Posted by: thepinetree on 07/22/2020 05:10 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 07/22/2020 05:10 PM
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House Passes Confederate Statue Removal Legislation
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 7573, legislation to replace the bust of Supreme Court Justice Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the United States Capitol with a bust of Justice Thurgood Marshall and to remove twelve Confederate statues and four other statues honoring men who championed slavery and segregation from display in the United States Capitol. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing us together today, along with our distinguished Leader, Mr. Hoyer, our distinguished Whip, Mr. Jim Clyburn, CBC Chair – Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Karen Bass, Chairman Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and you, Mr. Butterfield. Thank you for leading this critical effort, so important.
Mr. Speaker, as our country knows, nearly two months after the murder of George Floyd, America remains gripped by anguish as racial injustice continues to kill hundreds of black Americans and tear apart the soul of our country. Last month, inspired by the activism of the American people and led by the Congressional Black Caucus, the House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to fundamentally transform the culture of policing to address systemic racism and curb police brutality, deliver accountability and save lives.
On Juneteenth, I had the privilege, as Speaker of the House, by my authority as Speaker of the House, to remove four paintings of Speakers of the House who are in the Speaker's Lobby, Speaker's Gallery there, to remove them because they had – they were part of the Confederacy. Three of them, [after] they came to the Congress and one of them came after his participation in the Confederacy. It was long overdue. When we were checking out the statues, we found out about the paintings, and on Juneteenth, we said goodbye to those four.
Now, in Congress and in the Country, we must maintain a drumbeat to ensure that this moment of anguish continues to be transformed into action. That is why, today, the House is proud to pass legislation to remove from the U.S. Capitol the twelve statues of Confederate officials and four other statues honoring persons who similarly exemplify bigotry and hate. Again, thanks to Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, CBC Chair Karen Bass, Mr. Chairman Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Chairman G.K. Butterfield. I thank them for leading this effort.
As I have said before, the halls of Congress are at the very heart of our democracy. The statues in the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and what we aspire to as a nation. Monuments to men who advocated barbarism and racism are a grotesque affront to those ideals. Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage.
Among the Confederate statues in the Capitol, can you believe this, are Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens, President and Vice President, respectively, of the Confederacy. Both of them were charged with treason against America, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman. Both were charged with treason against America and they have statues in the Capitol.
And now, think of this about Stephens, I hate to even use his words, but it may be important for people to know why these statues have to go in clearer terms. The infamous words of Stephens, make as clear today as they were in 1861, the aims of the Confederacy. In his so-called ‘corner-stone speech,’ Stephens asserted that the ‘prevailing idea’ relied upon by the Framers included ‘the assumption of the equality of races. This was in error,’ says Mr. Stephens.
Instead, he laid out in blunt and simple terms the awful truth of the Confederacy. He said, ‘Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea.’ Imagine: exactly the opposite idea of equality of races. ‘Its foundations are laid,’ and ‘its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth,’ and these are his words, I hate to even use them, but we have to face this reality, ‘the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.’ He got a statue in the Capitol of the United States. How can we seek to end the scourge of racism in America when we allow the worst perpetrators of that racism to be lauded in the halls of Congress?
This bill also removes the statue of John Calhoun, the unapologetic leader of the Senate’s pro-slavery faction, who, on the Senate Floor celebrated slavery as a ‘positive good.’ Mr. Clyburn, I know you support removing your South Carolinian, huh? And on the Floor, he made this vile – John C. Calhoun made this vile assertion that, ‘In few countries is so much left to the share of the laborer, and so little exacted from him, or more kind attention paid to him in sickness or infirmities of age.’ What could he have been talking about?
And it removes in the Old Supreme Court Chamber the bust of Justice Roger Taney – and this is the persistent leadership of Mr. Hoyer who has been on this case for a long time. Justice Taney was the author of the Dred Scott ruling, which Mr. Butterfield very clearly laid out as probably one of the worst decisions of the Supreme Court ever. Certainly a horrific stain on the history of our country and certainly on the Court.
How fitting it is that the Taney bust will be replaced with a bust of U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, a towering champion of equality and justice in America.
Mr. Clyburn, as well as Mr. Hoyer, have been working on this. And Mr. Hoyer's a Marylander, I'm a Baltimorean; as you know the airport in Baltimore is named for Thurgood Marshall. So, as one who was born and raised there, I take pride in his leadership and service to the country.
Let us recall Justice Marshall's words, spoken nearly 30 years ago, but as true today. Justice Marshall said, ‘Democracy cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root [amid] rage.’
‘America must get to work. In the chill climate which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind.’ This is further: ‘We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.’
How much our great Elijah Cummings reflected the words of Thurgood Marshall, two Baltimoreans.
The Congress now has the sacred opportunity, obligation to ‘do better,’ to make meaningful change to ensure the halls of the U.S. Capitol reflect the highest ideals as Americans.
Mr. Hoyer, as our distinguished Floor Leader, had this plan for a while that we would – you all would work together and bring this composite bill to the Floor at this time. Little did we know, when those plans were being made, that at the same time we would be mourning the loss of our darling John Lewis. It’s a death in a family for us in the Congress. But he knew that this was in the works. And he's up there looking down on us to make sure it happens in the most bipartisan way.
I urge a strong bipartisan vote for the important step for justice, reconciliation and progress in America.
And, as far as our John Lewis is concerned, thank you. Thank you for bringing us to this place. May you rest in peace. I yield back.
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