Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay and members of the Congressional Black Caucus re-hung a controversial painting that depicts law enforcement officers as "pigs" who kill black men in the U.S. Capitol Tuesday.
In Tuesday morning's House Republican Conference, Republican Rep Duncan Hunter, who removed the painting on Friday, received a round of applause from his GOP colleagues, his chief of staff, Joe Kasper, told CNN. Fellow Rep. David Reichert said he will write a letter to the architect of the Capitol calling for the painting's removal -- again. If the architect does not remove the painting, Kasper said, House Speaker Paul Ryan told members he will take steps toward removing the painting.
Each member of Congress can select a painting by a constituent to hang in the Capitol's Cannon tunnel. Hunter and other House Republicans took issue with the one from Clay's district that had some police depicted as pigs.
The law enforcement community and several members of Congress first took issue with the artwork after its existence was reported by Independent Journal Review.
While Clay said he did not agree or disagree with the art and that he supported police, he later noted that the artwork is an indication of an 18-year-old constituent's worldview on police, citing the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, among others.
Clay said Monday he planned to file a police report against Hunter for removing the painting, but on Tuesday, he said he has no intention to litigate further.
