WASHINGTON — Iowa Rep. Steve King defended his vote Wednesday against a House resolution that acknowledged the use of African-American slaves in the construction of the U.S. Capitol.
WASHINGTON — Iowa Rep. Steve King defended his vote Wednesday against a House resolution that acknowledged the use of African-American slaves in the construction of the U.S. Capitol. The western Iowa Republican was the only House member to oppose the measure late Tuesday. The resolution, which passed 399-1, orders officials to place a marker inside the new Capitol Visitor Center using some of the original stone quarried by those slaves for the historic building. King said he opposed the bill because it was put up for a vote before the depiction of "In God We Trust" could be considered in the visitor center. The House was also weighing a resolution to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto in the three-story underground visitor center. He called it another example of "liberals in Congress" trying to remove references to the nation’s Christian heritage from the Capitol. "Our Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation and should not be held hostage to yet another effort to place guilt on future Americans for the sins of some of their ancestors," King said in a statement. Lawmakers have sought ways to honor slaves who were used to build government buildings, including the Capitol and the White House. The largest room in the visitor center has been named Emancipation Hall in their honor. Historians found that slaves worked 12-hour days, six days a week to build the Capitol. Democrats denounced King’s vote. Gabby Adler, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said his vote was "tantamount to opposing the very sacrifices and contributions these men and women made not only as they helped establish our nation but their contributions in weaving the very fabric of our nation." ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
