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.

1/1/2023, 11:43 PM

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.
Congress
117

Number
S - 2366

Introduced on
2021-07-15

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

7/15/2021

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

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.

Policy Areas
Congress

Potential Impact
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

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary1/19/2022

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 r...


Latest Action7/15/2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.