Congress of the United States Washington, DC 20515 January 10, 2017 ‘The Honorable Brian Sandoval Speaker Designate Jason Frierson Governor of Nevada Nevada Assembly 101 N. Carson Street 401 South Carson Street Carson City, NV 89701 Carson City, NV 89701 Majority Leader Aaron D. Ford Nevada Senate 401 South Carson Street Carson City, NV 89701 Dear Governor Sandoval, Speaker Designate Frierson, and Majority Leader Ford: We write urging you to consider replacing the Patrick Anthony McCarran statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection with a statue of a different individual from the state of Nevada. ‘The statue of Patrick Anthony McCarran, given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by the State of Nevada in 1960, stands in the Hall of Columns in the U.S. Capitol. Each year an estimated three to five million people visit the U.S. Capitol from around the globe. Accordingly, the statue of the late Senator McCarran is our representative of Nevadans not only to our fellow Americans, but to the world. ‘The individuals selected to be memorialized in Statuary Hall are our communities’ leaders, our states’ sources of pride, and our country’s heroes. They are a reflection of our values, our history, and our accomplishments, Patrick Anthony McCarran served as a Nevada state legislator, State Supreme Court justice, and United States Senator. Admittedly, he fought for workers” rights and helped shape our country’s aviation industry and policy, but he leaves behind a legacy not just of legislative accomplishments but also of racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. He led anti-Communist crusades in the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, which he himself created, not unlike the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He exploited the rhetoric and fear of the McCarthy Era to advocate for severe immigration laws, believing that unassimilated immigrants were a threat to the American way of life, He helped pass the Internal Security Act which tightened deportation laws and allowed for the exclusion of organizations, revocation of citizenship, and limitation of free speech. Itis time to retire the McCarran statue to Nevada and choose a better suited individual to represent us in National Statuary Hall. While we cannot and should not erase our past, we should strive to honor leaders and people who have emulated the American values of compassion, inclusion, and diversity.In order to replace a statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection, the State Legislature must ‘enact a resolution identifying the statue to be replaced, name the replacement for the statue and outline the individual's qualifications, establish a committee or commission to select the sculptor, and direct the method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the resolution into effect. ‘The Governor then must submit a written request to the United States Architect of the Capitol with a description of where the replaced statue will be displayed after it is transferred. The request is then forwarded to the Joint Committee on the Library for final approval. We respectfully request that consideration of the necessary resolution to replace the MeCarran statue be put on the agenda for the upcoming legislative session so the process can begin promptly. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Dina Titus bi wae Member of Congress ‘Member 6f Congress