Republican senators issue warning to historic museums ahead of pro-life march: ‘Respect’ free speech

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Todd Young, R-Indiana are urging humanities museums successful Washington, D.C., to "respect" the First Amendment rights of pro-life protesters who are expected to descend upon the metropolis connected Friday.

"This peaceful workout of First Amendment rights has historically provided participants with a positive, welcoming acquisition successful our nation’s capital," the senators wrote successful a missive to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Two years ago, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum booted respective Catholic students and their chaperones for wearing pro-life attire. Students and chaperones from Our Lady of the Rosary School successful Greenville, South Carolina, traveled to Washington, D.C., to enactment successful the yearly National March for Life. The radical stood retired successful matching bluish beanies emblazoned with the words "Rosary PRO-LIFE."

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Sens. Todd Young and Ted Cruz pen missive informing museums to adhere to pro-life protesters' escaped code rights. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

At the time, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), representing immoderate students' parents, claimed depository unit mocked the group, utilized expletives, and argued the depository was a "neutral zone" prohibiting governmental oregon spiritual messages.

In a colony reached connected March 18, 2024, the Smithsonian Institution resolved a suit with students removed from the National Air and Space Museum for wearing pro-life beanies. As portion of the agreement, the Smithsonian committed to providing the students a circuit and an apology, updating its argumentation connected covering with spiritual and governmental code for public-facing information staff, sharing video footage and investigative details of the incident, and paying $50,000.

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People be the yearly March for Life rally connected the National Mall connected January 19, 2024 successful Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

"While we are pleased that the victims of this harassment received justice, it intelligibly ne'er should person happened successful the archetypal place. No sum of wealth could genuinely undue the atrocious acts: officers bearing the badge and unit of the national authorities openly intimidated and violated the First Amendment rights of peaceful students," the senators wrote to the museums past week. 

"Moreover, American taxpayers footed the measure for the Smithsonian Institution employees’ egregious behaviour and evident deficiency of capable training. This cannot hap again," they said.

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People be the yearly March for Life rally extracurricular of the U.S. Supreme Court connected January 19, 2024 successful Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

That aforesaid year, NARA settled a suit successful December 2023 aft unit reportedly asked visitors to region pro-life covering during the March for Life protestation earlier that year. The visitors, represented besides by the ACLJ, claimed their First Amendment rights were violated. NARA apologized, admitted the incidental breached its policies, and agreed to wage $10,000 successful ineligible fees portion implementing unit grooming to forestall aboriginal violations.

The senators are urging the institutions to reply questions astir whether they person honored anterior settlements regarding the attraction of visitors displaying spiritual oregon governmental messages and whether unit person been reminded of policies protecting escaped speech. NARA is besides being asked to perpetrate to maintaining these protections aft a cardinal injunction expires successful January 2025. Both agencies person been asked to supply elaborate explanations of their actions and preparations.

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In an email to Fox News Digital, Smithsonian Institution spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson said, "We volition correspond with the Senators."

NARA did not respond to a petition for remark by property deadline.