H.R. 7573 - Removing Statues From the Capitol

We oppose. The statues that fill the National Statuary Hall are sent by the states at their discretion, and Congress should not be assuming the authority to tell the states which statues they are and are not allowed to place in the hall. This is plainly an attempt to erase American history.

Constitutional Vote: No

Vote Date: July 22, 2020

H.R. 7573 provides for the removal of certain statues and busts from display in the Capitol. It demands that statues of members of the Confederacy be removed from the National Statuary Hall and prohibited from being displayed at the Capitol in the future. The statues in question will be returned to the states that sent them, at the states’ expense, if the states desire.

The House passed H.R. 7573 on July 22, 2020 by a vote of 305 to 113 (Roll Call 156). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the statues that fill the National Statuary Hall are sent by the states at their discretion, and Congress should not be assuming the authority to tell the states which statues they are and are not allowed to place in the hall. This is plainly an attempt to erase American history.