Republican Senators Ted Cruz from Texas and Todd Young from Indiana are advocating for the First Amendment rights of pro-life demonstrators who are set to gather in Washington, D.C., this Friday. In a recent letter directed to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), they emphasized the importance of “respecting” these rights.
The senators highlighted that peaceful protests are a long-standing tradition in the nation’s capital, providing participants with a welcoming experience. This comes in light of an incident two years ago when several Catholic students, wearing pro-life hats, were removed from the Air and Space Museum while visiting for the National March for Life. The students, part of Our Lady of the Rosary School from South Carolina, were seen wearing matching blue beanies that read “Rosary PRO-LIFE.”
During that earlier incident, the American Center for Law and Justice reported that museum staff treated the group poorly, even making derogatory remarks. Following a lawsuit settled earlier this year, the Smithsonian agreed to apologize to the students and update its policies regarding clothing featuring religious and political messages. This agreement also included compensating the students with $50,000.
In their recent correspondence, Senators Cruz and Young stated that no amount of money could truly rectify the mistreatment experienced by the students, noting the necessity for proper training of museum staff to respect the First Amendment. They expressed concern that American taxpayers had essentially funded this inappropriate behavior and asserted that such incidents should never recur.
Both senators are pressing these institutions to clarify whether they have complied with past agreements about the treatment of visitors showcasing religious or political expressions. They are also seeking assurances that free speech protections will be upheld moving forward, especially as a key legal injunction nears its expiration in January 2025.
In response to inquiries, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian confirmed they would be in communication with the senators, while NARA did not provide a comment by the time of publication.
