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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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 U.S. lawmakers from Texas accuse the Smithsonian Institution of "illegal lobbying" to prevent the space shuttle Discovery's relocation to Houston, requesting a Department of Justice investigation.
The Smithsonian denies these allegations, asserts its ownership of Discovery, and argues that moving the shuttle from its current Virginia location would be unprecedented, risky, and incur substantial costs for transport and a new display facility.
The controversy stems from a federal provision allocating $85 million for the shuttle's transfer to Houston, with Texas proponents citing the city's space history against Smithsonian and Virginia arguments for preservation and established collection integrity.

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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.