Cortez Masto, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif) are leading the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act.
Introduce and support bipartisan legislation to establish a Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall.
Occurrences
Evidence
Smithsonian says Congress signed legislation creating the museum on Dec. 27, 2020, but the permanent National Mall site has not yet been determined.
AP reported that the House rejected a bill to establish the museum on the National Mall after partisan amendments over exhibits and site control.
Congress.gov records S.959 as introduced by Republican Sen. Susan Collins with bipartisan original cosponsors including Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. The bill would establish a Smithsonian women’s history museum and gave priority to a site on or near the National Mall.
The Senate agreed to the H.R. 133 motion 92-6 on December 21, 2020; the roll call lists Cortez Masto as voting Yea.
Division T of Public Law 116-260 created the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and stated Congress intended the museum to be located on or near the National Mall to the maximum extent practicable.
The Smithsonian says Congress created the museum on December 27, 2020, estimates physical buildings are at least ten years away, and says object donations wait until the National Mall physical location is determined.
AP reported that the House rejected a bill to locate the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the National Mall by a 204-216 vote, leaving next steps uncertain.
Assessments
Cortez Masto materially satisfied the action portion of the promise by joining bipartisan Senate legislation as an original cosponsor and voting for the enacted legislative vehicle during her first Senate term. Public Law 116-260 created the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum in 2020, but it only directed a location on or near the National Mall to the maximum extent practicable, and the permanent National Mall site remained unresolved as of July 1, 2026. Because the museum was established but the specific National Mall placement was not fully delivered, the best outcome is partial with same-term timing.
Congress did establish the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum in law on December 27, 2020, during Cortez Masto's term, which satisfies part of the promise to advance bipartisan legislation for the museum. But the promise specifically tied the museum to the National Mall, and the permanent Mall site still has not been approved; a House bill to finalize that location failed on May 21, 2026. On the available evidence, she can receive credit for helping advance and achieve creation of the museum, but not full credit for delivering the promised National Mall outcome.