Committee Democrats Demand Answers on Reports of NPS Scrubbing Slavery History, Climate Facts
Washington, D.C. – Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) led fellow Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about disturbing reports that the National Park Service is removing exhibits about slavery and climate change from America's national parks.
The letter comes as NPS crews removed the "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation" exhibit from the President's House Site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The exhibit included the names and stories of nine people enslaved by George Washington while he served as president.
“It is deeply troubling that at sites dedicated to preserving our shared heritage, NPS appears to be actively revising both modern scientific reality and historical truth,” the lawmakers write.
The lawmakers warn that “when the NPS sanitizes historical narratives or scientific data, it denies the American public a full understanding of the forces that have shaped and continue to threaten these landmarks. […] Whether the subject is the historical reality of slavery or the current threat of sea level rise, NPS has a mandate to present the facts without political interference.”
Today's letter follows previous correspondence dated August 6, 2025, which “raised similar concerns regarding transparency and efforts to whitewash historical interpretation in our national parks.” Secretary Burgum has failed to respond to that inquiry. The lawmakers write that “the lack of responsiveness to our August letter, combined with these disturbing new reports of 'rewriting history,' suggests a systemic issue regarding the agency's commitment to transparency.”
The lawmakers are requesting documentation by February 6, 2026, including:
- A detailed explanation of the decision-making process and directives that led to the removal of slavery and climate-related exhibits
- A list of all park units that have altered interpretive materials related to slavery or climate change since January 2025
- Confirmation of whether new directives or style guides have been issued to park superintendents regarding terminology
- A timeline for a full response to the unanswered August 2025 letter
“NPS serves as steward of our history and our environment,” the letter concludes. “We expect the agency to uphold the highest standards of integrity and to remain transparent with the American people and their representatives in Congress.”
Background
Ranking Member Huffman and Committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed the administration on its censorship of national park content. In August 2025, Ranking Member Huffman led 12 colleagues in a letter warning that the administration's orders were leading to “the attempted erasure of stories, narratives, and historical events at units of the National Park System all over the country.” The following month, Huffman grilled NPS officials at a hearing, calling the removal of slavery-related content “pure propaganda” and “un-American.”
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