[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Remembering John Lewis

  Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, in downtown Atlanta at the corner of 
Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr Drive, there is a 65-foot mural of 
Congressman John Lewis with the lone caption: ``Hero.''
  I personally got to see it yesterday from the Downtown Connector, the 
major interstate that runs through the heart of Atlanta, as I drove to 
Hartsfield-Jackson airport. I was struck by the void left by his 
passing, not only in Georgia, but across our entire country.
  When parents teach their children about courage and the fight for 
freedom and equality, the story of Congressman John Lewis will be told. 
He dedicated his entire life to pushing America to live up to its 
promises. He championed nonviolent protests. He stood for community, 
justice, and love.
  Congressman Lewis's story has inspired millions. At just 18, he wrote 
to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when he sought to attend the all-White 
Troy State University. He went on to become a leader in the civil 
rights movement. He organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in 
Nashville. He was on the buses during the 1961 Freedom Rides. He was 
the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. He was brutally 
beaten while leading peaceful demonstrators across the Edmund Pettus 
Bridge in Selma, AL.
  For the last 33 years, he served Georgia in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, where he was known as ``the conscience of Congress.'' 
He was also known for his many bipartisan friendships. One of them was 
with my predecessor, Senator Johnny Isakson, a true statesman. They 
shared a powerful moment last year on the House floor when Congressman 
Lewis embraced him during farewell speeches to the Senator, one of the 
most touching moments in Congress's recent history.
  Sadly, Congressman Lewis was not the only civil rights icon we lost 
last week. Georgia also lost Reverend C.T. Vivian. Both he and 
Congressman Lewis were champions of peaceful, nonviolent protest. I 
hope we can honor their legacy by using nonviolent means as we strive 
toward equality and a more perfect union.
  Georgians cannot think of our beloved State without thinking of these 
and so many other civil rights icons and leaders like Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Our Nation is better because of their leadership and their 
courage. Their legacy will never be forgotten.
  May God comfort the Lewis and Vivian families during this incredibly 
difficult time.
  (The remarks of Mrs. LOEFFLER pertaining to the introduction of S. 
4238 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced 
Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mrs. LOEFFLER. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

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