Texas Republicans Urge DOJ to Investigate Smithsonian as Space Shuttle Fight Escalates

Lawmakers contend the institution may have broken lobbying rules.

Zach Vasile

Friday, October 24, 2025 at 01:30 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The space shuttle Discovery flew 39 missions and was responsible for launching the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990. [Courtesy: National Air and Space Museum]

Key Takeaways:

Three Texas lawmakers have accused the Smithsonian Institution of "illegal lobbying" to prevent the space shuttle Discovery's relocation from its Virginia museum to Houston and are calling for a DOJ investigation.
The relocation plan, supported by a federal act allocating $85 million, aims to move Discovery to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Smithsonian denies lobbying and strongly opposes the move, asserting full ownership of Discovery, citing potential damage risks during transport, and highlighting high estimated costs for both the move and a new display facility.

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Three U.S. lawmakers from Texas are accusing the Smithsonian Institution of engaging in “illegal lobbying” to block the retired space shuttle Discovery’s planned relocation to Houston.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and Representative Randy Weber said the Smithsonian should be investigated for allegedly lobbying U.S. House and Senate committee staff, which they said would be a violation of federal lobbying laws. The lawmakers also accused the organization of circulating inaccurate estimates of the relocation’s total cost and coordinating with members of the media to build public opposition to the transfer.