House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy introduced a bill on Thursday that would help protect statues and monuments from being defaced by withholding federal grants from state and local governments that do not protect them, Fox News reports.
The Republican lawmaker from California proposed “Protect America’s Statues Act of 2020” with Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Sam Graves, R-Mo.
“Public monuments are indispensable because they tell the American story. It is wrong to erase our history,” McCarthy said in a statement. “We should be learning from it.”
“Instead, leftwing mobs in cities across the country are destroying statues of General Grant, St. Serra, Christopher Columbus, and abolitionists,” he continued. “This is lawlessness in its purest and most unacceptable form.”
McCarthy stated that his “legislation has real consequences for states and cities: no order, no funding. It is time to respect our laws, protect our history, and punish the statue smashers.”
After introducing the legislation, McCarthy tweeted: “Leftwing mobs are trying to erase history by destroying statues of George Washington, General Grant, and Christopher Columbus. Enough is enough.”
Vandals calling for racial justice have targeted statues and monuments of Confederate soldiers and generals in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man, who was killed by a white police officer in May.
Recently, the protesters have targeted statues of past presidents and other historical figures.
President Donald Trump already signed an executive order on the topic. He has been vocal about protecting monuments and punishing anyone who destroys them.
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