Rep. Matt Rosendale criticised the removal of Confederate statues in the Capitol Complex.Rosendale claimed that the backers of legislation are "animated by" critical race theory concepts.Tuesday's vote by 285 to 120 votes in favor of the House was passed to remove the statues.Subscribe to the 10 Things in Politics Daily Newsletter.Montana GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale blasted Tuesday's legislation to remove Confederate statues publically displayed in the Capitol. He said that the bill was rooted in critical race theory and "concepts".Rosendale, a freshman congressman, was one of 14 Republicans to vote against the creation of a federal holiday on Juneteenth. He described the removals of certain statues in the United States as an "attack on American history."He said that the South lost and that the Union was strong today. The great victory of our Constitutional government in the Civil War against slavery and secession should also be celebrated. "Unfortunately, Democrats, motivated by Critical Race Theory concepts structural racism and microaggressions, as well as a United States that is based only on white supremacy, have decided to remove statues that highlight the failings of the pre-1861 Constitution. It is clear that those who won George Washington and the West are coming next.The congressman pointed out that in 2012, the National Archives published a report that "concluded that the Capitol Rotunda was an instance of structural racism" and that it 'lauded wealthy White men in America's founding, while marginalizing BIPOC [Blacks, Indigenous and people of colour], women and other communities."He said: "Loyalty is to the United States requires recognition of its past, good and bad, and the Left’s iconoclasm during the previous two years, which was aided, abetted, and supported by the Democratic party is unwarranted, and unwise."Despite Rosendale’s opposition, Tuesday's House vote passed easily with 285 votes to 120, 218 Democrats supporting the legislation, and 67 Republicans voting against it.It is not clear what the Senate will do with the measure.Continue reading: 7 ways Democratic strategists suggest Joe Biden should be prepared for a flood of GOP Hunter Biden investigations, if Republicans win control of Congress in 2022Critical race theorists examine how America's racist history continues to be reflected in laws and policies today.Republicans have been targeting the discipline for months, alleging its teachings are divisive.Only one year after the protests against George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis, millions of people are demanding action against anti-Black racism in America, the politicization and promotion of critical race theory has sparked a national debate about race and freedom of speech.A bust of Supreme Court Chief Judge Roger B. Taney would be removed from the House bill passed Tuesday. He wrote the majority opinion in 1857 Dred Scott case that Black citizens couldn't be citizens. It will be replaced by a bust depicting Thurgood Marshall, the legendary civil-rights attorney who was the first Black Supreme Court justice of the United States.A similar measure was passed in the House last year, but it was blocked by the Republican-led Senate.Although Democrats currently control the Senate, due to the fact that the chamber is split 50-50 the party must still reach the threshold of 60 votes to pass the bill and avoid a legislative filing.
