Murkowski and Merkley press Trump administration for details on proposed Smithsonian museum disclaimers

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, have demanded additional information from the Trump administration regarding proposed disclaimers associated with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, The Hill reported on August 7, 2026.

The lawmakers said they are seeking answers about how, where, and why the administration plans to install disclaimers outside of the museum. In their request, they also raised questions about the process and oversight surrounding the signage effort, according to the report.

Murkowski and Merkley’s request comes in the context of the Senate’s annual Interior appropriations work, which funds the Department of the Interior and related agencies and programs. As members of the subcommittee that oversees Interior spending, they have authority to seek information about agency implementation plans tied to appropriations priorities and federal operations, a power they cited through their demand for details on the Smithsonian proposal.

The Hill report described the lawmakers’ concern as bipartisan, with Murkowski’s office stating she is seeking clarification from the administration about its plans, while Merkley, the ranking member, likewise pressed for specifics. The senators’ letter requests were framed around the need to understand the administration’s rationale and the practical scope of what is being proposed for the museum’s public-facing environment.

The dispute centers on whether and how disclaimers are being introduced around Smithsonian exhibits or related messaging outside the National Museum of American History. The report said the senators want to know more about the administration’s approach, including the basis for the proposal and the implementation timeline, rather than leaving the public-facing changes to be determined without further explanation to Congress.

The next step, according to the report’s description of the senators’ action, is for the Trump administration to provide the additional information sought by the subcommittee. If the administration responds with details, lawmakers could use that information to assess whether the approach aligns with appropriations expectations and to determine whether further oversight or follow-up questions are warranted.