House passes bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol

The House passed legislation on Tuesday that would remove artwork from the Capitol that honors people with legacies of defending slavery, including by serving the Confederacy.

The 285-120 vote was bipartisan, but it split Republicans. A minority of 67 Republicans joined with all Democrats in support, while 120 voted against it. 

“We ought not to forget history. We must learn from history. But we ought not to honor that which defiled the principles for which we think we stand,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the bill’s primary author. “It's time to remove those symbols of slavery, segregation and sedition from these halls.”