Vice President, in con- 23 sultation with the Assistant to the President for Do- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 •S 2385 IS mestic Policy and the Special Assistant to the Presi- 1 dent and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, shall— 2 (A) work to effectuate the policies of this 3 Act through the Vice President’s role on the 4 Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institu- 5 tion with respect to the Smithsonian Institution 6 and its museums, education and research cen- 7 ters, and the National Zoo, including by seeking 8 to remove from such properties anything that— 9 (i) violates the policy of this Act as 10 articulated in subsection (b) or Federal 11 civil rights laws; or 12 (ii) divides Americans based on race; 13 and 14 (B) recommend to the President any addi- 15 tional actions necessary to fully effectuate such 16 policies. 17 (2) FUTURE APPROPRIATIONS.—The Vice 18 President and the Director of the Office of Manage- 19 ment and Budget shall work with Congress to en- 20 sure that future appropriations to the Smithsonian 21 Institution— 22 (A) prohibit expenditure on exhibits or 23 programs that— 24 (i) degrade shared American values; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 6 •S 2385 IS (ii) divide Americans based on race; 1 or 2 (iii) promote programs or ideologies 3 inconsistent with Federal law, the policy of 4 this Act as articulated in subsection (b), or 5 Federal civil rights laws; and 6 (B) celebrate the achievements of women 7 in the American Women’s History Museum and 8 do not recognize men as women in any respect, 9 including by— 10 (i) promoting, celebrating, or favor- 11 ably depicting biological males competing 12 in women’s sports, winning awards des- 13 ignated for women, dressing as women, or 14 entering private facilities designated for 15 women; 16 (ii) promoting, celebrating, or favor- 17 ably depicting gender-affirming medicine, 18 especially for minors; or 19 (iii) including any other material that 20 degrades the biological nature of sex or 21 violates Federal civil rights laws. 22 (3) OTHER MEASURES TO PROMOTE POLICY.— 23 The Director of the Office of Management and 24 Budget and the Secretary of the Interior shall take 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 7 •S 2385 IS any other measures within their authority to pro- 1 mote the policy of this Act. 2 (4) BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN 3 INSTITUTION.—As appropriate, the Vice President 4 shall, in consultation with the Assistant to the Presi- 5 dent for Domestic Policy and Special Assistant to 6 the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, 7 work with the Speaker of the House of Representa- 8 tives and the Majority Leader of the Senate to seek 9 the appointment of citizen members to the Board of 10 Regents of the Smithsonian Institution committed to 11 advancing the policy of this Act. 12 (d) RESTORING INDEPENDENCE HALL.—The Sec- 13 retary of the Interior shall provide sufficient funding, as 14 available, to improve the infrastructure of Independence 15 National Historical Park, which shall be complete by July 16 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Dec- 17 laration of Independence. 18 (e) RESTORING TRUTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY.— 19 The Secretary of the Interior shall— 20 (1) determine whether, since January 1, 2020, 21 public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or 22 similar properties within the Department of the In- 23 terior’s jurisdiction have been removed or changed to 24 perpetuate a false reconstruction of American his- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 8 •S 2385 IS tory, inappropriately minimize the value of certain 1 historical events or figures, divide Americans based 2 on race, recognize men as women, or include any 3 other improper partisan ideology; 4 (2) take action to reinstate the pre-existing 5 monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar 6 properties, as appropriate and consistent with sec- 7 tion 437 of the Revised Statutes (43 U.S.C. 1451), 8 division A of subtitle I of title 54, United States 9 Code, and other applicable law; and 10 (3) take action, as appropriate and consistent 11 with applicable law, to ensure that all public monu- 12 ments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar prop- 13 erties within the Department of the Interior’s juris- 14 diction— 15 (A) do not contain descriptions, depictions, 16 or other content that inappropriately disparage 17 Americans past or living (including persons liv- 18 ing in colonial times), divide Americans based 19 on race, or recognize men as women; and 20 (B) instead focus on the greatness of the 21 achievements and progress of the American 22 people or, with respect to natural features, the 23 beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the Amer- 24 ican landscape. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 9 •S 2385 IS (f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 1 shall be construed to— 2 (1) impair or otherwise affect— 3 (A) the authority granted by law to an ex- 4 ecutive department or agency, or the head 5 thereof; or 6 (B) the functions of the Director of the Of- 7 fice of Management and Budget relating to 8 budgetary, administrative, or legislative pro- 9 posals; or 10 (2) create any right or benefit, substantive or 11 procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 12 party against the United States, its departments, 13 agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 14 agents, or any other person. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Aug 02, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S2385.IS S2385 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS