Republican House Leader Threatens Funding For States That Don’t Protect Statues

The leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, introduced legislation on Thursday that would cut federal aid to state and local governments if they do not protect statues. This comes after the nationwide attacks by protesters on monuments and statues of slave owners or those that fought for the confederacy.

“It is wrong to erase our history,” House Minority Leader McCarthy said in a statement, criticizing “left-wing mobs” who have attacked statues.

McCarthy was joined by fellow Republican Representatives Sam Graves and Jim Jordan to introduce the bill, which will prohibit some federal funds from going to local governments if they do not “restore order or arrest rioters.”

Amid the national and international protests ignited by the killing of George Floyd and the many other racial incidents across the nation, demonstrators have either taken down or vandalized statues of historical figures, including Confederate leader Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus.

Meanwhile, DonaldTrump has shared the same sentiments towards protesters and has criticized lawmakers who favor removing the monuments of those who owned slaves or fought against the U.S. in the 1860s Civil War.

Trump has also threatened decades-long prison sentences for those who deface or tear down these monuments and statues.

However, Democrats are in the process of pushing legislation to remove these monuments from the U.S. Capitol in Washington. According to U.S. News, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expected the House to pass similar legislation next week or shortly after.