[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1194-H1195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRESS MUST MAKE LYNCHING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 35, the 
Emmett Till Antilynching Act, we will be voting on later this 
afternoon. I am pleased to see the House take steps in finally 
addressing this issue.
  Like many, despite our Nation's ugly history of lynchings, I was 
shocked to learn that there was no law making lynching a Federal hate 
crime.
  My home in Omaha area is not unlike many other towns across the 
country with a gruesome past of lynching. George Smith was murdered in 
October 1891, and this past fall marked the 100th anniversary of the 
murder of Will Brown on the steps of the Douglas County Courthouse 
during the Red Summer. The hands of lawless and angry mobs in Omaha 
beat and lynched these men in what can only be characterized as racial 
terrorism.
  We cannot simply wash away the past, but in order for our Nation to 
heal from past racial injustice, Congress must specify criminal 
penalties for the crime of lynching or conspiracy to commit lynching.
  With at least 5,000 lynchings in our Nation's history, this bill is 
important as an acknowledgement that this evil did occur, that millions 
felt fear in their homes and communities, that many feared for their 
lives, the lives of their dads and their sons, and that this formal 
acknowledgement will help facilitate reconciliation.

                              {time}  1015

  Last year, I was approached by local African American community 
leaders to look into antilynching legislation. I felt that the language 
from Senator Harris' bill that passed with overwhelming bipartisan 
support in the Senate was the right one to support here in the House. 
This is how we are going to pass a bill and get it signed by the 
President of the United States. It is because of these reasons that I 
was honored to introduce the Senate-passed language in the House.

[[Page H1195]]

  The bill we are voting on today contains the language of my bill that 
I introduced 8 months ago verbatim. I do not complain because in the 
end, I want results. We want results. We are closer than we have ever 
been in making lynching a Federal crime. The action is long overdue, 
going back 200 attempts since 1918, and today we are going to make 
history once and for all on this issue.
  It has been my privilege to be an advocate on this issue. I applaud 
Senator Harris and Congressman Rush who have championed this bill for 
years. We will finally get this bill to the President's desk to be 
signed into law in order to close one of the ugliest chapters in 
America's history once and for all.

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