VA Panel Votes To Remove Robert E. Lee Statue From U.S. Capitol

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday praised the Virginia Commission for Historical Statues in the U.S. Capitol for recommending the removal of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.

The commission made its recommendation Friday following a virtual public meeting hosted by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Northam testified before the commission in favor of removing the statue.

The eight-member state commission, authorized by the General Assembly, is charged with determining whether the Robert E. Lee statue should be replaced and, if so, recommending to the General Assembly a replacement to represent Virginia alongside George Washington in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection, where each state is entitled to two statues.

“The Robert E. Lee statue does not tell our full and true story, and it has never represented all Virginians,” Northam said Friday in a statement. “I commend the Commission’s righteous decision to remove this relic from the halls of Congress and replace it with a new statue that embodies the inclusive Commonwealth we aspire to be.”

Northam offered his support for the commission's recommendation only hours after workers removed a statue of Robert E. Lee and busts of seven of his Confederate colleagues from the Virginia Capitol late Thursday night and early Friday morning.

Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D) ordered the removals from the Capitol’s Old House Chamber, the room where Confederate lawmakers met when Richmond served as the capital of the Confederacy.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representative voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol, the latest effort by Congress to respond to the nationwide protests over systemic racism and injustice.

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, however, is unlikely to take up the legislation. Senate Republican leaders have declined to take action on the issue, saying it is up to states to replace the statues they send to the Capitol.

In the case of Virginia, it has now taken action. Northam said he will pass along the Virginia commission’s decision to the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress and request the immediate removal of the Robert E. Lee statue from the U.S. Capitol.

The Virginia commission will now work to recommend a replacement for the Lee statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection and recommend it to the General Assembly. The replacement must be "a prominent Virginia citizen of historic renown or renowned for distinguished civil or military service."

Since 1909, Washington and Lee have stood as Virginia’s contribution to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol. The Virginia General Assembly established the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol during its last regular session and tasked it with studying removal and replacement of the Robert E. Lee statue.

Northam appointed two commission members, Edward Ayers, a historian and professor at the University of Richmond, and Dr. Colita Fairfax, a professor at Norfolk State University and chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources. The Virginia Senate appointed Sen. Louise Lucas (D), and the Speaker of the House of Delegates selected Del. Jeion Ward (D).

During the commission’s first meeting July 1, the four appointed members elected three citizen representatives, Dr. Fred Motley of Danville, Chief Anne Richardson of the Rappahannock Tribe and a resident of Indian Neck, and Margaret “Margi” Vanderhye of McLean. Virginia Department of Historic Resources Director Julie Langan serves as an ex-officio member.

The commission will be required to select a sculptor for the new statue, with preference given to a sculptor from Virginia. It also must estimate the costs associated with the replacement of the Robert E. Lee statue, including costs related to construction and placement of the new statue, for the removal and transfer of the Robert E. Lee statue, and for any unveiling ceremony of the new statue. It also is tasked with recommending to the General Assembly a suitable state, local or private nonprofit history museum in the state for placement of the Robert E. Lee statue.

The commission is required to hold at least one public hearing prior to making any recommendation to the General Assembly on a new statue. The date of the commission's next public meeting has yet to be set.

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