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SENATE 2366117th CongressRead twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

A bill to direct the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to replace the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the Capitol with a bust of Thurgood Marshall to be obtained by the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library and to remove certain statues from areas of the Capitol which are accessible to the public, to remove all statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in the Capitol, and for other purposes.

Last Action
7/15/2021

Actions

  • 2021-07-15Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  • 2021-07-15Introduced in Senate

CRS Summary

As of 2021-07-15 (00)

This bill provides for the removal of certain statues and busts from display in the Capitol.

The bill directs the Joint Committee on the Library to remove the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court chamber of the Capitol and replace it with a bust of Thurgood Marshall.

The committee must remove the statues of Charles Brantley Aycock, John Caldwell Calhoun, and James Paul Clarke and the bust of John Cabell Breckinridge from areas of the Capitol accessible to the public. The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) must store the statues and bust until it arranges their return to the states that provided them.

Additionally, the bill

  • prohibits the display of statues in National Statuary Hall of persons who served as officers or voluntarily with the Confederate States of America or of the military forces or government of a state while it was in rebellion against the United States;
  • requires the AOC to identify such statues and arrange for their transfer and delivery from the Capitol to the Smithsonian Institution;
  • requires the Smithsonian to follow its preexisting policies and procedures regarding the storage and display of such transferred statues;
  • requires each statue to be returned to the providing state, including its ownership, if the state requests and agrees to pay any transportation-related costs; and
  • permits a state that has a statue removed to replace the statue.

Cosponsors (5)

  • Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
  • Cory Booker (D-NJ)
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Alex Padilla (D-CA)

Subjects

  • Arkansas
  • Art, artists, authorship
  • Conflicts and wars
  • Government buildings, facilities, and property
  • Judges
  • Kentucky
  • Members of Congress
  • Military history
  • Monuments and memorials
  • Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
  • Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
  • Racial and ethnic relations
  • Senate
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • South Carolina
  • State and local government operations
  • Supreme Court
  • U.S. Capitol
  • U.S. history
Read on Congress.gov

Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.