[House Report 116-608]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 116-608
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ROBERT E. LEE STATUE REMOVAL ACT
_______
December 2, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 970]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 970) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
develop a plan for the removal of the monument to Robert E. Lee
at the Antietam National Battlefield, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Robert E. Lee Statue Removal Act''.
SEC. 2. REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF MONUMENT.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the
National Park Service, shall remove and appropriately dispose of the
Monument to General Robert E. Lee at the Antietam National Battlefield.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 970 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to remove and properly dispose of the Monument to
Robert E. Lee at the Antietam National Battlefield.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 970, as reported, directs the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park
Service (NPS), to remove and appropriately dispose of the
monument to Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Antietam
National Battlefield (Antietam) in Sharpsburg, Maryland, within
180 days of enactment of the legislation.
The 24-foot statue of Lee at Antietam was dedicated in
2003, 138 years after the end of the Civil War. Though the
statue was commissioned and placed by a private citizen on
private land, the NPS acquired the property in 2005, making the
plot the statue rests on federally owned land.\1\ In addition
to the significant local backlash arising from the statue's
unofficial commissioning, the statue itself is also
historically inaccurate. For example, the statue depicts Lee on
horseback although it is known that he traveled to Sharpsburg
via ambulance due to a broken wrist. The statue also claims
that Lee was ``personally against secession and slavery''
despite the fact that Lee led the secessionist forces and was a
slaveowner who fought for states that each explicitly mentioned
slavery as their justification for secession.
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\1\See Press Release, Office of Anthony Brown, U.S. Representative
(Md.), Congressman Brown Introduces Legislation to Remove Statue of
Robert E. Lee on Antietam National Battlefield (Sept. 15, 2017),
https://anthonybrown.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=332,
of which the above text is largely excerpts.
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COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 970 was introduced on February 5, 2019, by
Representative Anthony G. Brown (D-MD). The bill was referred
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and
Public Lands. On July 21, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing
on the bill. On September 30, 2020, the Natural Resources
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was
discharged by unanimous consent. Representative Brown offered
an amendment designated Brown #1. The amendment was agreed to
by voice vote. No additional amendments were offered, and the
bill, as amended, was adopted and ordered favorably reported to
the House of Representatives by voice vote.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or
consider H.R. 970: legislative hearing by the Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held on July 21,
2020.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
Congressional Budget Office staff has informed the
Committee on a preliminary, informal, nonbinding basis that the
bill will likely have no direct spending or revenue effects.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to remove and properly dispose of the Monument to
Robert E. Lee at the Antietam National Battlefield.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
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