U.S. Rep. French Hill alone in backing removal of statues

7/25/2020
Arkansas Democrat Gazette

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. French Hill was the only member of the state's all-Republican congressional delegation this week who voted to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol complex.

Hill said he was proud that the Arkansas Legislature had already voted to remove its statues and replace them with statues of country music star Johnny Cash and civil-rights leader Daisy Bates.

Fundraising to pay for the project is already underway.

"I think it's important for the two statues in the Capitol to reflect the history of our country, the culture of our country and reflect the best aspirations of our country," Hill said Thursday.

The lawmaker from Little Rock also supported the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act this week, which includes a provision stripping the names of secessionist leaders from military bases.

President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the measure -- which passed the House this week -- if the military base renaming is included.

A similar provision is included in the Senate version, which passed Thursday.

Asked whether he would vote to override such a veto, Hill said, "I would, because I think the [defense authorization bill] is not a perfect bill. But it's a good bill. It's a bipartisan bill. It contains all of our defense priorities. It's always a very hard and challenging process to reflect our defense strategy in both houses of Congress on a bipartisan basis. The leadership in both houses of Congress works very hard to do that," he said.

In a written statement, Hill's opponent, state Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, called Wednesday's statue vote a "common-sense step."

"Those who enlisted to go to war with the United States should not be honored in the United States Capitol," she said.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford voted against the Confederate statue bill, saying it's up to the states -- not the federal government -- to decide which historical figures are worthy of honor.

Arkansas, he noted, had already decided to replace a statue of Uriah Rose, a supporter of the Confederacy who went on to lead the American Bar Association, and James Paul Clarke, a former governor and U.S. senator who championed what Clarke called "the white standards of civilization."

"I was the one that instigated replacing our statues, so clearly I think it's time for a change," the lawmaker from Jonesboro said, noting his early advocacy for legislation that eventually passed the state Legislature.

"I don't think that the two statues that represent Arkansas in the Capitol right now are an appropriate representation of the values of Arkansans in 2020," he said.

He expressed confidence that Southern legislatures would make the switch of their own volition.

"I think these other states are going to have to make that decision," he said. "I think they should and I think they will."

In an interview, U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers said states are entitled to replace old statues.

"There's lots of people that are more modern day that people can relate to that we should celebrate," he said.

Ultimately, it's not a federal decision, he said.

"I think it's up to the states. I think they have the ability to choose who they would like," he said, adding, "Probably, a lot of those [existing] statues will come down."

Regarding the defense bill, Boozman said it's important for the legislation to pass "for the benefit of the men and women who are serving."

He expressed hope that a compromise would be reached that is acceptable to the White House as well as lawmakers.

"I don't think the president will veto it because the vote in the House and the vote in the Senate's been pretty overwhelming and certainly would be able to override a veto, so we have to wait and see," he said.

In written statements, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers said federal efforts to remove the statues are inappropriate.

"Trying to solve for social injustice by removing statues and erasing history is counterproductive. On process, I also believe that this is a state issue. Arkansas made the decision to replace our Capitol statues last year, and other states -- not federal mandates -- should maintain that duty," he said.

When it comes to the defense authorization, "It's a bit premature to predict what will happen right now. We have a conference committee ahead of us, and the legislation could be amended. I'll decide my vote when I see the final package," he said. "My guiding principle – as with every [defense bill] – will be the same: does this support our troops and include the elements necessary for a strong national defense?"

In a written statement, Womack's Democratic challenger, Celeste Williams of Bella Vista, noted that the statue tally had been lopsided.

"I agree with this veto-proof majority vote. My opponent took an extreme position in siding against 72 members of his own party in this vote. These relics of our past belong in a museum," she said.

In a written statement, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said the federal government shouldn't be picking state statues.

"I believe this is fundamentally a state issue, and should remain as such. The Arkansas legislature already made the decision to replace our two U.S. Capitol statues last year, and attempts to federally mandate statue removal takes power away from the local officials who know their communities best. America's leaders have never been perfect, and they never will be. In order to have an open and frank discussion about our forefathers' shortcomings, we need to confront our past head-on, not wipe all traces of it from our history. This recent movement to remove historical statues and rename national monuments seeks to erase, not educate," he said.

A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Little Rock said the lawmaker hasn't taken a position on the statue bill and would review it once it is taken up by the Senate. Cotton is also reserving judgment on the defense bill, noting it's "a bill that's not crystallized yet."