Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D‑CA) and Representative Joe Neguse pressed the National Park Service over press reports and staff accounts that a widely distributed Civil War‑era photograph known as the "scourged back" was removed from an exhibit after a secretarial order to screen historical content for whether it "inappropriately disparage[s] Americans" or to emphasize uplifting themes.

Huffman said he had "good information" that the photograph had been removed at Fort Pulaski National Monument and called the action part of a broader effort he described as an attempt to "whitewash our parks of anything that might, quote, unquote, inappropriately disparage Americans." He said the National Academies' reaffirmation of the 2009 EPA endangerment finding was being entered into the record and linked the issue to wider concerns about how the administration is directing agency content.

Mike Caldwell, Associate Director, National Park Service, told the subcommittee he was "not involved in issuing any secretarial orders related to this" and that implementation of the secretarial order was "still underway"; he said signage and changes were subject to public input and that he was "unaware of the photo being taken down." Caldwell committed to relay members’ questions to officials implementing the order and to provide follow‑up information to the committee and staff.

Representative Neguse and others pressed for clarity about who issued instructions, whether guidelines exist for screening exhibits, whether staff used public feedback as a decision standard, and whether the effort requires reallocation of budget lines. Caldwell repeatedly said he was not involved in implementation and agreed to provide more specific information to the committee. Several members placed news reports and a Washington Post article into the hearing record; the committee asked the Park Service to respond in writing and provide documents clarifying the process, criteria and any specific exhibit removals.

The exchange produced several commitments to follow up; no new directives were announced during the hearing. The National Park Service requested time to coordinate and promised to provide written responses to the committee’s inquiries.