H.R. 4730: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History Act

This bill, titled the Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History Act, aims to address and reverse what its proponents see as the distortion of American history in federal historical sites and institutions. Key elements of the bill include:

Codification of Executive Order 14253

The bill seeks to formally establish policies outlined in Executive Order 14253. It includes findings that suggest a movement over the past decade has sought to rewrite U.S. history by emphasizing negative aspects and downplaying the nation's achievements. It argues that this approach has led to a divisive and shameful narrative, which the bill aims to counter.

Policy Goals

The legislation outlines several specific policy goals:

• To restore federal historical sites, such as parks and museums, to serve as uplifting public monuments that celebrate America's heritage and ideals.
• To ensure that museums are places of learning, free from what the bill describes as ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives.
• To restore the Smithsonian Institution to its intended role as an inspiring emblem of American history and innovation.

Saving Our Smithsonian

There are several regulations regarding the Smithsonian Institution:

• The Vice President, with advisors, is tasked with ensuring compliance with the act's policies, which includes removing any materials that violate the stated policies or that could be seen as dividing Americans based on race.
• Future appropriations to the Smithsonian shall ensure no funding is directed towards exhibits or programs that do not align with the act's goals, particularly regarding matters of race and gender identity.

Specifically, financial support is to avoid promoting narratives that degrade shared American values or recognize biological distinctions of sex inaccurately.

Infrastructure Improvement

The bill mandates funding for improvements at Independence National Historical Park to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Restoring Public Monuments

The Secretary of the Interior is instructed to assess and restore any monuments or markers that have been changed or removed. This includes ensuring that all public monuments reflect a positive view of American history and do not include divisive or politically biased narratives.

Clarifications and Exclusions

The bill specifies that it does not impair established authorities of executive departments and does not create enforceable rights for individuals against the United States or its agencies.

Relevant Companies

• SNY (Sanofi): A potential impact could arise from changes in how certain topics, including race and gender identity, may affect public and educational policies that could, in turn, influence corporate social responsibility and outreach programs related to health education.
• UNH (UnitedHealth Group): The company may see indirect consequences in how health education and access programs, particularly those addressing diverse populations, could be framed under the new historical narratives promoted by this act.