[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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