Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) has introduced a bill to remove a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike from federal land near Judiciary Square in the District of Columbia.
The statue was authorized by Congress in 1898, was donated to the federal government by the Freemasons, and was installed in 1901.
In her introductory statement, Norton said, “This statue was authorized not by the District, but by Congress in 1898, when the District had no home rule. The statue was constructed using both federal and private funds. The Freemasons, of which Pike was a member, donated the majority of the money needed to build and install the statue in 1901. I oppose tearing down Confederate statues because I believe they should be moved to more appropriate settings, like museums, to avoid erasing an important part of history from which Americans must continue to learn.”