Dems block bid to defund Cesar Chavez monument despite child sexual abuse allegations
Sen Mike Lee says Democrats 'should be ashamed' for keeping Chavez's name on the California monument
By Alex Miller Fox News
Published April 16, 2026 7:30am EDT
Senate Democrats blocked an attempt to defund and abolish a monument to a prominent labor union activist who was recently hit with bombshell allegations of being a serial predator.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, tried to pass legislation that would have defunded the monument to Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers. The monument sits in California on property that was once his home and where his labor movement was born.
Chavez was once a revered figure, particularly among Democrats, until a bombshell New York Times report in March detailed allegations of a pattern of sexual misconduct, including abusing and grooming minors. The alleged victims had stayed silent even after his death.
"Due to Senator Heinrich’s shameful actions, the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument — a known crime scene where much of Chavez’s abhorrent abuse of women and girls occurred — will continue to operate on the American people’s dime, and it is sickening," Cornyn told Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-block-bid-defund-cesar-chavez-monument-despite-child-sexual-abuse-allegations