Sixteen GOP lawmakers voted against a House bill that seeks to promote public education on the history of Japanese Americans in World War II, including their incarceration in so-called “internment camps.”
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jay Obernolte of California — who is also a Republican — ultimately passed with 406 yeas on Wednesday, while 10 others did not vote.
Introduced as H.R. 6434, the bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a “Japanese American World War II History Network” within the National Park Service (NPS). Such a network will consist of all NPS units and programs related to Japanese American history and experiences in World War II.
Those experiences will include the persecuted group’s time in “relocation centers” and “confinement sites,” the bill said. Such terms, however, are controversial, with advocates advising against their use due to their failure to capture the harsh conditions endured by those forced into them.
The Republicans who voted against the bill include Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Michael Cloud (Texas), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Bob Good (Va.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Andy Harris (Md.), Clay Higgins (La.), Trey Hollingsworth (Ind.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Mary Miller (Ill.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Chip Roy (Texas) and Van Taylor (Texas).
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