The House of Representatives adopted an amendment Thursday to its annual National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit the Pentagon from naming military assets after anything related to the Confederacy.
Amendment 628 was sponsored by Reps. Gregory Meeks and Joyce Beatty, both Democrats, and approved by voice vote. The amendment would prevent Department of Defense assets, such as bases and ships, from being named after Confederate era leaders or locations.
“The Secretary of Defense may not give a name to an asset that refers to … the Confederate States of America … including any name referring to a person who served or held leadership within the Confederacy or a city or battlefield significant because of a Confederate victory,” the amendment reads.
The amendment considers Pentagon assets to be “any base, installation, facility, aircraft, ship, equipment, or any other property” controlled by the Department of Defense. The amendment bans future naming of Pentagon property after the Confederacy and would not affect existing ships and bases.
According to Military.com, 10 army bases are named after Confederate officers: Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Lee, Fort Polk, Fort Gordon, Fort Pickett, Fort A.P Hill, Fort Rucker, and Camp Beauregard.
The United States Navy has one ship, the USS Chancellorsville, and four decommissioned vessels named after the Confederacy. The 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville is considered Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory, and also saw the death of Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
The ship, which almost collided with a Russia ship last month, was painted blue and gray to represent the Union and Confederate armies. The “predominance” of gray on the ship “refers to General Robert E. Lee’s spectacular military strategies and his dominance in this battle,” according to the Navy’s website.
This proposal comes as the culture war surrounding Confederate monuments and names is heating up. According to the Smithsonian, localities throughout the United States have torn down at least 110 Confederate monuments since 2015.
This contentious amendment is just one of hundreds the House is considering for their version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The Republican-controlled Senate passed their version in late June with bipartisan support.
