Calling on the Senate to remove the name of Richard B. Russell from the Russell Senate Office Building.
- Bill Number
- H.Res. 646
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Congress
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-09: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Last Updated
- 2025-10-07T08:05:35Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This House resolution urges the Senate to remove the name of former Senator Richard B. Russell from the Russell Senate Office Building. It frames the request around Russell’s documented opposition to civil rights measures and his support for racial segregation and white supremacy, while also rejecting those ideologies in general.
Key Provisions
- Rejects white nationalism and white supremacy as contrary to core U.S. values.
- Condemns statues, memorials, captions, and artwork that honor lawmakers such as Russell who opposed the principle that all persons are created equal.
- Calls on the Senate to strip Russell’s name from the building and revert to its original name, the Old Senate Office Building, until a new honoree is chosen.
The resolution includes background statements detailing Russell’s participation in filibusters against anti-lynching legislation, his public statements favoring white supremacy, his role in drafting the Southern Manifesto against school desegregation, his boycott of the 1964 Democratic National Convention, and his 1964 proposal for voluntary relocation of African Americans.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The measure does not amend any statute or alter current law. It is a non-binding resolution that expresses the sense of the House and requests action by the Senate.
Potential Impacts
- Could prompt the Senate to consider renaming one of its office buildings, affecting how federal facilities commemorate historical figures.
- May influence future decisions on public memorials and naming practices across government.
- No direct effects on international relations or daily operations of federal agencies are outlined.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Members of the U.S. Senate, who would decide whether to act on the request.
- The House of Representatives, which initiated the resolution.
- The public and civil rights organizations concerned with historical commemoration.
- Historians and institutions that study congressional history.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The resolution makes a political statement about the appropriateness of honoring individuals with records of opposing civil rights. It does not raise direct constitutional questions but reflects ongoing debates over how Congress should address past support for segregation in its naming and memorial practices.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-09: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- 2025-08-08: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-08-08: Submitted in House
- 2025-08-08: Submitted in House
Bill Versions
- Calling on the Senate to remove the name of Richard B. Russell from the Russell Senate Office Building. — issued 2025-08-08 — PDF (3 pages)