House Republicans faced intensive criticism this week as many from the party’s side in that legislative chamber voted in favor of restoring a monument at Arlington National Cemetery that was widely decried as racist. Among other details, the Confederate monument featured an enslaved man following his captor into battle.
As highlighted in other reports, the cemetery itself called out the statue for its “highly sanitized depictions of slavery.” The original statue dates to the early 20th Century — well after the Confederacy towards which it hearkened was defunct, though as the United States grappled with persistent, embedded racism that was partly addressed, at least in terms of the legal baseline, with efforts at desegregation and securing voting rights for Americans more broadly that came decades later, though issues obviously continue.
“I’m sorry what year is this,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) asked in response to coverage of the House Republicans’ vote on X, formerly Twitter.
A Democratic candidate for Congress in New York also spoke out. “Anthony D’Esposito voting to restore a Confederate monument that glorifies slavery to Arlington National Cemetery is abhorrent, but unfortunately not surprising. Shame on him. He does not represent the people or values of NY-04,” said Laura Gillen, D’Esposito’s Democratic challenger for the general election.
As reported by The Hill, top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York also called out New York Republicans.
“What tradition are extreme MAGA Republicans — including Rep. D’Esposito, Rep. Molinaro and Rep. Williams — upholding? What Confederate tradition are you upholding? Is it slavery? Rape? Kidnap? Jim Crow? Lynching? Racial oppression? Or all of the above?” he asked at a press conference.
Among the staggering 192 House Republican supporters of the failed effort, which was led by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), was Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (La.), known as religiously conservative and an ardent Trump supporter.
