There are 40 monuments to Confederate soldiers and their states at the Gettysburg National Military Park. That number could be zero if a section of a spending bill, which the House passed in July, becomes law.

The measure faces strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, but that proposal and others to rid the nation of monuments honoring an army that fought to preserve slavery has triggered a discussion of how best to reflect on the Civil War.

CQ Roll Call took an early morning trip to the famed battlefield, site of the war’s turning point, to see the contentious monuments up-close. See the video for a summary of reporter Benjamin J. Hulac’s story about the monuments and their role amid the national dialogue on police violence in Black communities.

[ Read more: At Gettysburg, worry over preserving history without sugarcoating ]