US museums urged to stop lobbying against Nazi loot restitution bill

US museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are lobbying against a bipartisan bill that would strengthen the ability of Holocaust survivors and their families to reclaim Nazi-looted art. The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) paid $8,000 to oppose the bill, which eliminates technical legal defenses such as statutes of limitation and laches that museums have used to dismiss claims. New York Mayor Eric Adams and the World Jewish Restitution Organisation have publicly urged museums to drop their opposition, arguing that the stance contradicts the values of justice and accountability.