July 22, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 129 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN ROBERT LEWIS; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 129
(House of Representatives - July 22, 2020)
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[Pages H3688-H3691] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN ROBERT LEWIS The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jackson Lee). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) for 30 minutes. General Leave Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the topic of tonight's Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Massachusetts? There was no objection. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, what a privilege it has been not only to serve with John Lewis, but to be witness tonight to the remembrances of our icon, the peacemaker, the justice seeker, Congressman John Robert Lewis. Personally, I never got used to working with John Lewis, and I struggled to call him ``John.'' I met him right after I got sworn in, in a special election, near the chair in which he often sat. I was completely tongue-tied. Whether it was a casual hello, a walk back and forth from the Capitol for votes, or planning a sit-in, every single interaction with John was profound. John knew oppression and he knew racial violence. He had been beaten, clubbed, spat on, and denigrated. John had experienced the worst forms of bigotry. He had seen the worst in people, and yet it steeled his determination and it deepened his faith. John Lewis is the kindest man I have ever known. Love, compassion, integrity were the hallmarks of everything he did, big or small. Like so many of you, I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Selma on several occasions with John and walk the Civil Rights Trail. To hear John Lewis speak on the Edmund Pettus Bridge is transformative. That bridge is an unusual structure. It has a steep rise as it comes up, it flattens in the middle, and then there is a steep descent. I could imagine John Lewis, as I saw him speak from that bridge, being a young man leading, with Hosea Williams, a column of 600 marchers and getting to the middle of that bridge and for the first time being able to see what awaited them, the sea of State troopers, of angry crowds. I am sure he could feel the violence in the air like electricity. But John did not turn back. He did not falter in the face of hatred and of violence. He was fortified by the moral clarity of why he was marching: to ensure that every American had the right to vote. And we know what happened. We know they were beaten, trampled, and gassed. But they reconvened and marched to Montgomery and made the Civil Rights Act the law of the land. Today we find ourselves again in this country in the middle of the bridge, and we can see the danger ahead. We can see those who seek to divide this country, suppress the vote, and cut off opportunity. While John Lewis cannot physically lead us across that bridge, he has taught us what to do. Many of us have referenced what would be the last words for us to hear from John Lewis, and he spoke, as always, inspirationally about the true [[Page H3689]] sorrow he felt for the soul of America, that in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd we were not in a better place, and that those poisonous, toxic roots of slavery still entangled our institutions and our Nation. But he also said to us that he had never been more optimistic, watching the peaceful protesters across this country assemble. He told us, as he always did, to be bold, to not be weary. He told us that the winds of change are blowing. So we must honor him by continuing our work, by unfurling those sails to catch that wind, and to live for justice; to see, as he saw, the divinity in not only John Lewis, but in all of us; and to know that, collectively, we can continue the march that he started for us, and we can bring this country to live up to the ideals of justice and equality for all. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), a distinguished Member. Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, when I stood in John Lewis' presence, I stood in awe, in reverence, and with great respect. John Lewis was an extraordinary man of faith, perseverance, virtue, and kindness. He endured ridicule and beatings during his nonviolent fight alongside Dr. King. He spent a lifetime fighting against injustices, poverty, white supremacy, and racism, and for equality and human dignity. He was a social justice and civil rights warrior who inspired me, all of us in this Chamber and this Nation. He was a man of God on a relentless mission of peace to create the kingdom and bring to Earth life as it is in Heaven. As great a man as he was, he was always humble and gentle. He was always faithful in his fight for freedom from oppression. John was also a friend. He always asked how my daughters, Sky and Sage, were doing on the House floor and in the hallways, and even visited them during their birthday parties in my D.C. office. He will undoubtedly be greeted in Heaven by our creator with the words, ``Job well done, my humble servant,'' an honor well-deserved and greater than life itself. May John Lewis rest in God's almighty power. I love you and I miss you, brother. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat). Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I represent the 13th Congressional District in New York. It has many wonderful neighborhoods in it, the iconic neighborhood of Harlem, which has given birth to many luminaries, including the great late Adam Powell and, of course, the Lion of Lenox Avenue, Charles B. Rangel. But when I came here, Madam Speaker, there sat John Lewis in his dignified serenity. He brought to this Chamber and he bore the wounds and the scars of a struggle over 400 years old, and they could not be ignored. Even in his dignified serenity, beyond his great words that were conciliatory and peaceful in scope, the scars and the wounds of the struggle that he bore in this august Chamber could not be ignored. {time} 2130 So, Madam Speaker, I say to John Lewis today, that from Harlem, and from all the Harlems in all the States of this great Union, a very important message I bring to this floor. Rest in peace, great warrior. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Florida (Mr. Soto); and I would ask my colleagues to keep their comments to 2 minutes. Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, Mr. John Lewis has often been called the conscience of the Congress. He also led our Democratic Caucus during some of our toughest moments. In 2017, there was a strong effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We were in the minority. We were demoralized. Things seemed hopeless. It was in this darkest hour that the legendary John Lewis thundered; channeling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he said, We may have all come on different ships, but we are all in the same boat now. We have to stick together. We have to stand up. We have to do what is right. Millions of Americans are counting on us. And as he thundered those words, chills ran down my spine, and a moral righteousness took over me as he brought our entire caucus to our feet. And we fought the good fight, though we lost the vote in the House. But we still inspired the American people. The effort to repeal ObamaCare ultimately failed in the Senate, and Mr. John Lewis lit the spark with his words, his spirit, and his courage. Rest in power, Mr. Lewis. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), my good friend. Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. It is with the heaviest of hearts that I stand in tribute to Congressman John Robert Lewis this evening. Brother John, your imprint on my heart and soul is forever. The loss of John Lewis has left us with a deep, unanswerable sadness, and a resolve that will echo in this Chamber and within all of our hearts forever. Time and again, John gave us the gift of his courage and lit our path with a humble but fierce moral light. He risked everything to teach us, to remind us what it really means to fight for liberty and justice for all; and why we must fight on, even after our great champion has fallen. My thoughts, my prayers, and my heart go out to John's family, to Michael, and his staff, his community, and all who knew and loved this giant of a man. May John's light always fill the halls of our Capitol. May his hope guide our hands, and his vision for a more perfect Union continue to inspire us with timeless faith and purpose. Of late, when I would talk to Brother John, he had a concern that those wheels of progress toward a more perfect Union might roll backward. We cannot tolerate that. Brother John taught us that; that we will only go forward. So if we truly loved this man, if we truly want to honor his spirit, let us make certain that those wheels of progress toward a more perfect Union, in fact, go forward and upward. God bless you, my friend. You walked so humbly with your God. Rest in peace. Rest in power, my dear and so noble of a friend. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier). Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of a man I loved, our colleague, John Robert Lewis. To John-Miles, his son, to Michael Collins, his remarkable and devoted chief of staff, to his entire staff, we grieve with you. When I think about John Lewis, and to describe him: A commitment to God? Immovable. A commitment to believe that we are all equal before God? Immutable. Belief that the law must support the biblical belief in the equality of all mankind? Unyielding. Because his great-grandfather was the victim of grave injustice, he didn't have to watch a movie to hear the call of a slave master's voice in the wind. He rebelled against that voice to deliver justice during his life. In the 1960s, he was deemed a radical, a radical with a passionate belief in peaceful civil disobedience, so much so that he was arrested 40 times and beaten multiple times. John knew that the televised images of police beatings and cracked skulls animated the just souls of 1965 to build a chariot of liberty in the Civil Rights Act of that era. John wept at the sight of George Floyd being murdered, but also saw that another moment to create a more just and perfect Union was upon us. In the coming days, when the streets are filled with those who mourn John, we will see people in fine suits and people in rags. We will see laborers and professionals. We will see faces pained by disease or poverty. But all of them will rejoice that John Lewis lived. There will never be another John Lewis. In fact, I believe no Member of Congress is greater than the John Lewis that has walked across the threshold of this Chamber. God rest, good man. You changed our country. You were a purveyor of good trouble. You taught us what was non- [[Page H3690]] negotiable. You changed this country forever more. I will end with his quote, and he said: ``I say to people today, you must be prepared if you believe in something. If you believe in something, you have to go for it. As individuals, we may not live to see the end.'' Well, my dear friend, you may not see the end, but before this year is over, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020 will be delivered; and I hope someday a statue of you will be in Statuary Hall so we can all pass by it and touch your shoes and have your spirit fill our hearts. God rest your soul. Rest in power. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman). Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, John R. Lewis honored us with his presence on this floor for over 3 decades. That a man of such courage and such accomplishment would dedicate so much of his life to this House confirmed the decision of all of us to give up our private lives and private measures and to spend our time here in the people's House. Five years ago, I was honored to go to Terri Sewell's hometown of Selma and on the 50th anniversary to walk with John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where, 50 years prior to that time, John Lewis had been beaten down and his skull fractured. We walked forward across that bridge with John Lewis, and with the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, to prove that America walks forward, and that the progress that we have made cannot be turned back. Years later, many of us joined John on this floor to make some good trouble when we took over the floor of this House to demand a vote on commonsense gun control. President Barack Obama, when he awarded John the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said: ``Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind; an American who knew that change will not wait for some other person or some other time, whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now.'' And that is why I say now is the time to pass what should be called the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. John Lewis was too great a man for us to fail to provide a substantive memorial. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer). Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, as someone who was on the battlefield of nearly every civil rights fight of the last century, Mr. John Lewis taught us that our Nation is always a work in progress, always perfecting our Union. Through it all though, regardless of what he faced, John Lewis always walked gracefully with the wind, following the words of Isaiah: ``They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.'' My friend, our hero, John Lewis never grew weary, no matter what the fight, including his last. It was a remarkable blessing, as we heard tonight, from so many, to serve with your hero, to have him meet and hug your children, to meet a true American hero. There was none like him in this Chamber, and I think there never will be. I will never forget the last hug that I got from him when I told him how much he meant to me; how much I appreciated his counsel; when he visited, how much I appreciated him coming to my district to speak with my community, and just all he did for all of us. And he whispered back, as he said to so many others, ``Just stay strong, my brother.'' Mr. Lewis, that is the least we can do for you is to always stay strong. Congressman Lewis was an American icon, as we all know. But he was a gentle giant, and his life's work will live on forever. His presence, his humble kindness will always loom large over this House and over our great Nation. As Congressman Lewis said: ``If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.'' And I think we all need to remember that, especially now. I know that I will. Thank you, Congressman John Lewis, our friend. God bless you. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Axne). But please, I urge my colleagues, our time is very short. We want everyone to be able to speak, so please try to keep your comments under 2 minutes. One minute would be preferable. Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, tonight I had the rare privilege to preside over the House as our colleagues spoke about our beloved colleague, John Lewis, an honor I will remember for the rest of my life. And as I turned to hear the stories from both Republicans and Democrats, I was struck by the sentiments over and over about how John not only gave them hope, but made them better human beings because of his silent strength, his hopeful nature, and his love for all, even in the face of despair. {time} 2145 As a new Member who is truly here because I believe there is need for more good trouble in this world and the need for those who will stand up for what is right, I am blessed to have been in John's presence and to have learned from him even in quick moments on the floor. His hope was contagious, as was his love for God, our country, and his fellow Americans. His enduring teachings will live on in all who seek out justice. God bless John Lewis, God bless his family, and may he live in peace and power. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished Member from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan). Mr. LUJAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of our friend and colleague John Lewis, the gentleman from Georgia, a great man, a treasure, and our brother. Congressman Lewis spent his life fighting for justice. When Mr. Lewis spoke, he did so with a force and moral clarity. He was an original freedom fighter who embodied what it means to be a humble public servant. John never let anything stand in the way of doing what was right. His legacy will continue by the generations of brothers and sisters he inspired to get in good trouble. It was a blessing to have known Congressman Lewis, and I know his light will continue shining bright in the courage and conviction of the American people. As we lay our friend to rest, the torch of justice shines bright. Let us honor Congressman Lewis by continuing his fight. Rest in power, my friend. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin). Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Clark for organizing this beautiful observance and testimony to our beloved colleague. I want to praise John Lewis, not the Congressman, but John Lewis the member of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a relative handful of students who began a process that transformed America forever and brought down the walls of American apartheid and Jim Crow through the extraordinary force of their physical courage, their moral courage, and their political courage to confront an entire system of racism bearing down upon them. The end of their struggle was nonviolence, to create a nonviolent society committed to justice and equality for everyone, and the means of arriving at that nonviolent society was nonviolence itself. So even as the sheriffs and police officers unleashed the German shepherds and the billy clubs on them, the water hoses and the teargas, they still remained remarkably nonviolent the entire way there. I asked John Lewis when we got to travel down South on the civil rights tour with the Faith and Politics Institute about where he thought things were. I think he felt that, in terms of civil rights, we have been moving things forward, but in terms of violence, we still had not remotely turned the corner. I said, what is going to make the difference? He said: When people realize that violence doesn't work. Leaving aside the morality of it, violence doesn't work. We talked about the Vietnam war. We talked about the Iraq war. We talked about gun violence sweeping the [[Page H3691]] streets. And we talked about domestic violence. I want to say that the spirit and the memory of John Lewis live in this body and this institution, which loves him. But I see the spirit of John Lewis today in the streets with the hundreds of thousands and millions of young Americans who are demanding nonviolent, just, and peaceful transformation of our society. John Lewis lives in the young people today, and he would be so proud of the young people of America. Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, it is difficult to close such a remembrance and a celebration, and we will never close the chapter on our friendship, admiration, and reverence for John Lewis. But John Lewis, for me, has always been the embodiment of the words of Micah 6. John has shown us what is good: to love justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Rest in peace, power, and glory, Brother John. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________
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