South Carolina to Remove Confederate Flag From Capitol Following House Vote

South Carolina's House voted Thursday to remove the Confederate flag from the state's capitol building, thus solidifying the flag's move to a museum after 50 years of flying at the capitol.

After 13 hours of contentious debate Wednesday, the state's Republican-led House voted 94 to 20 to approve a bill that will remove the controversial flag from capitol grounds in Columbia, where it has flown for the past 50 years.

While the Confederate flag has always been a source of debate, lawmakers in South Carolina pushed for the flag's removal following the June 17 shooting at an African American church in Charleston that left nine, including state senator Clementa C. Pinckney, dead.

The shooter behind the crime, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, was reportedly a white supremacist seeking to start a race war with his attack. Roof posted several photos to social media showing him posing with the Confederate flag.

The legislation to remove the flag will now be moved to the desk of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has vowed to swiftly sign the legislation into law.

"It is a new day in South Carolina, a day we can all be proud of, a day that truly brings us all together as we continue to heal, as one people and one state," Haley said in a statement following the House vote.

One lawmaker is making national headlines for her impassioned speech to remove the flag.

Republican Representative Jenny Horne gave a four-minute speech arguing that the removal of the flag will provide some sort of closure to the family of recently-deceased Sen. Pinckney.

"I cannot believe that we do not have the heart in this body to do something meaningful such as take a symbol of hate off these grounds on Friday," Horne said. "For the widow of Sen. Pinckney and his two young daughters, that would be adding insult to injury."