WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to remove Confederate statues and of those controversial figures from the U.S. Capitol building.
The statues in question include those of former vice president John Calhoun, former North Carolina governor Charles Aycock, and former New York state representative John Clarke.
The House vote also would remove the bust of Chief Justice Roger Taney, the author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which proclaimed that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens.
The House approved the bill 305-113, sending it to the Republican-controlled Senate, where prospects are uncertain.
Seventy-one House Republicans, including Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, voted in favor of the bill while 113, including Idaho Rep. Russ Fulcher, voted against it.
"The current rule allowing states to choose the statues they want to represent them should remain," Fulcher said in a statement to KTVB. "Virginians or Georgians shouldn't make that decision for Idahoans, or vice versa. And I believe we are better served to learn from our history, rather than imposing censorship."
Idaho has contributed to the capitol's National Statuary Hall, including George Shoup and William Borah, whose statue sits in the Capitol Visitor Center.
The bill would also require states to take back and replace the statues of anyone who fought for the confederacy during the Civil War. As of right now, neither of Idaho's statues appear to be facing removal should it pass.
It still needs to clear the Senate before making its way to President Trump's desk for his signature.
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