GOP lawmaker says Capitol pig painting coming down
AP News
The painting depicts Ferguson, Missouri, with a pig in a police uniform aiming a gun at a protester. The painting was among hundreds completed by high school students that are featured in a tunnel leading to the Capitol.
Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., complained the painting violated rules for the competition, which state that works depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or of a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. Speaker Paul Ryan informed Reichert on Friday that the architect of the Capitol has determined the painting violated the rules and will come down, his office reported.
Reichert said in a written statement that the painting was a "slap in the face to the countless men and women who put their lives on the line everyday on behalf of our safety and freedom."
The painting by David Pulphus won an annual arts competition in Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay's congressional district last year. Clay and lawmakers supporting the painting's display said it hung for more than six months without controversy. They said things changed only after conservative media outlets began a campaign to have the artwork removed.