Congress has approved the erecting of statues on U.S. Capitol ground for justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first two women to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The House passed the bill Monday by a 349-63 vote after the Senate approved it through unanimous consent last December. It heads to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan, O'Connor was the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. She received a 99-0 vote for confirmation in the U.S. Senate.
The bill text describes O'Connor as "a pragmatic, independent voice on the Supreme Court, casting decisive votes during a time when the Court was being asked to resolve politically charged issues."
O'Connor retired from the court in 2006 to care for her husband who had Alzheimer's Disease. But before she could step down, Chief Justice William Rehnquist died, creating a second vacancy. O'Connor agreed to stay on another five months until both could be filled.
Ginsburg was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and was also overwhelmingly confirmed 96-3. She was known as a fierce fighter for women's rights, voting rights and worker's rights. She became a pop culture icon, earning the nickname "The Notorious RBG."
Ginsburg was still serving when she died in September of 2020.
The statues for O'Connor and Ginsburg will join a few others honoring women on the Capitol campus, according to the Architect of the Capitol website. The bill states they must be erected within two years. Priority for the location of the statues is expected to be near the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol.