House backs bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol

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WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives voted Tuesday 285-120 to remove statues of the Confederacy and other historical figures who advocated slavery or white supremacy from public display at the U.S. Capitol.

The vote comes as Congress and the nation continue to grapple with America’s history of slavery and segregation. The extent to which racism remains entrenched in American institutions and society, from schools to police departments, has emerged as a fierce political debate in the year since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The bill, backed by 218 Democrats and 67 Republicans, then moves to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

“The symbols of slavery, sedition, and segregation have no place in the halls of Congress,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.), one of the bill’s sponsors.

Some Republicans said the bill was misleading.

“Make no mistake, those who won in the West and George Washington are next,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale (R., Mont.), who planned to vote.

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