On Wednesday, the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, with the support of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, released a new Portrait in Oversight describing a series of oversight hearings led by the Sen. J. William Fulbright and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from 1966-1971, addressing issues related to the Vietnam War.
By engaging in factfinding, collecting evidence, and publicizing what the committee learned, the Fulbright hearings forced greater scrutiny of U.S. military actions, exposed misrepresentations by the Johnson and Nixon administrations about the war, legitimized dissent, and helped bring an end to American involvement.
“The nationally televised Fulbright hearings educated Congress and the public about the devastation in Vietnam, U.S. military failures, and the harrowing impact on American soldiers, and it changed the conversation about the war,” said Jim Townsend, director of the Levin Center. “The Fulbright portrait demonstrates how congressional oversight can inform Americans about their government, influence public opinion, and change the course of U.S. history.”
“The 'Fulbright hearings' represented a watershed moment for American society,” said President and CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, Jane L. Campbell. “Our involvement in Vietnam began with good intentions from both parties. But the hearings revealed a massive chasm between U.S. military objectives, the reality on the ground, and the narrative being shared with American citizens.
“One of the era's most important lessons is this: if the United States is to remain a beacon of freedom and hope across the world, it must begin with transparency and accountability at home. Congressional oversight is the foundation of that accountability.”
The Fulbright portrait is being released now to pay tribute to two Vietnam War memorials celebrating anniversaries in November. The first is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., marking its 42nd anniversary. The black granite memorial bears the names of over 58,000 servicemembers who were killed or remain missing in action due to U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1957-1975. The second is the nearby Vietnam Women’s Memorial, marking its 31st anniversary. The only memorial on the National Mall dedicated solely to women who served in the U.S. military, it honors the 265,000 military and civilian women who served during the Vietnam War.
This portrait is the latest in a series of profiles developed by the Levin Center of notable congressional investigations and key figures in the history of congressional oversight from 1792 to the modern era. To view the previous Portraits, visit https://levin-center.org/oversightscholars/portraits/
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