After the 2015 racially motivated mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, there was increased attention and interest to remove Confederate symbols in the United States, including the statues representing Confederate figures in the U.S. Capitol. This extended to the Jefferson Davis statue in Statuary Hall. After there were calls for its removal, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) both defended the statue's placement in the U.S. Capitol. Wicker, referring to Davis's role in overseeing an expansion of the U.S. Capitol Building as well as Davis's overall legacy, said "Jefferson Davis is a historical figure to be studied and to be honored." Cochran, when asked about replacing the statue, said "I don't know. I don't want them taking my desk way either. That's Jefferson Davis's desk... I'm very proud to have it. The senior senator from Mississippi is given the opportunity to sit at the Davis desk."