ToplineTuesday's vote in the House of Representatives was 285 to 120. It passed a bill to remove statues of Confederates from the U.S. Capitol. 120 Republicans voted against it, up from 113 last.WASHINGTON DC, JUNE 18: The statue of Jefferson Finis Davis (president of the Confederate States... [+] between 1861-1865) is currently on display at Statuary Hall, inside the U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC, June 18, 2020. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House (D-CA), has asked Congress to remove the statue along with 10 other Confederate soldiers or officials from the U.S. Capitol. The statues at the Capitol should reflect our highest ideals as Americans. They should also represent who we are as individuals and what we want to become as a nation. Monuments to those who promoted cruelty and barbarism in order to attain such a clearly racist end are an abominable offense to these ideals. Their statues are a tribute to hate and not heritage. "They must be removed," Pelosi wrote in a letter to Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Zoe Lofgren, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on the Library. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). Getty ImagesThe Key FactsA bust of Roger Taney (the Supreme Court justice who wrote Dred Scott against Sanford), would be replaced by one of Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was the first Black Supreme Court justice. It would also eliminate statues of segregation and slavery champions, like Vice President John Calhoun, and Sen. James Clarke. There are 11 statues of Confederate figures including Vice President Alexander Stephens and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.) stated in a floor speech that he supports the removal of statues of Confederates such as Stephens, but opposed replacing Taney by Marshall. This was due to Marshall's majority vote in Roe V. Wade which overturned many restrictions on abortion. Top Republicans, including Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, and Steve Scalise, Minority Whip, voted to take down the statues. McCarthy stated in a floor speech that he supported the removal of statues of Confederates like Stephens but opposed replacing Marshall with Marshall. He argued Marshall would be a better ambassador for democracy than Taney.Chief CriticRep. Matt Rosendale (Republican from Montana) Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) stated that he voted against this bill because it was based on the Critical Race Theory concepts structural racism and microaggressions. He also said that the bill would have made Juneteenth a federal holiday.Important BackgroundIn the midst of racial justice protests, the bill passed the House in June. Sen. Cory Booker (D.N.J.), the then-Senate Minority Leader, and Chuck Schumer (D-N.J.), tried to pass it by unanimous consent but were stopped by Sen. Roy Blunt. He argued that the states should decide which statues are displayed in the Capitol. It was not up for recorded vote by Mitch McConnell, then-Majority Leader.What to WatchOn Tuesday, House Majority Leader StenyHoyer stated to reporters that he expected Schumer, the Senate majority leader, will give the bill a vote in the floor. With the Senate currently in recess, it is unclear when and if that will happen.Large Number60. 60. The Senate Republicans signaled previously their willingness to follow similar steps by voting in overwhelming support of President Donald Trump's veto of a defense funding bill that directed the renaming bases after Confederate figures.
