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Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

By: Tim Kaine
By: Tim Kaine
Date: July 18, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation to remove ``Robert E. Lee Memorial'' from the official name of Arlington House.

This legislation is partially inspired by requests from descendants of General Robert E. Lee and people who were enslaved at Arlington House. This is also an effort to promote a society that is more just and equitable for all, regardless of race, by moving on from a public symbol that honors a figure that fought to protect slavery.

Arlington House is the first name of the historic mansion, which sits on Federal land within Arlington National Cemetery. The property is administered by the National Park Service and overlooks the Potomac River and the Nation's Capital. The house was built by Martha Custis Washington's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, as the Nation's first memorial to George Washington. Later, his daughter married Robert E. Lee, and the couple lived in the home until the Civil War. During that period, the site was chosen to serve as a national military cemetery in part to prevent Lee from returning. Congress passed legislation in 1955 designating the house the ``Custis-Lee Mansion'' to memorialize Lee and subsequently amended the official title to ``Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial.'' The legislation would remove the latter part of that name and return the house to its original name, ``Arlington House.''

Today, the National Park Service is dedicated to telling the story of those who were enslaved at the Arlington House. I am hopeful that this name change will help to do just a little bit more to encapsulate the full history of the site, which included the presence of many families and generations throughout history, such as the Syphax, Burke, Parks, and Gray families.

I am pleased that companion legislation is also being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by my colleague, Representative Don Beyer, who has led this effort for years.

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