[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ANNIVERSARY OF BLOODY SUNDAY

  (Ms. JAYAPAL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, today is the 53rd anniversary of Bloody 
Sunday. This is the day that our incredible colleague, Congressman  
John Lewis, and Dr. Martin Luther King led 600 marchers from Selma to 
Montgomery. They didn't get very far. At the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they 
were viciously attacked by Alabama State Troopers wielding clubs and 
were beaten and left bloodied.
  Last weekend, I had the incredible honor of joining Congressman  John 
Lewis and a bipartisan group of Members in a pilgrimage to Montgomery, 
Birmingham, Selma, and Memphis. I had many epiphanies on that trip, but 
perhaps two were most profound. First, that determined and disciplined 
nonviolent resistance works. Back then, 53 years ago, it led to the 
passage of the Voting Rights Act. And, second, that we in this body 
have a critical responsibility to ensure that we move forward and not 
backward on voting rights.
  Our trip was amazing. One of the best experiences of my life, 
actually. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will 
join next year. We heard incredible stories of abiding love, even for 
adversaries that had left people without much dignity. Newer activists 
of all ages are reimagining these same nonviolent methods for the world 
that we are in today.
  Today, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of 
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4, let us recommit 
ourselves to restoring and strengthening the Voting Rights Act and 
making sure that we continue to protect these critical rights in our 
country.

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