Congressman Cohen Votes to Remove Confederate Statues and Bust of Roger B. Taney, Supreme Court Chief Justice in Dred Scott Decision

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for legislation to remove all Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol and to replace the bust of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney with a bust of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. Taney wrote the majority opinion in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case on March 6, 1857, which argued that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no power to prevent the spread of slavery. This decision, a particularly disturbing example of institutionalized racism, is one of the most disgraceful moments of the Supreme Court's history.

"As communities across our nation reevaluate monuments and symbols that represent the racism of this country's past, it is incumbent on Congress to do the same. Those who commit treason against the United States should not be honored in the United States Capitol. The millions of visitors who tour the U.S. Capitol's Old Supreme Court Chamber each year deserve better than a memorial to a Justice who enshrined racist ideologies. We should honor and elevate those who reflect the diversity of our nation and who have advanced the Supreme Court's mandate to provide equal justice under the law."

Last week, Congressman Cohen introduced the Share America's Diverse History in the Capitol Act, which would allow states to send a third statue to be displayed in the National Statuary Collection. The bill also encourages states to honor women and members of ethnic and racial minority groups, now underrepresented in memorials inside the U.S. Capitol, to celebrate their contributions to our shared heritage.