Senate GOP: National museum should include Clarence Thomas

Six Senate Republicans are calling on a national museum on African-American culture to include Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in its exhibits. 

 

The GOP senators introduced a resolution on Monday arguing that Thomas should have a “prominent place” a the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

 

{mosads}”His omission from the National Museum of African American History and Culture is troubling and reflects a disregard for the historical significance of his service to our country,” said Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican.

 

GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch (Utah), Mike Lee (Utah), Tim Scott (S.C.) and Ted Cruz (Texas), as well as Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (Iowa), also back the resolution. 

 

Thomas’s exclusion from the museum, which opened earlier this year, drew quick backlash from conservatives. 

 

The senators in the resolution note that Thomas is the second African-American Supreme Court justice and “has made a unique and indelible contribution to the jurisprudence of the United States.”

 

The resolution also endorses Thomas as a “historically significant African-American” who overcame “great challenges” and has served the country for decades. 

 

“The life and work of Justice Thomas are an important part of the story of African-Americans in the United States and should have a prominent place in the National Museum of African-American History and Culture,” the senators add in the resolution. 

 

Linda St. Thomas, a spokeswomen for the Smithsonian, told CNSNews.com earlier this year that while Thomas was an example of an African-American with a “compelling personal stories” that the museum “cannot tell every story in our inaugural exhibitions.”