Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
Legislation will place statues of the two trailblazing female justices in the Capitol
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, with U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), announced that their bipartisan legislation to honor U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor with statues in the U.S. Capitol campus or on Capitol grounds has been signed into law.
“Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor were trailblazers long before reaching the Supreme Court, opening doors for women at a time when so many insisted on keeping them closed. The Capitol is our most recognizable symbol of democracy, a place where people from across our country have their voices represented and heard. It is only fitting that we honor their remarkable lives and service to our country by establishing statues in the Capitol. Now that this bill has been signed into law, the accomplishments and legacies of these groundbreaking women will be commemorated forever in the heart of our democracy,” Klobuchar said. “I had the honor of informing Justice O’Connor’s son and Justice Ginsburg’s daughter that the bill had passed and look forward to welcoming them to the Capitol when they come to visit the statues.”
“The contributions of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have left an enduring impact on our nation, and their legacies of service have inspired generations of women,” said Murkowski. “I’m proud to see that this bipartisan bill has been signed into law. Having a place for their statues in the U.S. Capitol is a fitting way to honor these Justices and ensures their legacies live on.”
“Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg will always be known as dedicated public servants, fierce champions for equality, and accomplished Americans who broke countless barriers in the field of law,” said Collins. “Statues in the nation’s capital honoring the first two women to serve on the highest court in the land will serve as fitting tributes to their invaluable contributions to our country.”
“Justice O’Connor and Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women in law and life. By permanently placing their statues in the U.S. Capitol, we’re honoring their legacy and reminding visitors to our nation’s Capitol that women can achieve their dreams through grit and determination,” said Sinema.
Members of the House of Representatives, led by Democratic Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswomen Lois Frankel (D-FL), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), and Jackie Speier (D-CA), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), and Bipartisan Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), led the passage in the House alongside Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chair of the Committee on House Administration and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library.
“We are thrilled that President Biden signed our legislation to honor the legacies of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg with statues in their honor on the U.S. Capitol Grounds—it’s an exciting day for children everywhere who dream of following in the footsteps of these legal giants,” said the Democratic Women’s Caucus leadership. “Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg broke the highest and hardest glass ceiling in our judiciary, becoming the first two women to sit on the Supreme Court after persisting through decades of gender-based discrimination in their academic and professional careers. These statues will serve as inspiration to future generations of children from across the country and around the world who pass through the halls of Congress.”
“Both Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were trailblazers that inspired a generation of women to believe their place is everywhere – and it is perfectly fitting for them to be memorialized in the cathedral of our Democracy,” said Congresswomen Dean and González-Colón. “We want to thank all of our colleagues for their work in making this a reality and President Biden for signing the bill. We simply cannot wait to see their statues.”
“I am glad to see this bipartisan bill pass both chambers, and now signed by President Joe Biden. Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg made revolutionary contributions to American history and jurisprudence. The presence of their statues in the United States Capitol will honor their legacy and help inspire the next generation of trailblazing women who pass through the halls of Congress,” said Congresswoman Lofgren.
Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined their colleagues as cosponsors. In the House, the legislation passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 349-63.
In honor of Justice Ginsburg’s and O’Connor’s trailblazing legacies, the legislation also requires the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to consider selecting an artist from underrepresented demographic groups to create the statues.
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