H.R. 7915

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7915 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7915

To direct the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to obtain a 
statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr. for placement in the United States 
Capitol.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 12, 2026

Mr. Mfume (for himself, Mr. Olszewski, Ms. Elfreth, Mr. Bishop, Mr. 
Davis of Illinois, Mr. Carson, Ms. Brown, Mr. Thanedar, and Mr. 
Figures) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to obtain a 
statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr. for placement in the United States 
Capitol.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Clarence Mitchell, Jr. Statue Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Clarence Mitchell, Jr. was born in Baltimore on March 
8, 1911, attended Baltimore City Public Schools, received his 
Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law, 
and spent most of his career practicing law in Baltimore.
(2) Early in his career, Clarence Mitchell, Jr. was a 
reporter for the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, the longest 
running African-American family-owned newspaper in the nation. 
During his time as a reporter, he reported on the lynching of 
George Armwood, whose death marked the last recorded lynching 
in Maryland.
(3) According to the Maryland State Archives, Clarence 
Mitchell, Jr. served as the director of the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (``NAACP'') 
Washington Bureau from 1950 to 1978, waging a tireless campaign 
to secure passage of passage of the 1957 and 1964 Civil Rights 
Laws, the 1965 Voting Rights Laws, and the 1968 Fair Housing 
Law.
(4) Clarence Mitchell, Jr.'s success advocating for policy 
stemmed largely from his fruitful relationships across both 
sides of the aisle, including partnerships with leaders like 
former United States Speaker of the House John W. McCormack and 
United States Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen.
(5) A staunch supporter of civil rights for all, Clarence 
Mitchell, Jr., was named a member of the United States 
delegation to the United Nations in 1975.
(6) According to the NAACP, Clarence Mitchell, Jr., firmly 
established the NAACP's presence in Congress as the leader of 
the struggle for civil rights laws by testifying at least 180 
times before congressional committees in the quest for civil 
rights laws between 1946 and 1978.
(7) In 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter awarded Clarence 
Mitchell, Jr. the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with the 
citation reading: ``Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., for decades 
waged in the halls of Congress a stubborn, resourceful and 
historic campaign for social justice. The integrity of this 
`101st Senator' earned him the respect of friends and 
adversaries alike. His brilliant advocacy helped translate into 
law the protests and aspirations of millions consigned too long 
to second-class citizenship. The hard-won fruits of his labors 
have made America a better and stronger nation.''.

SEC. 3. PLACEMENT OF STATUE OF CLARENCE MITCHELL, JR. IN UNITED STATES 
CAPITOL.

(a) Obtaining Statue.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Joint Committee of Congress on 
the Library shall enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of 
Clarence Mitchell, Jr., under such terms and conditions as the 
Joint Committee considers appropriate consistent with 
applicable law.
(2) Authorization for architect of the capitol.--The Joint 
Committee may authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter 
into the agreement and related contracts required under this 
subsection on its behalf, under such terms and conditions as 
the Joint Committee may require.
(b) Placement.--The Joint Committee of Congress on the Library 
shall place the statue obtained under subsection (a) in a permanent 
public location in the United States Capitol.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act, and 
any amounts so appropriated shall remain available until expended.
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