[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3675-H3677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we are here to honor Congressman 
John Robert Lewis, our hero, our colleague, our brother, our friend.
  Having known John for 52 years, I can tell you honestly that even in 
his humanity, he lived his life in the image of Jesus.
  John was a voice of the voiceless--African Americans, for women, for 
LGBTQ people, for the least and the left out, for anyone mistreated by 
society.
  His unwavering sense of right and wrong was a North Star for this 
Nation, which is why we called him the conscience of the Congress.
  People as good as John don't come our way very often. Despite all of 
the accolades and recognition he received, John remained humble, 
unfailingly kind, and always fueled the capacity of people to be 
better, despite their past transgressions.
  Where would America be today if it were not for John Lewis? Without 
his activism, without his courage, without his perseverance for voting 
rights, I doubt if I would be here today.
  Thank you, John, for your lifetime of advocacy, for sacrifice of 
friendship and counsel.
  And thank you, God, for the life of John Robert Lewis.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson).
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, John Lewis was certainly a leader 
amongst men. He was a mentor. He was a friend. And my heart goes out to 
his family. Our hearts go out to his family.
  I can remember, Mr. Speaker, during the healthcare vote, I was coming 
out of Cannon and I ran into John, and he asked: ``How many votes do we 
have left, or how much time do we have left?'' I said: ``I think we 
will make it.''
  We crossed the street, along with his chief, Michael, and there were 
thousands of people yelling: ``Kill the bill. Kill the bill. Kill the 
bill.'' And that wasn't it. They were yelling expletives, racial 
expletives, at the three of us.
  And John looked at me and said: ``Brother Andre, this reminds me of a 
darker time, brother.''
  John became a mentor. We would call him up, and he would speak to the 
Muslim community. We would call him up, and he would speak to the folks 
in Indiana who were there when it was announced that Dr. King had 
passed, because he was in Indianapolis at the time.

                              {time}  1900

  He was a true servant, Mr. Speaker. Jesus was mentioned. John was 
like Jesus. I am reminded of a Scripture when Jesus was having a 
conversation with his disciples about this notion of leadership, and 
Jesus looked at his disciples and said: He who wishes to be chief among 
you shall first be your servant.
  John was a servant. He wasn't the kind of leader who looked at the 
protesters today and said: Oh, what you are going through is nothing 
compared to what we went through.
  He stood in solidarity with those young folks and embraced those 
young folks like a real leader. John is an example to all of us, what 
true public servants should be.
  We love you, John. God bless.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we make our living by what we 
get. We make a life by what we give. John Lewis certainly made a life.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
and outstanding legacy of our colleague, friend, mentor, and my hero, 
Congressman John Robert Lewis.
  Growing up as a little girl in Selma, Alabama, John's incredible 
legacy was a hero's tale as familiar to me as any Bible story or family 
lore.
  As a little girl singing in the choir, the children's choir at Brown 
Chapel AME Church, my home church, it was the church where John and so 
many wonderful foot soldiers would come time and time again to honor 
the legacy of the Bloody Sunday march.
  But to know John was to know a man without ego, who, despite his many 
well-deserved accolades and successes, loved every person he met. He 
looked them in the eye. Can't you hear him? ``My brother, my sister,'' 
he would say.
  John loved this country more than any person who I have met, and it 
was his deep-seated patriotism that will live on.
  His legacy, indeed, was the Voting Rights Act. And, we, in this body, 
can do something about that. Yes, we can

[[Page H3676]]

name things for John, but the biggest thing that we can do is rename 
H.R. 4. We should call it the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Act of 
2020 and fully restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That is the 
legacy of John Lewis.
  He gave us the road map. Can't you hear him? Never give up, never 
give in. Keep your eyes on the prize. Keep the faith.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. George Washington Carver once said: How far 
you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, 
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and 
tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in your life you will 
have been all of these. That was our friend, John Lewis.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, America has lost a national treasure, one 
of the world's greatest fighters and defenders of freedom and justice. 
Congressman Lewis' words and work and legacy will live forever.
  I am so fortunate to have traveled to Africa with him and to have 
marched in my hometown with him. You see, Mr. Speaker, when Mr. Lewis 
spoke, you heard the voice of history, a voice that helped stir the 
conscience of America at a time of ugliness and struggle, but also at a 
time and in an era of hope and accomplishment.
  My colleagues, there is no greater time for us to stand up against 
injustices that we are facing, no greater time for us to fight for 
justice and fairness at the ballot box. So, my colleagues, let us make 
some noise. Let us get in trouble, good trouble.
  God bless you. Rest in peace. Rest in power, my friend. Good trouble.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Kelly).
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to share my letter to 
Congressman John Robert Lewis.

       Dear John, I hope you knew how incredibly honored I was to 
     call you colleague and to serve with you. It was such a great 
     privilege to watch you in action and listen to your stories.
       When we planned the sit-in, being a part of the Fab 5 made 
     me so proud. It took a while to get the bill out of the 
     House, but we finally did it. I promise you, when I encounter 
     a situation that is just not right, I will stand up, speak 
     out, and get in the way.
       I plan to carry a piece of you with me forever. I know I 
     will be a better person for it.
       I hope you, C.T. Vivian, Martin, Rosa, Edgar, Robert 
     Kennedy, and others are having a fabulous reunion.
       Rest in power, my friend, until we meet again.
       Love, Robin.

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 22 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, just this year, I remember John urging 
Americans to ``get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem 
the soul of America,'' as we combat some of the most hateful messages 
and priorities driven by this current administration.
  Today, I stand here and, John, I promise that I will continue to 
carry out your legacy, to get into good trouble and to ensure that the 
fight for equality and justice lives on, and to challenge my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle to do the same and pass the Voting Rights 
Act.
  John, rest in peace. Rest in power. You have been a good and faithful 
servant.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a truly great American and a 
real-life hero.
  I was fortunate enough to have him as a colleague for 4 years. 
Congressman John Lewis has been an inspiration to me at a very young 
age.

  I remember the first time I saw him was on the evening news. He was 
walking across the Pettus Bridge. I felt very strongly about him and 
what he was doing. I was 10 years old, and I found him to be inspiring. 
He was purposeful. He was driven to make a difference. He was driven to 
make some good trouble.
  Now, we must carry on with the work of civil rights and equal 
opportunity.
  Rest in power, Congressman Lewis.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Mrs. Demings).
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, on June 12, 2016, a lone gunman walked 
into the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire with a 
semiautomatic rifle. That night, the shooter killed 49 people and 
injured 53 others. At the time, it was the largest mass shooting in 
American history.
  The Pulse nightclub is in my district, but I was not in Congress at 
the time. When I saw the Members of Congress taking to the floor and 
holding a sit-in, I was not surprised that the person leading the way 
was Representative John Lewis. To him, the victims were a part of the 
big family John Lewis often spoke about.
  Thank you, John, for never discriminating. Thank you, John, for never 
leaving people behind.
  Galatians 5 defines the fruit of the spirit as love, peace, long-
suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control. John Lewis was all of that to the House, to the Nation, and to 
the world, and I am grateful for his friendship and his counsel and 
grateful for a life well-lived.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, tonight, we stand in this great Chamber and 
mourn our friend, a civil rights icon and the conscience of Congress.
  John Lewis towered over his era, and his loss is deeply felt across 
this country and across the globe. From marching for freedom in 
Montgomery to being beaten and bloodied on a bridge in Selma, John's 
life showed us all the fundamental need for good, necessary trouble.
  As John would often say:

       We have a moral obligation, a mission, and a mandate to do 
     what we can to make our country and our world a better place 
     and to help usher in a loving community where no one is left 
     out or left behind.

  His words and his life ring through eternity.
  We will honor John's legacy with an unshakeable determination to 
fight for what is right and what is just. He served the Nation in love. 
Rest in peace, my friend. We love you. I love you.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I request the amount of time 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlemen from Georgia has 15 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Mfume).
  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, as we have been hearing and continue to hear, 
the passing of John Lewis represents a loss for America of one of our 
greatest heroes and, for many of us, a dear and old friend.
  John and I were sworn in together in this Chamber 33 years ago as 
classmates in the 100th Congress. There were only four African 
Americans elected to Congress that year, he, myself, Floyd Flake of New 
York, and Mike Espy of Mississippi. We huddled with John here on the 
floor, and he made all of us hug each other. He said: We got here in 
different ways, but we are one band of brothers now.
  The passion and the equality that he carried with him throughout his 
life, as we know, never waned. His untiring quest for justice never 
faltered. With a big heart for compassion, John, like his mentor, Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., was unawed by opinion, unseduced by flattery, 
and undismayed by disaster.
  Birthed in an area of Jim Crow and vile and vicious segregation, he 
defied the limitedness of others' expectations.
  John knew that politics changed people, so he set out early to change 
politics.

                              {time}  1915

  Everything about him pointed to the fact that he was emblematic of 
that great band of freedom fighters who realized that freedom wasn't 
free.
  In this era where everyone seems to be searching for the next big 
thing or the next great thing, isn't it odd, Mr. Speaker, that the 
greatness of John Lewis was with us all along? We needed only to look 
as far as the latest movement for social change to find it.
  We are sad today, but heaven is rejoicing, and John has claimed his 
final reward.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that service is 
the rent

[[Page H3677]]

we pay for the space we occupy on this Earth. John Lewis paid his rent, 
and he paid it well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd).
  Mr. HURD of Texas. A Freedom Rider unshaken by threats and violence, 
a leader in the struggle for voting rights who kept fighting even after 
a broken skull, a courageous American undeterred by more than 40 
arrests after standing up for what is right, John Lewis spent his life 
fighting injustice and racism.
  If it weren't for the bravery of John and men and women like him, 
many of us wouldn't be in this Chamber today. And as a Black man, I am 
not sure I would have had the same rights as my fellow countrymen.
  John shaped this country in immeasurable ways. He never sat by when 
he saw injustice. He never stopped fighting.
  At a time when America is so divided, we should look at John's 
courage for inspiration; we should look at John's bravery for 
imitation; and we should look at John's words and follow them.
  I lost a mentor. John's family lost a father, son, brother, and 
husband. Our country lost an American hero.
  Rest in peace, my brother.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  What a void we feel tonight. I rise to honor the life and legacy of a 
great warrior for peace and justice, a kind and gentle human being, the 
conscience of the Congress, Congressman John Lewis.
  As a giant of, as our whip indicated, a civil rights movement, John's 
leadership and his courage continued as an extraordinary congressional 
leader. Every year, I joined John on his annual pilgrimage to Selma, 
Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama. I brought young people from the 
Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center in my district and my 
grandchildren each year to learn about and give thanks to the foot 
soldiers of the civil rights movement.
  John always took time to meet with these young people. Even this 
year, with his failing health, he pulled them aside. He met with them. 
He always wanted to, and he did, inspire them to take that baton and to 
run the next lap of the race for justice and equality. And, yes, like 
with so many, he blessed my community by coming to my district to 
continue these efforts with my young people.
  Last year, Speaker Pelosi and Chairwoman Bass led a delegation to 
Ghana, West Africa, to observe the 400th anniversary of the first 
enslaved Africans brought to America. John said that Ghana was one of 
the most moving trips of his life. He said: ``To see and behold the 
inhumanity during another period of our history, it tells each and 
every one of us to never let this evil happen again.''
  Now, John was welcomed in Ghana as royalty, which he was. He was 
honored as a son of Africa who had come home.
  John and I would compare notes on tough votes, such as on matters of 
war and peace and defense spending. I will miss his wise counsel and 
admonition--and, really, admonition--to do the right thing as he told 
all of us to keep our eyes on the prize.
  Now, Members know how we get agitated when our colleagues poach our 
staff members. Well, John poached a brilliant and wonderful young woman 
from my office Jamila Thompson. When he told me about it, believe it or 
not, for the first time, I was thrilled that one of my staff members 
had been poached by John Lewis. What an honor.
  John's presence in the people's House will be deeply missed, but one 
of the greatest tributes to Congressman John Lewis would be to restore 
the Voting Rights Act.
  I would not be standing here as the 100th Black Member of Congress 
had it not been for the Honorable John Robert Lewis.
  My deepest condolences and love and gratitude to John's family, 
Michael Collins, Jamila Thompson, his entire phenomenal staff, and his 
constituents, and to all those whose lives he touched. Let us continue 
to build the beloved community that he so eloquently spoke of.
  In closing, I am reminded of a Scripture, 2 Timothy 4:7: I have 
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
  As John Lewis' soul returns to his Creator, may he rest in peace, may 
he rest in power.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 7 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as we come to the close of this 
first hour of tribute to our friend and our colleague and our hero, 
John Robert Lewis, I leave you with the words of Douglas Malloch, who 
wrote:

     The tree that never had to fight
     For Sun and sky and air and light,
     But stood out in the open plain
     And always got its share of rain,
     Never became a forest king
     But lived and died a scrubby thing.
     The man who never had to toil
     To gain and farm his patch of soil,
     Who never had to win his share
     Of Sun and sky and light and air,
     Never became a manly man
     But lived and died as he began.
     Good timber does not grow in ease;
     The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
     The further sky, the greater length;
     The more the storm, the more the strength.
     By Sun and cold, by rain and snow,
     In trees and men, good timbers grow.
     Where thickest lies the forest growth,
     We find the patriarchs of both.
     And they hold counsel with the stars
     Whose broken branches show the scars
     Of many winds and much of strife,
     This is the common law of life.

  John Robert Lewis was indeed good timber. God bless his soul. May he 
rest in peace and in power.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________