The House of Representatives has voted in favor of removing Confederate and ‘pro-slavery’ statues from the US Capitol.
A bust of former US Chief Justice Roger Taney and statues of Jefferson Davis will be included in the removal. Taney is infamous for his decision in the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court case. At the time, Taney was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and decided to prevent Scott from suing his slave owner in 1856. His ruling stated that Scott was not an American citizen and therefore did not have the right.
Lawmakers seek to replace his bust with one of Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice. Another statue to be removed is that of Jefferson Davis who served as the President of the Confederacy from 1861 until 1865 when the Union defeated the Confederate states in the Civil War. His memorial will be delivered to Mississippi as the state gifted the statue to the Capitol.
Democrat Representative Jim Clyburn said, “This legislation will remove these commemorations from places of honor and demonstrate that as Americans we do not celebrate those who seek to divide us.” The bill passed 285-120 in the House with unanimous support from Democrats and 67 Republican representatives. Lawmakers hope for the bill to move forward successfully in the Senate, unlike last year where a similar bill was not passed.
