Morelle Amendment to Keep Space Shuttle Discovery in the Smithsonian Moves Forward

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, issued the following statement about his amendment introduced during the Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY26 Interior and Environment Bill to keep the Space Shuttle Discovery with the Smithsonian. The amendment was successfully adopted and will be included in the bill to be considered by the full House:

“The forced removal and relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum is inappropriate, wasteful, and wrong. Neither the Smithsonian nor American taxpayers should be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this misguided effort. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues on this amendment and hope we can continue working together throughout the remainder of the Appropriations process to keep a treasured Smithsonian artifact where it belongs,” said Ranking Member Morelle.

Background:

Under the recently enacted Republican reconciliation bill, the Space Shuttle Discovery was set to move to Texas and out of the Smithsonian Institution’s care. Estimates show that the actual cost to transfer the shuttle would be more than $325 million. Congressman Morelle’s amendment would ensure the Smithsonian is not forced to divert funding to carry out this move for an artifact owned by the Institution.  

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The Committee on House Administration’s jurisdiction includes federal elections, House operations, Capitol Complex security, the Smithsonian Institution, and Legislative Branch agencies such as the Library of Congress and Government Publishing Office.