Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped into GOP Sen. Mike Lee after he blocked the creation of Latino and women's history museums during a dramatic Senate session

• US Senator Mike Lee blocked two proposals that would establish new Smithsonian museums for American Latino and women's history.
• Both bipartisan bills passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, but the Republican senator said Americans didn't need "separate but equal" museums.
• Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez and GOP Sen. Susan Collins both pushed back at Lee during a dramatic Senate session on Thursday.
• US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped into Lee's remarks on Twitter, saying, "good to know Utah Sen. Mike Lee is spending his time today giving speeches about why Latinos shouldn't have a national history museum."

US Senator Mike Lee blocked two proposals that would establish new Smithsonian museums for American Latino and women's history during a dramatic Senate session on Thursday.

Both bipartisan bills passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, but Lee said Americans didn't need "separate, siloed" museums. Instead, he said the existing American History museum could be expanded to include the stories of all groups that make up US history.

"But the last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation with an array of separate but equal museums for hyphenated identity groups," the Republican senator from Utah said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ripped into Lee's remarks on Twitter.

"No movement on COVID in the Senate but good to know Utah Sen. Mike Lee is spending his time today giving speeches about why Latinos shouldn't have a national history museum and oh, while we're at it, why there shouldn't be a women's history museum either," she said in a tweet.

Lee prompted a livid response from Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat and longtime advocate of establishing a Latino museum.

"One Republican colleague from Utah stands in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing Americans of Latino descent having their dreams fulfilled in being recognized, just being recognized," he said during the session. "It's pretty outrageous."

Smithsonian museums for African-American history and Native American history already exist, but Lee said those groups were exceptions because they were "systematically excluded" from the nation's history.

"We have been systematically excluded," Menendez said of American Latinos. "And the only righteous way to end that exclusion is to pass this bill."

GOP Sen. Susan Collins also expressed support for the American Latino museum. Collins co-sponsored the bill for the women's history museum, which was also blocked by Lee during Thursday's session.

"It seems wrong that one senator can block consideration of a bill that would have overwhelming support by a majority of this body," she said in response to Lee.

"It is extraordinary to me that not 100 years ago not every woman in this country was allowed to vote in every state," she said. "That story is one of the stories that needs to be told."

After Lee blocked the women's history museum, Collins said, "I regret that that will not occur this evening, but we will not give up the fight."