House OKs Bill to Remove Confederate Statues From Capitol

The House of Representatives passed a bill that would remove Confederate statues around the Capitol. The bill aims to remove statues honoring those who backed the Confederacy or upheld slavery in the early times of the United States.

The measure, also known as the "Remove Hate" bill, passed the Democrat-controlled House with a vote of 285-120 on Tuesday, June 29, Reuters reported. The 120 votes all came from the Republican opposition in the chamber.

CNBC reported that the House approved the legislation in the previous year. However, it failed to get traction in the Republican-controlled Senate.

House OKs' Remove Hate' Bill Targeting Confederate Statues

The "Remove Hate" bill, re-introduced last month, targets to remove confederate statues in the U.S. Capitol such as the bust of Roger Taney, a Supreme Court justice who wrote the infamous "Dred Scott v. Sanford" that prohibited the citizenship of Black Americans, Forbes reported.

"The Dred Scott decision was a blot on our history and represents the tragic legacy of slavery and racism that should not be celebrated in our country, said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland.

If the bill is signed into law, it would also remove statutes of slavery and segregation champions such as Vice President John Calhoun, Senator James Clark, and Confederate figures such as President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander Stephens.

Apart from the targeted statues, the legislation will also require the architect of the Capitol to identify other statues that will be removed and then returned to the states that initially sent them.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted that removing the Confederate statues will not remove the history of racism in America's past and the present. However, she said how the racism in the U.S. would end if they will "allow the worst perpetrators" of racism to be present at the halls of Congress.

Republicans on the 'Remove Hate' Bill

Although the House of Representatives passed the "Remove Hate" bill, Republicans such as Representative Matt Rosendale and Representative Mo Brooks voiced their thoughts on the measure.

Rosendale noted that he opposed the bill because he believed that it was "animated by the Critical Race Theory concepts of structural racism," as well as microaggressions and white supremacy, which was solely based on the United States.

On the other hand, Brooks noted that the bill was an example of "cancel culture and historical revisionism" backed by "elitists who claim they know more than regular citizens."

The House of Representatives passed the bill that targets Confederate statues amid nationwide protests driven by racial justice in the previous year that stemmed out after George Floyd's death.

As the House passed the bill, the legislation needs at least 10 Republicans in the Senate who would vote in favor alongside Democrats for it to advance.

WATCH: This Timeline Shows Confederate Monuments Are About Racial Conflict - From Vox