WASHINGTON – Committee on House Administration Chairman Candice Miller, R-Mich., issued the following statement at the conclusion of today’s Committee hearing on the Smithsonian Institution’s collections stewardship within its 19 museums and the National Zoo:

“Tasked with the monumental responsibility of collecting, preserving and displaying our national treasures, the Smithsonian Institution houses more than 130 million items – an inherently challenging task. Since the Institution’s IG identified deficiencies with the management of its collection in 2006, Smithsonian leadership has made significant strides to improve its internal processes.

“I commend Secretary Wayne Clough for his leadership and dedication to the Smithsonian’s mission and success, and I look forward to working with the Institution to ensure that its world class collection remains available to the public for many generations to come.”

Background:

Between 2005 and 2011, five reports issued by the Smithsonian’s Inspector General (IG) and one internal policy document from the Smithsonian highlighted deficiencies in the Smithsonian’s management of collections. The Smithsonian has taken steps to improve collections stewardship institution-wide. To date, the Institution has implemented 63 of the 67 IG recommendations to address the identified deficiencies. The hearing included testimony by Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, G. Wayne Clough, Ph.D.; Deputy Under Secretary for Collections and Interdisciplinary Support, Dr. Scott Miller; and Smithsonian Inspector General, Scott S. Dahl.

###