周四，一个由两党女参议员组成的团体提出了一项立法，要求在美国国会大厦或国会大厦内树立最高法院大法官鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格和桑德拉·戴·奥康纳的雕像，以此向他们致敬。
该法案由明尼苏达州参议员艾米·克洛布查尔、阿拉斯加州参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基、缅因州参议员苏珊·科林斯和亚利桑那州参议员基尔斯顿·西内马提出，共有17个共同提案国。民主党妇女核心小组和两党妇女核心小组的成员周四也在众议院提出了一项类似的法案。
克洛布查尔说:“早在到达最高法院之前，鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格和桑德拉·戴·奥康纳就已经是开拓者了，在如此多的人坚持拒之门外的时候，他们为女性敞开了大门。“国会大厦是我们最容易识别的民主象征，在这里，来自全国各地的人们都有自己的声音被代表和倾听。我们通过在国会大厦建立雕像来纪念他们卓越的生活和对我们国家的服务是再合适不过的了。”
奥康纳和金斯伯格分别是第一位和第二位在最高法院任职的女性。奥康纳于1981年被前总统罗纳德·里根任命，任职至2006年1月退休。金斯伯格于1993年被前总统比尔·克林顿任命，并在去年因转移性胰腺癌去世。他们一起在法院服务了12年。
科林斯说:“最高法院大法官桑德拉·戴·奥康纳和鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格将永远被称为兢兢业业的公仆、平等的激烈捍卫者，以及在法律领域打破无数障碍的有成就的美国人。“国家首都的雕像纪念了首位在国家最高法院任职的两位女性，这将是对她们为国家做出的宝贵贡献的恰当致敬。”
国会大厦目前有252座男性雕塑和14座女性雕塑。最近的一尊女性雕像是民权活动家罗莎·帕克斯的，竖立于2013年。
如果获得通过，这项立法将要求国会图书馆联合委员会考虑从代表性不足的背景中选择一名艺术家来创作雕像。
Women lawmakers introduce bill to require statues of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor at Capitol
Legislation introduced Thursday by a bipartisan group of women senators would honor Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor by requiring statues of them in the U.S. Capitol or on Capitol grounds.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and has 17 co-sponsors. Members of the Democratic Women Caucus and Bipartisan Women’s Caucus also introduced a similar bill in the House on Thursday.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor were trailblazers long before reaching the Supreme Court, opening doors for women at a time when so many insisted on keeping them shut," Klobuchar said. "The Capitol is our most recognizable symbol of Democracy, a place where people from across our country have their voices represented and heard. It is only fitting that we honor their remarkable lives and service to our country by establishing statues in the Capitol."
O’Connor and Ginsburg were the first and second women, respectively, to serve on the Supreme Court. O’Connor, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, served until she retired in January 2006. Ginsburg was appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and served until her death last year after suffering from metastatic pancreatic cancer. They served on the court together for 12 years.
"Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg will always be known as dedicated public servants, fierce champions for equality, and accomplished Americans who broke countless barriers in the field of law," Collins said. "Statues in the nation’s capital honoring the first two women to serve on the highest court in the land will serve as fitting tributes to their invaluable contributions to our country."
The Capitol currently has 252 sculptures of men and 14 of women. The most recent statue of a woman is of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, erected in 2013.
If passed, the legislation would require that the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library consider selecting an artist from an underrepresented background to create the statues.
