GOP Congressman Introduces Bill That Would Force DC to Rename Black Lives Matter Plaza or Forfeit Federal Funding
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia has been teasing this legislation for a couple of months.Written by Kate Corliss
Published on March 4, 2025
A House Republican introduced legislation Monday that, if passed, would require DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza—or else, Congress would withhold federal funding from the District.
According to the bill, sponsored by US Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District, Congress would deny DC “certain apportionment funds” unless the city covers up the “Black Lives Matter” mural painted on the two-block stretch of pavement along 16th Street, NW. The legislation specifically demands that DC rechristen the space “Liberty Plaza,” and update all applicable documents and websites to reflect the name change.
Washingtonian reached out to Bowser’s office on Tuesday afternoon for comment on the proposed law. Her office responded with the following statement, attributed to Bowser:
DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson also expressed opposition to Clyde’s bill in response to a request for comment from Washingtonian. According to a written statement provided by his office, Mendelson says he wishes Congress would instead focus its energy on DC’s “need for judges,” “the need to eliminate the Cannabis Rider,” and “the economic impact that all of these job cuts and possible building vacancies are going to have” on the city. “That’s where the attention ought to be and what would help the District,” Mendelson’s statement concluded.
In December, Clyde floated the idea of doing away with BLM Plaza in an interview with the Daily Caller. “You have a street that is blocked off. It should not be blocked off,” he told the right-wing publication. “You have businesses that are negatively affected by it and they shouldn’t be negatively affected by it.” He added that he believes “the Black Lives Matter movement in and of itself should be All Lives Matter,” and called the project “an incredible waste of money.”
The plaza was born during the wave of racial justice protests that marked the spring and summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd. That June, DC’s Department of Public Works enlisted local muralists to help paint a 48-foot mural—yellow block letters reading “Black Lives Matter”—along 16th St., NW between K and H Streets, and the city officially established the Black Lives Matter Plaza moniker.
About a year later, the city paved over the mural, which was beginning to fade, and began the process of replacing the letters with thermoplastic road-marking paint. In October 2021, Bowser’s office unveiled the updated mural and confirmed that it would be a permanent installation.