On the recordMarch 30, 2011
Madam Speaker, this week I plan to introduce a bill that will allow States to submit three statues for display in the United States Capitol. This bill seeks to include more diversity among the honored in our Capitol by increasing that number of statues to include more notable women, minorities, and other ethnic groups that have contributed significantly to our history. Currently, there are 100 statues on display given by the States, and only 16 are women or minority groups. Ten are women with three Native- Americans; three statues are Native-American males, two are Hispanic, and one is a Pacific Islander. Although there have been many noteworthy African Americans and Asian Americans in our history, no State has submitted a statue honoring one of them. This disparity must be rectified. If you walked through the Capitol and looked at the statues, you would think all the heroes and leaders were granite white men. This bill is to express that equal representation of all Americans is essential in our historical perspectives and the educational value that the Capitol offers its thousands of visitors. I urge my colleagues to look at the bill, to support it, and to have more diverse representation among the statuary in the United States Capitol. ____________________
