{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-remove-statue-of-confederate-general-pike-from", "Norton Introduces Bill to Remove Statue of Confederate General Pike from Judiciary Square", "2017-10-05", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to remove a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike located on federal land near Judiciary Square in the District of Columbia.\u00a0 Last week, Norton met with members of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, of which Pike was a member, to discuss the statue\u2019s removal.\u00a0 Norton\u2019s bill makes clear that the Freemasons support the Pike statue\u2019s removal and that no federal funds will be used to remove it.\u00a0 The statue was authorized by Congress in 1898, was donated to the federal government by the Freemasons, and was installed in 1901.\nIn her introductory statement, Norton said, \u201cI 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.\u00a0 However, Pike was a Confederate general who served dishonorably and was forced to resign in disgrace\u2026After meeting with the Freemasons, I believe that the best course of action is to remove the statue and find a more appropriate place for it.\u00a0 The Freemasons themselves have said they \u2018will support an action\u2026to remove the statue forthwith so that it shall not serve as a source of contention or strife for the residents of our community.\u2019\u00a0 The Mayor of the District of Columbia and the D.C. Council also support the removal of the statue.\u201d\nNorton full introductory statement is below.\nStatement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of a Bill to Remove the Statue of Confederate General Albert Pike\nOctober 5, 2017\nMs. Norton.\u00a0 Mr. Speaker,\nI rise to introduce a bill to require the removal of a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, which is currently located on federal land near Judiciary Square in the District of Columbia.\u00a0 This statue was authorized by Congress in 1898, and was paid for by both federal and private funds\u2014the Freemasons, of which Pike was a member, donated the majority of the money needed to build and install the statue in 1901.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 However, Pike was a Confederate general who served dishonorably and was forced to resign in disgrace.\u00a0 Soldiers under his command were found to have mutilated the bodies of Union soldiers, and he was ultimately imprisoned after his fellow officers reported that he had been misappropriating funds.\u00a0 Adding to the dishonor of taking up arms against the United States, Pike dishonored even his Confederate military service.\u00a0 He certainly has no claim to be memorialized in the nation\u2019s capital.\u00a0 Even those who do not want Confederate statues removed will have to justify according Pike any honor considering his history.\nAfter meeting with the Freemasons, I believe that the best course of action is to remove the statue and find a more appropriate place for it.\u00a0 The Freemasons themselves have said they \u201cwill support an action\u2026to remove the statue forthwith so that it shall not serve as a source of contention or strife for the residents of our community.\u201d\u00a0 The Mayor of the District of Columbia and the D.C. Council also support the removal of the statue.\nMy bill clarifies that no federal funds will be used to take the Pike statue down.\u00a0 I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-remove-statue-of-confederate-general-pike-from"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7712612859904766, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}