Rev. Graham's tribute at the Capitol is statuesque, but he avoids the spotlight.

One advantage of reporting on Congress is that you can view the Capitol statues during off-hours.

But not always at their best.

Last Friday at 6:30 pm ET, I walked through Statuary Hall of the Capitol after my TV report on a House hearing and public broadcasting aired. I was going home.

That’s where I encountered Billy Graham.

Not the pastor, mind you.

But a seven-foot bronze statue of Graham.

Graham was completely enveloped in a deep blue, padded blanket that went from his head to his shoelaces. The plastic wrap was so tight that it was difficult to see Graham's face, but his nose and a shock of hair stood out. Despite the tight plastic, the contours of Graham's face were visible, almost as though there were no details there.

The pedestal for Graham's statue was placed a few feet away, with Scripture engraved on the base.

The Bible verse, John 14:6, states, 'Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,' accompanied by a simple Christian cross.

A statue of Graham was placed by Capitol officials at the entrance of Statuary Hall, close to a major corridor leading to the House chamber.

Whitman, dressed in buckskins and clutching a Bible and saddlebags, would be raised by the workers, standing next to a resemblance of Marcus Whitman from Washington state. Whitman, a 19th Century doctor and missionary, guided people from the east across the Oregon Trail. However, he was killed by the Cayuse Indians near Walla Walla, Wash., after attempting to convert them to Christianity.

North Carolina has two statues in the Capitol collection, and Graham's statue is one of them. It replaces a statue of late North Carolina Gov. Charles Aycock (D), who had links to racism.

A week after I first noticed it, lawmakers officially unveiled Graham's statue in a grand ceremony.

"This is the main corridor through Congress and the Capitol, where millions of people will walk by," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at the statue dedication. "I believe it's providential that it's located here. I simply think it's the ideal placement."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., stated that he hopes Members of Congress will reflect on the standards of faith, ethics, and decency that the statue of the individual he exemplified throughout his life represents when they pass by it.

But here’s the problem.

On Thursday evening, I completed a live broadcast featuring House staff members protesting about Israel and exited the building at approximately 6:30 pm. Following that, workers continued to work around the Graham statue. They lifted the statue's likeness from its pedestal and placed it in the center of Statuary Hall. However, Graham's attire had changed. A layer of cushioning covered the minister's body, and the statue was encased in see-through plastic, which extended from the knees to the head. A thick brown belt, made of industrial materials, held the plastic in place, resembling a package ready for shipping at UPS. For no apparent reason, a piece of bent cardboard protruded from the statue's torso.

The figure's outline was concealed by the enveloping packaging cloak, making it impossible to discern who it was.

I presumed they were just adjusting the statue after the ceremony.

I again got off the air at 6:45 pm and headed home. This time, I produced a TV piece about the raucous House Oversight Committee meeting and GOP efforts to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. I cut through Statuary Hall.

Graham was nowhere to be seen.

Graham would not permanently occupy a heavily trafficked spot in the House chamber. Johnson and Tillis were incorrect in their belief that lawmakers would pay attention to Graham's presence or Scripture as they walked to the House chamber for votes. In reality, Graham's stay in Statuary Hall was only temporary, as it was solely for a ceremony.

The Crypt of the Capitol, located directly below the Rotunda, is where workers moved Graham. This area is not frequently visited by lawmakers, but it is a popular spot for visitors during formal Capitol tours.

Currently, Graham is positioned on the north side of the Capitol, slightly on the Senate side of the building. To his right is a statue of Robert Sherman of Connecticut, who served as a Congressman and senator. Sherman is most renowned for his role in the "Connecticut Compromise," which established a bicameral legislature with states receiving representatives based on their population, but each state having equal representation in the Senate. To his left is a passageway leading to the Senate wing of the Capitol, but not the Senate chamber. On the opposite side of the entryway is a statue of John C. Calhoun, representing South Carolina, who served in the House and was Vice President under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.

The Capitol's statue collection may have bronze feet, but many statues have been relocated recently. Two weeks ago, the Capitol dedicated a new statue from Arkansas: Daisy Bates. Bates was a civil rights leader and advisor to the Little Rock Nine. She replaced Uriah Rose, who was known as a partner in Little Rock's famous Rose Law Firm. This firm later became the site of Hillary Clinton's first female partnership. Deputy Clinton White House Counsel Vince Foster also worked there. His body was later discovered in Fort Marcy Park, near Washington. Officials and a bicameral Congressional investigation later ruled Foster's death a suicide.

In September, Arkansas adds another statue, this time honoring Johnny Cash, replacing the late Gov. James Clarke, who was linked to white supremacy.

The Capitol Visitor's Center will house Cash's statue, which is the first musician in the Capitol collection. On the other hand, the Bates statue, located in Statuary Hall, stands next to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, and one of two statues from Mississippi. Congress approved the Parks statue, which is directly across from civil rights icon Rosa Parks.

Since 2000, 17 of the Capitol's 100 statues have been replaced.

Franklin Graham, Graham's son, stated at the dedication ceremony that his father would be slightly uncomfortable with this being present because he would prefer the emphasis to be on the One that his father preached.

The rookie statue in the Capitol collection is Graham, but only until September.

In late summer or early fall, I anticipate leaving the Capitol at approximately 6:30. Following a live report on Congress's efforts to prevent a government shutdown later that month, I may encounter a likeness of Johnny Cash, prepared for devotion.

On a Friday night at that hour, Cash won't be the "Black Man."

In a few days, Cash will stand tall, ready to serenade the throngs of tourists who visit the U.S. Capitol, encased in a layer of thick, blue padding and secured with heavy belts around his mid-section.