NW Georgia News

U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) has expressed his disapproval of the decision to remove a Confederate memorial from Arlington National Cemetery, stating that it symbolizes national unity and reconciliation. His remarks follow a response from the Department of Defense (DoD) regarding the mandated removal of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, which reiterated the Army's commitment to carry out the removal.

Clyde stated, "Joe Biden’s woke DOD intends to move forward with its misguided plan to remove the Reconciliation Monument—which commemorates national unity—from Arlington National Cemetery." He further added, "The Left wants division and destruction—not unity and reconciliation."

According to a press release from Clyde's office, he led in writing a letter, co-signed by over 40 House Republicans, to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The letter demanded an immediate suspension of the removal of the Reconciliation Monument in Arlington National Cemetery until the completion of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations process. They cited a congressional amendment prohibiting funding for its removal as part of the DoD Appropriations bill. The letter to Austin stated: "As its removal does not align with the original intent of Congress, the House of Representatives took action to prevent the removal of the Reconciliation Monument in the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The Department of Defense must comply with this request or risk denigrating the delicate balance of principles between Congress and Executive powers as outlined in our Constitution."

Clyde's comments | X

The press release also mentioned that among those who co-signed were Representatives from various states and districts such as Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Dan Bishop (NC-08), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Jerry Carl (AL-01), John Carter (TX-31), Ben Cline (VA-06), among others.

Newsweek reported last year that an independent commission recommended removing the memorial tied to the Confederacy. In 2021, President-elect Joe Biden supported renaming military bases, with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allocating $2 million for this purpose. That same year, Congress mandated the DoD to assess the removal of any "names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia" linked to the Confederacy.

According to a letter posted on Clyde's official account, the DoD responded to his letter regarding the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. The response cited the NDAA's mandate to remove Confederate-related elements by January 1, 2024 and affirmed the Army's commitment to carefully removing the memorial while preserving it for future disposition in collaboration with Virginia and historical preservation entities. The letter stated: "In September 2022, the Naming Commission concluded that the Confederate Memorial was a monument 'within its remit' and recommended that the 'statue atop of the monument' and all 'bronze elements on the monument should be deconstructed and removed."