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Hoyer Statement on President Biden Signing Legislation to Remove Hate Into Law

December 28, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today after President Biden signed S. 5229 into law, which will remove the bust of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney from the U.S. Capitol building and commission a bust of Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall:

"I applaud President Biden for signing legislation into law to remove the bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney from the Capitol. For three years, I have been proud to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate on this critical legislation and fight to ensure our nation's Capitol reflects the very best of America. As the author of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that upheld slavery in America, denied Black Americans citizenship, and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War, Taney is not worthy of glorification in the sacred halls of our temple to democracy. This decision led to generations of harm toward the African American community, and perpetuated violence, hatred, and racism. This law will also commission a new bust of Justice Thurgood Marshall to sit in our Capitol. In stark contrast to the ideals that Taney upheld, Justice Thurgood Marshall fought tirelessly throughout his life to ensure African Americans were treated equal. From his groundbreaking advocacy in the Civil Rights Movement to his historic tenure as the first Black Supreme Court Justice, Marshall exemplifies our nation's founding principles and the ongoing struggle to ensure that their promise extends to all Americans. He is a Marylander worthy of veneration in the heart of our Democracy, and I look forward to seeing his bust in our Capitol.

"Along with Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, Chairwoman Karen Bass, Chairwoman Joyce Beatty, Chairwoman Barbara Lee, and many others, I've been proud to champion the removal of Taney's bust and other symbols of slavery, segregation, and hate from the Capitol Building. Although we made important progress with this law, we still have a lot of work ahead to ensure that the symbols we display in the Capitol reflect the values that drive our nation forward. Indeed, according to recent reporting in the Washington Post, more than a third of the art in our Capitol depicts Confederates or enslavers. Congress has a responsibility to elevate historic figures who cultivated our nation's moral growth and to contextualize and capture the nuances of the challenging chapters of our history properly. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to advance that important mission."