Democrats see path to ridding Capitol of Confederate statues
By Cristina Marcos and Mike Lillis - 06/13/20 01:17 PM EDT
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House Democrats are seizing on momentum from nationwide demonstrations over racial injustice to revive an effort years in the making: the removal of Confederate statues on Capitol Hill.
There are 11 such sculptures in the Capitol building, placed there at the behest of southern states. Democrats have pushed for years — unsuccessfully — to have them removed, most recently after the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.
But now, amid the national outcry over police violence against African Americans — and with the Democrats controlling one chamber of Congress — they’re putting pressure on Republicans to rid the Capitol of figures who fought to preserve slavery.
“The timing might be just right,†Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday, the same day that members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) introduced legislation to remove the statues.
The effort sets up a clash with Republicans, who are largely united behind the tradition that states should decide which statues they want displayed in the Capitol complex. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) both indicated this week that they have no intention of bucking the states on that issue.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/502524-democrats-see-path-to-ridding-capitol-of-confederate-statues
