Replacing Bust of Roger Brooke Taney with Bust of Thurgood Marshall
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, 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; Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass; Chairman Bennie Thompson; Congresswoman Barbara Lee; and Mr. Butterfield. I thank Mr. Butterfield for leading this critical effort, so important.
Mr. Speaker, as our country knows, nearly 2 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, 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 were in the Speaker's lobby, to remove them because they were part of the Confederacy, three of them before they came to the Congress and one who 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 good-bye 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 12 statues of Confederate officials and four other statues honoring persons who similarly exemplify bigotry and hate.
Mr. Speaker, again I thank Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, CBC Chair Karen Bass, Chairman Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and Chairman G.K. Butterfield for leading this effort.
As I have said before, the Halls of Congress are 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 whom were charged with treason against America. Both were charged with treason against America, and they have statues in the Capitol.
Now, think of this about Stephens--I hate to even use his words, but it may be important for people to know why the statues have to go in clearer terms. The infamous words of Stephens make as clear today as they did in 1861 the aims of the Confederacy.
In his so-called Cornerstone Speech, Stephens asserted that the ``prevailing ideas'' 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, 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 has 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. Speaker, I know Mr. Clyburn supports removing this South Carolinian.
On the floor, 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?
It removes from the old Supreme Court Chamber the bust of Justice Roger Taney. And this is because of 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, has been working on this. Mr. Hoyer is a Marylander. I am a Baltimorean. As we all 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 in which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind. 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 a sacred opportunity and obligation to do better, to make meaningful change to ensure that the halls of the U.S. Capitol reflect the highest ideals as Americans.
Mr. Hoyer, as our distinguished floor leader, had this planned for awhile that everybody 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 is a death in the family for us in the Congress. But he knew that this was in the works, and he is up there looking down on us to make sure it happens in the most bipartisan way.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong bipartisan vote for this important step for justice, reconciliation, and progress in America.
As far as our John Lewis is concerned: Thank you. Thank you for bringing us to this place. May you rest in peace.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it looks like I am going to be here on the floor with many of our colleagues who are going to offer remarks on this legislation, so I will give my opening remarks after I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source