NEWSLETTER: Taking Action to Remove Hate in Congress
A MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSMAN HOYER:
This week, I was proud to bring my bill to the House Floor – as I did last year – to remove statues of those who worked to uphold segregation, slavery, and sedition from public display in the United State's Capitol. H.R. 3005, which I sponsored with Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), would remove the bust of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney from the Capitol building. A Maryland native, Chief Justice Taney wrote the majority opinion in the infamous Dred Scott v. Sanford case which declared that African Americans could not be citizens of the United States or awarded the same, basic constitutional rights. This damaging decision perpetuated racism in our country, and its effects are still felt today.
With our legislation, Congress would replace his bust with one of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, a civil rights giant who dedicated his life to defending the equal treatment of all Americans. Chief Justice Taney represents the worst of America, and his legacy is inconsistent with America's founding principle. It is appropriate that Justice Thurgood Marshall be honored in Congress instead. H.R. 3005 would also remove statues of those who supported and perpetrated slavery and segregation, as well as those who served voluntarily in the Confederate States of America. Click here to learn more about H.R. 3005. In case you missed news coverage of the passage of H.R. 3005, click here to see some of the highlights.
Our legislation to remove hate enjoys broad support from Maryland advocates across our state, and I was pleased it passed the House with bipartisan support. H.R. 3005 reaffirms that racism, bigotry, and intolerance have no place in our democracy. Though we can never erase our history, we can confront it head on and learn from it. I urge the Senate to take up H.R. 3005 without delay. I will continue advocating for greater inclusion, tolerance, and equality in our country, and make clear that our democracy exists for every American.
As always, I encourage all Fifth District residents to continue to share their concerns and insights with me by contacting my office or connecting with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If you are experiencing a personal difficulty such as issues accessing veterans benefits or another problem regarding a federal agency and you wish for my office to place an inquiry on your behalf, please complete the casework request form by clicking here.
Sincerely Yours,
Steny H. Hoyer