[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 127 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H3108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MOMENT OF SILENCE HONORING REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LEWIS

  (Mr. BISHOP of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, William Cullen Bryant said:

     So live, that when thy summons come to join
     The innumerable caravan which moves
     To that mysterious realm where each shall take
     His Chamber in the silent halls of death,
     Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
     Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed
     By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
     Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
     About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.

  Ladies and gentlemen of the House, it has become my solemn duty as 
dean of the Georgia delegation of the United States House of 
Representatives to announce and include in the records and proceedings 
of this august body notice that since we last convened, and 
specifically, on Friday, July 17, 2020, the Honorable John Robert 
Lewis, Representative of the Fifth Congressional District of Georgia, 
our hero, our colleague, our brother, our friend received and answered 
his final summons from God almighty and at that moment transitioned 
from labor to reward.
  The world is a better place because John Lewis spent his life 
pursuing freedom, justice, opportunity, love, and peace for all of 
humanity. While he is an icon in the history of America for his courage 
and his sacrifice in making ``good trouble,'' his enduring humility 
reflected the true timbre of his character. He inspired us as the 
conscience of the Congress, and we have all been truly blessed to know, 
love, and share the life and legacy of this extraordinary human being.
  I ask that you join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the Members 
of the Georgia delegation, in extending our deepest condolences to 
John's family; friends; staff, including his faithful and devoted chief 
of staff, Michael Collins; and all those around the world who mourn his 
loss.
  John, rest in peace and lie down with pleasant dreams, knowing that 
this current generation will continue the fight for the ultimate 
realization of your beloved community.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves), my 
distinguished colleague.
  Mr. GRAVES of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I first met John Lewis just a 
few feet from where we are right now in the well of the House. I was a 
special elect Member-to-be, and it was John who welcomed me down in the 
well.
  I will never forget that day. It was his thunderous voice that filled 
the Chamber as he welcomed me and introduced me to each of you. He 
honored me that day. Afterward, he embraced me, and then he stood by me 
as I put my hand up and took the oath of office.

                              {time}  1230

  It is truly a privilege now for me to be able to stand before you and 
to honor him not far from where he honored me as we remember the life 
and the legacy of one who is known as a gentle, gentle giant; a man 
whose courage and strength in the face of injustice and violence will 
forever be remembered; a man whose kindness and humility was apparent 
to anyone who had the opportunity to meet him.
  Our Nation has indeed lost a giant, and it is times like these that 
we must be reminded of the shoulders that we stand on, the shoulders of 
giants like John.
  I am better off because of   John Lewis. We are all better because of 
  John Lewis. Our Nation is so much better because of John Lewis.
  So, in the days to come, we should all strive to be a little bit more 
like John: humble, grateful, and thankful for the opportunity to leave 
this Nation in better shape for the next generation.
  May God bless   John Lewis and bring peace to his family in the days 
to come.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members rise for 
a moment of silence in remembrance of the Honorable John Robert Lewis.
  The SPEAKER. The Chair asks that all those present in the Chamber, as 
well as Members and staff throughout the Capitol, and all who love John 
Lewis wherever you are, rise in a moment of silence in remembrance of 
the conscience of the Congress, the Honorable John Lewis.

                          ____________________