WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement after Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill to send a statue of Billy Frank Jr. to the U.S. Capitol to represent the State of Washington in the National Statuary Hall:
“We welcome the presence of Billy Frank Jr. in the nation’s Capitol in the form of a statue. At a time when so many voices in our country are fighting for racial equity and social justice, it is fitting that we will be sharing Billy Frank Jr.’s story with the rest of the country.”
In November 2015, Senator Cantwell introduced legislation to honor Billy Frank Jr. by renaming the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge in Washington as the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. That legislation passed and was signed into law in December 2015. In March 2018, Cantwell joined other members of the Washington delegation in introducing a resolution to honor Billy Frank Jr. and establish March 9, 2018—his birthday—as a National Day of Remembrance.