[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TWO GREAT AMERICAN HEROES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
Bipartisan Policy Center for the establishment of the Congressional 
Patriot Award and naming Sam Johnson and John Lewis as its first 
recipients.
  I can think of no two people who are more deserving than Sam Johnson 
and John Lewis, both of whom serve in this Chamber with distinction, 
both of whom I have the honor of serving with on the Committee on Ways 
and Means who do an extraordinary job on behalf of the citizenry of 
this great Nation. For all of our membership here, we can all be proud 
to say that we served with both Sam Johnson and John Lewis.
  I want to thank and commend Tom Cole, my co-chairman in this effort, 
on behalf of our two esteemed colleagues. By now every Member should 
have received, and the public will become increasingly aware of, an 
invitation to this event on March 15. The event will be held at the 
Library of Congress. What a fitting place for us to honor our 
colleagues. The Library will have on display photos and documents from 
the Vietnam war and photos and documents from the civil rights 
movement.
  It was 50 years ago that Sam Johnson was shot down over Vietnam. It 
was 51 years ago that John Lewis made that historic trek from Selma to 
Montgomery and crossing over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Most people 
don't realize today that Sam Johnson was imprisoned by the Vietcong for 
7 years, 42 months of which he spent in solitary confinement, nearly 
beaten to death but never said a word. What an incredible American.
  John Lewis, nearly beaten to death by the Alabama police as he had 
the temerity to lock arms and cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, faced 
with undaunted courage an unwelcoming crowd who could never deter the 
will of a movement that he is so identified with.
  To have the Bipartisan Policy Center recognize a conservative, a 
progressive, a Republican, a Democrat, people who served this Nation 
extraordinarily with their patriotism long before they ever got here, 
to have a medal named in their honor and to present that once in a 
biennium to deserving Members of this body, past and present, is a 
great notion.
  It demonstrates to the American people that at the end of the day it 
is not about conservative or liberal or it is not about Democrat or 
Republican, it is about the great nation that we serve. There are no 
more exemplary figures than Sam Johnson and John Lewis.
  John McCain will be presenting on behalf of Sam Johnson. No one 
understands what Sam Johnson endured better than Senator John McCain. 
Andrew Young will be speaking on behalf of John Lewis. He was alongside 
of John Lewis during that historic march. No one knows better what they 
endured.
  We are so fortunate to both have the Library of Congress but also to 
have David Rubenstein, who will be there, who will conduct an interview 
that evening with Sam Johnson and John Lewis. It will be a wonderful 
evening, made more special by what the Library of Congress will present 
in terms of what transpired 50 and 51 years ago respectively, but made 
greater by the presence of everybody here recognizing the great 
contribution of our colleagues, Sam Johnson and John Lewis.
  I look forward to having everybody on March 15 at the Library of 
Congress to recognize these two great American heroes.

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