Klobuchar, Murkowski, Collins, Sinema Bipartisan Legislation to Honor Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and O’Connor Passes the House
Bill that places statues in the Capitol now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, with U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), announced that their bipartisan legislation to honor U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor with statues in the U.S. Capitol campus or on Capitol grounds has passed the House. The bill now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
Members of the House of Representatives, led by Democratic Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswomen Lois Frankel (D-FL), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), and Jackie Speier (D-CA), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), and Bipartisan Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), led the passage of the House companion legislation.
“Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor were trailblazers long before reaching the Supreme Court, opening doors for women at a time when so many insisted on keeping them shut. The Capitol is our most recognizable symbol of democracy, a place where people from across our country have their voices represented and heard. It is only fitting that we honor their remarkable lives and service to our country by establishing statues in the Capitol. Now that this bill has passed the House, I look forward to it being signed into law,” Klobuchar said.
“The contributions of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have left an enduring impact on our nation, and their legacies of service have inspired generations of women,” said Murkowski. “I’m proud to see that this bipartisan bill has now passed the House of Representatives and Senate, and will soon head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Having a place for their statues in the U.S. Capitol is a fitting way to honor these Justices and ensures their legacies live on.”
“Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg will always be known as dedicated public servants, fierce champions for equality, and accomplished Americans who broke countless barriers in the field of law,” said Collins. “Statues in the nation’s capital honoring the first two women to serve on the highest court in the land will serve as fitting tributes to their invaluable contributions to our country.”
“Justice O’Connor and Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women in law and life. By permanently placing their statues in the U.S. Capitol, we’re honoring their legacy and reminding visitors to our nation’s Capitol that women can achieve their dreams through grit and determination,” said Sinema.
Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined their colleagues in cosponsoring the legislation. In the House, the legislation passed by a bipartisan vote of 349-63.
