House Democrats have brought forth a bill to ban any federal symbol, monument, statue, building, or land from being named after “twice impeached Presidents” and restricts their benefits, including pensions, staff, travel expenses, and even prohibits their burial in the Arlington National Cemetary, entitled the “No Glory for Hate Act.” Any building that does display the name of a twice impeached President or acknowledges their achievements would lose federal funding.
Introduced by Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), the bill attracted 13 cosponsors, all Democrats, including representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), André D. Carson (D-IN), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Judy Chu (D-CA).
Though the legislation makes no specific mention of Trump, the qualification of a twice impeached President makes a pretty clear indication of the bill’s scope lies solely on Trump, especially after Sánchez cited Trump as the key inspiration for the bill.
“I remember getting the horrifying news that no one was coming to help us — that the National Guard had not gotten approval — while police officers were being beaten and overrun,” Rep. Sánchez said in a press release, recounting the January 6 attack on the Capitol Building. “I thought, no one who stirs up this seditionist act should ever be held to the same high standards we hold for our former presidents who served with grace.”
“Even though Trump is no longer in office, he should still be held accountable for his actions and the taxpayers should not foot the bill for his future actions,” Rep. Sánchez continued. “I can’t imagine sending students in Southern California — or anywhere in America — to a school named in honor of a traitorous president.”
Trump Tower and other Trump branded property like golf courses and hotels would not be affected by the bill since they’re private property.
As typically customary to name federal property after former Presidents, nearly every former President has some honor extended to them in the form of namesake. George H.W. Bush has the CIA headquarters and a Navy aircraft carrier named after him. The EPA headquarters is named after Bill Clinton (despite also being impeached). A Washington, D.C. area airport, public transit station, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s headquarters are all named after Ronald Reagan. Whether or not Trump would
Lest we forget, this legislation comes in the midst of a dire economic crisis with no relief in sight, a bumbling vaccination initiative, and a power grid failure in Texas leaving millions without electricity since our elected lawmakers seem to be too blinded by former Presidents to attend to the real concerns facing Americans.
