House Approves of Removing Confederate Statues from the Capitol

By Tadi Abedje Published: June 30, 2021

House Approves of Removing Confederate Statues from the Capitol

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, speaks as she stands next to Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. Schumer and Pelosi met earlier with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as they continue to negotiate a coronavirus relief package. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

By: Tadi Abedje

Two months after the George Floyd murder last year, the House introduced legislation to remove confederate statues such as Chief Justice Taney, John C. Calhoun, Charles B. Aycock and James Paul Clarke from the U.S. Capitol.

The plan was to have a statue of Thurgood Marshall, who was the first Black Supreme Court Justice, in place of Taney. The bill passed on July 22, 2020 in the House with a 305-113 vote, but was stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate.

“The American people know these names have to go. These names are white supremacists that said terrible things about our country. This is over 100 years after World War II. Some of these names were given to these bases,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a press conference last year.

Fast forward to Tuesday, the bill was introduced, and passed again in the House with a 285 to 120 vote. 67 House Republicans joined the Democrats in support of the bill. The measure was introduced again by House Majority Whip James Clyburn, shortly after the January 6th Insurrection at the Capitol.

“We’re talking about moving this nation more perfect and one of ways to do that is by recognizing and admitting that we have a very spotted history when it comes to race,” Clyburn said in a speech on the House Floor.

The removed statues will be sent back to their states that sent them to the Capitol.