Congressional Record, Volume 156 Issue 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)

[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8492-H8495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

AUTHORIZING STATUES IN CAPITOL FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND TERRITORIES

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 5493) to provide for the furnishing of statues by the
District of Columbia for display in Statuary Hall in the United States
Capitol, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 5493

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FURNISHING OF STATUES FOR STATUARY HALL BY
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND TERRITORIES AND
POSSESSIONS.

(a) In General.--The President is authorized to invite each
jurisdiction described in section 3 to provide and furnish a
statue, in marble or bronze, of a deceased person who has
been a citizen of the jurisdiction, and illustrious for his
or her historic renown or for distinguished civic or military
services, such as the jurisdiction may deem to be worthy of
this national commemoration; and when so furnished, the same
shall be placed in Statuary Hall in the United States
Capitol.
(b) Limitation.--No statue of any individual may be placed
in Statuary Hall pursuant to this Act until after the
expiration of the 10-year period which begins on the date of
the individual's death.

SEC. 2. REPLACEMENT OF STATUES.

(a) Request by Jurisdiction.--
(1) In general.--A jurisdiction described in section 3 may
request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to
approve the replacement of a statue the jurisdiction has
provided for display in Statuary Hall in the United States
Capitol under section 1.
(2) Conditions.--A request shall be considered under
paragraph (1) only if--
(A) the request has been approved by a resolution adopted
by the legislature of the jurisdiction (or its equivalent)
and the request

[[Page H8493]]

has been approved by the chief executive of the jurisdiction;
and
(B) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the
United States Capitol for at least 10 years as of the time
the request is made, except that the Joint Committee may
waive this requirement for cause at the request of the
jurisdiction.
(b) Agreement Upon Approval.--If the Joint Committee on the
Library of Congress approves a request under subsection (a),
the Architect of the Capitol shall enter into an agreement
with the jurisdiction involved to carry out the replacement
in accordance with the request and any conditions the Joint
Committee may require for its approval. Such agreement shall
provide that--
(1) the new statue shall be subject to the same conditions
and restrictions as apply to any statue provided by the
jurisdiction under section 1; and
(2) the jurisdiction shall pay any costs related to the
replacement, including costs in connection with the design,
construction, transportation, and placement of the new
statue, the removal and transportation of the statue being
replaced, and any unveiling ceremony.
(c) Limitation on Number of Statues.--Nothing in this
section shall be interpreted to permit any jurisdiction
described in section 3 to have more than 1 statue on display
in the United States Capitol.
(d) Ownership of Replaced Statues.--
(1) Transfer of ownership.--Subject to the approval of the
Joint Committee on the Library, ownership of any statue
replaced under this section shall be transferred to the
jurisdiction involved.
(2) Prohibiting subsequent display in capitol.--If any
statue is removed from the United States Capitol as part of a
transfer of ownership under paragraph (1), then it may not be
returned to the Capitol for display unless such display is
specifically authorized by Federal law.
(e) Relocation of Statues.--The Architect of the Capitol,
upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library and
with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts as requested,
is authorized and directed to provide for the reception,
location, and relocation of any statues received on or after
the date of the enactment of this Act from a jurisdiction
under section 1.

SEC. 3. JURISDICTIONS DESCRIBED.

The jurisdictions described in this section are as follows:
(1) The District of Columbia.
(2) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(3) Guam.
(4) American Samoa.
(5) The United States Virgin Islands.
(6) The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.

general leave

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in
the Record and to include extraneous matter.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from American Samoa?
There was no objection.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5493,
as amended, which will invite each of the territories, and especially
including the District of Columbia, to provide a statue to be placed
with other such statues from the 50 States that are now all over the
U.S. Capitol.
First of all, I do want to thank the chairman of the Committee on
House Administration, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, my good friend,
Mr. Brady, for his support and leadership in bringing this legislation,
and also, my good friend from California (Mr. Lungren) for his support.
With the help of Chairman Brady and his staff, H.R. 5493 now includes
language making it favorable to have this bill brought now before the
floor for consideration as it was approved by the committee.

{time} 2100

I want to especially thank my good friend and colleague, the
distinguished lady from the District of Columbia, Ms. Eleanor Norton,
for her willingness to work with us on this important bill. And I want
to acknowledge the joint efforts that we have made in advocating the
importance of this bill for the five U.S. territories and especially
also for the District of Columbia, which is basically to provide and
furnish to the Architect of the Capitol a statue honoring a prominent
citizen of such jurisdiction to be placed in the National Statuary Hall
in the same manner as statues now honoring citizens of the States.
Since its inception in 1864, the National Statuary Hall holds a grand
display of statues donated to commemorate each of the 50 States. The
various statues with their historical significance have added to the
aesthetics and overall impressive architectural design of the U.S.
Capitol. To the 3 million to 5 million annual visitors to the U.S.
Capitol, the National Statuary Hall serves as a reminder of the values
and significant contributions of certain individuals that shape the
foundation upon which this great country was founded.
And 5 years ago, the Architect of the Capitol received a marble
statue of Po'pay from the State of New Mexico and a bronze statue of
Sarah Winnemucca from the State of Nevada, making the entire collection
complete in its representation of the 50 States under the original law
of 1864. It was also at the same time that I introduced a bill to
invite territories, including at the time American Samoa, Guam, Puerto
Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to furnish statues to be placed in
the National Statuary Hall. The language was similar to the one
proposed by the former Delegate from Guam Ben Blaz in 1985, except I
proposed permission for the territories to furnish a single statue.
Earlier this year, I introduced a similar bill with modified language
to include the CNMI. I am pleased that H.R. 5493 now has incorporated
all of these requests. And again, I want to thank Chairman Brady and
Ranking Member Lungren and members of the House Administration
Committee and staff for their support of this proposal.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill and reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5493. This bill permits the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands to each display one statue here in the U.S. Capitol.
Mr. Speaker, the District of Columbia and these territories of the
United States are important pieces of the larger mosaic that make up
our national identity, and I support their right to honor a noteworthy
figure of their communities. Statues are funded by the individual
territories. Therefore, this legislation is unusual; it's budget-
neutral. In the coming years, I look forward to welcoming these statues
to the Congress and learning more about the individuals that each such
entity chooses to honor.
So I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I gladly yield all the time that she
wants to my good friend, the distinguished Delegate from the District
of Columbia, Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Ms. NORTON. I thank my good friend from American Samoa, with whom I
work so closely and so often.
Mr. Speaker, I am particularly grateful this evening to Chairman
Brady for working so closely with me on the bill for statues for the
District of Columbia, a bill I have introduced for years but that did
not move until Mr. Brady became chair.
However, Ranking Member Dan Lungren deserves special thanks for
today's bill. When he said he could not support my bill for two statues
for the District, he didn't say ``no'' to everything. He introduced his
own bill for one statue for the District and one for each of the
territories. The bill before the House this evening is essentially that
bill, the Lungren bill.
Our original bill for two statues for the District of Columbia was
introduced only to give some small recognition to the taxpayers of the
District, who get little enough recognition for their taxpaying status.
In the end, in the spirit of compromise represented by Mr. Lungren's
bill, I decided that we should seek to move Mr. Lungren's bill at this
time, and I thank him for his bill.
We recognize that the statues for each State are mere symbols, but
for us, they are symbols of American citizenship itself, as embedded in
the recognition of their own outstanding citizens by each State. One
need only go

[[Page H8494]]

downstairs in this House to watch visitors from their own congressional
districts as they view their statues to see the power of the patriotism
and pride the statues inspire in their own constituents.
The Lungren bill creates a dilemma for the District of Columbia,
however. So great was the desire for the statues generated by my bill
that when citizens were asked to indicate who they wanted to represent
the city in statue for the United States Capitol, well, the citizens
chose two great Americans, had their statues designed and actually
built and placed in the District's city hall until such time as this
bill, or my original bill, passed the House. And if this bill passes,
for now, they will have to decide which one of two great men will
represent the city. This will be difficult because it speaks volumes
about who we are in the District, that the two men chosen were not only
longtime distinguished District of Columbia residents but also are
great Americans apart from their District identity.
Frederick Douglass, born a slave, who became the greatest human
rights leader of his time but also was U.S. Marshal for the District of
Columbia. And District of Columbia recorder of deeds. And, of course,
resident of Southeast Washington, whose majestic home is now a National
Park Service site with thousands of visitors who come each year. And
Pierre L'Enfant, the great patriot of the American Revolutionary War,
later appointed by George Washington to design the Nation's Capital.
We have decided it is better to have to decide which one of two great
residents of the District of Columbia will represent our city for now
than to have no choice at all. I ask this House to support this bill.
And again, I thank Mr. Lungren for his compromise in introducing it.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I yield myself as much time as I
may consume.
I thank the gentlelady for those nice comments. I understand the
importance of having a statue that reflects the people of the District
of Columbia and the territories. I remember the pride that we had, as
Californians, when we brought the statue of Ronald Reagan here just
about a year and a half ago. That is a great example of someone who was
not born in California but someone who rose to great prominence in
California and someone who loved our State.

{time} 2110

So I appreciate very, very much, and I love this spirit of
bipartisanship that the city has shown to choose Mr. L'Enfant, who, of
course, was a historic figure before we had the Democratic or
Republican Parties, and Frederick Douglass, a prominent Republican and
a great American.
So I thank you for that great choice. And I know who I'd vote for,
but you have a choice of two great Americans representing the District
of Columbia. I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I want to echo the sentiments expressed earlier by my colleague from
the District of Columbia, again, commending and thanking our good
friend from California for his support and his leadership in bringing
this piece of legislation to the floor, and especially Chairman Brady
and all his efforts and the members of his staff for their hard work in
bringing this bill.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Capitol features statutes from every
State in our union--statues that honor some of the most memorable and
influential people in America's history. The people of the District of
Columbia are part of our union, as well: They pay federal taxes, vote
in presidential elections, and share citizenship with us.
But when it comes to seeing the District's most notable citizens
honored here in the Capitol, in their own city, the people of
Washington, DC have again been left out. That needs to change.
This bill would give the people of the District of Columbia--along
with the people of the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands--their
due in the U.S. Capitol.
I believe, in fact, that the District of Columbia deserves two
statutes, just like any State; but failing that, I believe that some
recognition is better than none.
The people of the District of Columbia have made remarkable
contributions to America's history, its culture, and its ongoing work
to guarantee equal rights to all--and it's time that those
contributions are recognized here in the heart of our democracy.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill
in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5493, a bill to provide for the
furnishing of a statue by each of the U.S. Territories and the District
of Columbia for display in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.
I would like to thank my colleagues Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
of Washington, DC, and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa
for their work on this legislation. I would also like to thank
Congressman Robert Brady, Chairman of the Committee on House
Administration and Congressman Daniel Lungren, Ranking Member of the
Committee on House Administration for working with the Delegates from
the territories and agreeing to amend the bill with substitute language
that authorizes one statue for each of the U.S. territories.
For Americans across the country, one of the key highlights of a
visit to the U.S. Capitol is locating and observing the statues
representing their home states. It is an opportunity to see that their
local history is represented and valued in our Nation's Capitol, and a
chance to share that history with others from around the country.
However, visitors from America's five territories and the District of
Columbia are disappointed to find that they have no representation in
this time-honored tradition.
H.R. 5493, as amended, would remedy this situation by permitting each
of the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to house one
memorial statue in the U.S. Capitol Building. These statues would be
placed among the existing 100 state statues and would show the
historical ties the U.S. territories and states have shared. Like the
50 states, each territory has a unique and rich history, and each new
statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection will allow the U.S.
territories the opportunity to share that history with the millions of
visitors who visit the U.S. Capitol Building each year. I urge my
colleagues to grant the Americans who reside in the U.S. Territories
and the District of Columbia this opportunity and vote in favor of H.R.
5493, as amended.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5493, authorizing the
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands each to display a statue here
in the Capitol.
I thank the gentleman from American Samoa, Eni Faleomavaega, who has
championed this idea to include the territories for many years. And I
thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who support the non-
state areas of our country each having one statue of a distinguished
person they regard as worthy of praise and commemoration displayed
here.
Currently, the National Statuary Hall Collection holds statues from
all 50 states. Each has produced native sons or daughters who exemplify
the state's sense of itself or who have played a significant role in
the history of this great United States of America. H.R. 5493 will
recognize that the non-state areas of our Nation have also contributed
and sacrificed for America. As Americans, we, too, would like to share
our experience and our pride, as embodied in one individual, with the
rest of the American people here in our Capitol.
I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 5493.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5493, as amended, will
grant to the District of Columbia and the five territories of the
United States the right to each place one statue honoring a
distinguished individual into the National Statuary Hall Collection in
the U.S. Capitol. Currently, there are 100 statues in the Collection,
with each of the 50 states represented by two statues.
The Committee on House Administration had originally reported two
bills on this subject. H.R. 5493, by the gentlewoman from the District
of Columbia, would have given the District the right to have two
statues. H.R. 5711, by the gentleman from American Samoa, would have
given American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands
and the Virgin Islands one statue each.
It became unlikely that these bills could pass the House separately,
and there has been continuing controversy about giving the District of
Columbia two statues. Therefore, I am supporting this amended
legislation in the form recommended by the Ranking Minority Member,
Representative Lungren, to grant each jurisdiction one statue. I have
become convinced that this is an excellent compromise which will
provide an opportunity for all of these jurisdictions to enjoy
representation in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Mr. Speaker, no Federal funds would be needed to implement this
legislation. All costs of production and placement of the statues would
be borne by the District of Columbia and the five territories.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H8495]]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5493, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide for the
furnishing of statues by the District of Columbia and territories and
possessions of the United States for display in Statuary Hall in the
United States Capitol.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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