[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3678-H3683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MEMORIALIZING THE HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) is 
recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the 
minority leader.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to participate in this Special 
Order, and I will look forward to hearing from our speakers in honoring 
the great John Lewis.
  Over this past weekend, America lost not only a civil rights icon but 
also a loving father, a loving husband, a caring friend to this entire 
House body, Congressman John Lewis.
  Mr. Lewis' courage and strength in the face of oppression are 
unmatched. His contributions to America's soul are paramount to the 
progress that we have made in our histories.
  His experience on Bloody Sunday left him battered, covered in blood, 
and on the side of the road in Selma, Alabama, yet he carried on with 
his unifying message for America.
  Many years ago, John Lewis crossed the monumental Edmund Pettus 
Bridge, fighting for freedom and a path toward achieving what our 
Founding Fathers had pledged but fell short to uphold.
  I was extremely honored to have the opportunity 54 years later to 
walk across this very bridge in Selma, and we all honored the brave 
steps he led, rallying an entire Nation. The fact that I was asked to 
give the closing remarks at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church 
in Montgomery is something, frankly, I will always treasure.
  John Lewis' protest inspired our Nation to not only do better but to 
reflect on all of our actions. Through his grace and humility, he made 
monumental progress. He liked to refer to these acts as ``good 
trouble.''
  While we don't share many of the same political opinions, there was 
never a doubt in my mind that Congressman John Lewis lived his entire 
life fighting for our country and the American people.
  He gave us all hope, hope that we could get over this partisan 
divide, hope that we could get over the divisions of the past to paint 
a brighter future.
  May we never lose that spirit and forever honor his legacy by never 
letting the forces of division, hatred, and evil tear down those 
bridges that so many of us have sacrificed to build.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), 
the minority whip.

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker), for yielding.
  I join with my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, who mourn 
the loss of John Lewis.
  We have so many honors to be able to serve in a job like this where 
we get to represent the people of this Nation, especially here in the 
people's House where we truly do bring all of the different elements of 
what makes America great into one body with people who represent every 
different type of background and every different kind of community, the 
kinds of people we get to serve with.
  There are giants among the people we have the honor of serving with. 
John Lewis was at the top of that list, and you knew it when you served 
with him.
  I remember telling colleagues years ago that, while we have our 
differences, it is really important to go get to know especially some 
of the legends, the giants we serve with in this body.
  I remember talking about two Members in particular: it was John Lewis 
and Sam Johnson, one Democrat, one Republican, two people who were just 
giants. Unfortunately, we have now lost both of them in the last year.
  Our institution is better because John Lewis was a part of this great 
body, but it is what John fought for his whole life.
  I know my colleague from North Carolina as well as my colleagues in 
the Congressional Black Caucus talked about, earlier, his mantra of 
``good trouble.'' What John experienced in his life, there are so many 
people who have freedoms today they would never have if John hadn't 
gone through that.
  I had an honor, like so many of my colleagues, to go with John, he 
invited Members from both parties to go to Selma to be a part of 
reliving that history, which was a dark side of our history, Bloody 
Sunday, but one that John used as a teachable moment to bring people 
from all parts of this country to walk across that Edmund Pettus 
Bridge. I got to walk arm in arm with John. It was one of the great 
honors I have had as a Member of Congress to be able to do that.
  The whole time we were walking with him--this could be a moment that 
John wanted to just leave in his past because he was so brutally 
beaten, but he wanted to share the experiences. And as we were walking, 
we would round the corner, and he would point to different buildings. 
And he said: That is where we gathered. That is where some of the 
people who were trying to stop us would be.
  He helped organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, 
SNCC. He started at a young age in the civil rights movement, at a time 
when it was not only difficult, but it was possibly life-threatening. 
And for many, they did lose their life in that battle.
  And John lost blood. He shed blood for the cause. But he never took 
it as a moment to get down. He never took it as a moment to be bitter.
  He wanted to continue fighting to make America a more perfect Union, 
and he did. And that is what we will remember about John. We will 
remember his warm-hearted spirit.
  John was one of those very few people in a body like this where, when 
he stood at the podium to speak, no matter what side you were on on 
that issue, you stopped, you sat down, and you listened, because you 
knew you were listening to somebody who was larger than life.
  John is in a better place right now, but America is a better place 
because John was here.
  God bless John Lewis and his family.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Matsui).
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in honor of a beloved 
colleague and wonderful friend, John Lewis.
  I first met John when my husband, Bob Matsui, was a Member of 
Congress. Bob loved John. He loved him for his humanity, his 
conviction, and the fact that he was a total human being.
  I had heard so much about John because he was a historic figure, but 
I saw another side of him, too, when Bob brought him to Sacramento. He 
met many people. And I remember his walking across a university campus 
with the president of the university when he ran across, Bob and he and 
John, a bunch of chickens that the students were advocating to keep on 
campus. The president was saying: No. We have got to get the chickens 
out.
  The president said: Excuse me, Mr. Lewis, but we are going to get rid 
of those chickens.
  And John said: No way are you going to get rid of those chickens. I 
learned to preach by preaching to chickens.
  That is the part of John that I really loved, too, that humorous 
part, the part you can laugh with.
  But this gentle giant lived also every single day to overcome 
injustice, eradicate racism, and give hope to all who

[[Page H3679]]

walked beside him. He is a total person.
  At this moment in our history when speaking truth to power is so 
vital, it is more important than ever to follow John's words, to 
``stand up, speak out, and keep your eyes on the prize.''
  John taught us all that America is greater than the sum of its parts. 
When you weave a rich, colorful tapestry, the weaving itself makes it 
strong. His impact will be forever felt in our Nation's conscience, and 
we are all better for it.
  At this difficult time, my prayers are with the Lewis family and all 
his friends. He will be sorely missed.
  I love you, John.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Ferguson), our deputy whip. It only makes sense to go first to John 
Lewis' colleagues in the delegation from Georgia.
  Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Walker) for allowing me to do this.
  I rise tonight to honor the life and legacy of John Lewis.
  John dedicated his life to equality and justice, and the Nation we 
are so blessed to live in is better because of his work and his 
sacrifice.
  John was driven by his deep faith, his servant heart, and his love of 
his fellow human being. While John was always right to fight for legal 
changes to make America better, he ultimately knew that how you treated 
your fellow human being was a matter of the heart.
  John led by example. He led by showing love and grace to all people. 
He showed love and grace even to those people who disagreed with him or 
showed him contempt.
  John was always willing to offer forgiveness to those who had done 
him wrong, knowing that forgiveness was fundamental to building a 
relationship built on trust and love.
  Two of my most vivid memories and treasured experiences here in my 
time in Congress involved John.
  One was a dinner at his house. He invited the Georgia delegation 
over, and he retold the story of his life and experiences in the civil 
rights movement. What a cherished memory and experience.
  The second was the night that we honored another Georgia giant here, 
former House Member and former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson. I remember 
the night that Johnny Isakson and John Lewis met in the center and 
embraced in true love, friendship, and respect. It was truly an amazing 
moment.
  John was an amazing man, and I believe that the only thing John Lewis 
ever hated was hate itself.
  Rest in peace, our dear friend.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York 
(Mrs. Lowey).
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Congressman 
John Lewis, an American hero, a dear friend.
  He taught us what patriotism is, that to love our country is to 
acknowledge and work to repair its imperfections.
  Congressman Lewis endured angry mobs, death threats, and so much 
violence with endurance, persistence, and even warmth and optimism. 
Surely we can honor his remarkable life by coming together to 
reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, to ensure our laws reflect that 
Black lives matter.
  Advocating for the Nation's marginalized throughout his life, acting 
as the conscience of Congress during his 34 years of service, he 
inspired generations of Americans to get in ``good trouble.''
  I remember sitting on the floor with John. Rather than sitting in the 
chair, we were proving our point and all sitting on the floor.
  He has taught us so much with his sweet, sweet manner, but the 
strength of his conviction.
  We must honor Congressman Lewis' legacy by striving to achieve the 
equitable and just society for all that he fought so hard to attain. In 
the words of John himself, ``If not us, then who? If not now, then 
when?''
  Dear, sweet, kind John, we will miss you. We love you. May you rest 
in peace.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Austin Scott).
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for yielding to me to speak about my friend 
and colleague, Congressman John Lewis, a man that I loved.
  I will miss dearly him saying, ``I love you too, brother.''
  There is no telling how many times John Lewis told the people of this 
House, ``I love you too, brother.'' He looked at everybody, no matter 
who you were, as a brother.
  I selfishly thought about how much I was going to miss him and seeing 
him and Michael Collins on a Delta ready to fly up here. I always got a 
kick out of the fact that people from my district would sit down next 
to me and say: Did you see John Lewis on the plane? And, by the way, 
what do you do?
  That was just the way people loved John Lewis.
  There is not a person walking in this country today who didn't 
benefit from John Lewis and what he did for mankind, and I would 
venture to say that the majority of the people in the world benefited 
from his love and what he did.
  I thought about a few passages. We have talked about him preaching to 
the chickens, and maybe we are the chickens he was preaching to his 
whole life.
  I remembered the Beatitudes:

       Blessed are the peacemakers, for they should be called the 
     children of God.

  If there was ever a peacemaker that I met, it was John Lewis.
  Following from there:

       Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' 
     sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

  A little further into the book of Matthew:

       Let your light shine before men that they may see your good 
     works and glorify your Father, which is in Heaven.

  There is no doubt, Mr. Speaker, that John Lewis was a special man. He 
was a special man of God. And while his bones may rest, his legacy will 
live on forever in this body.
  I, for one, look very forward to the day that a statue of John Lewis 
rests in the Halls of this Congress representing not only the great 
State of Georgia and the people of the State of Georgia, but all of the 
men and women of the United States.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Scott for his 
comments tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, with John Robert Lewis' 
passing, we lose and deeply mourn a great friend and mentor, and the 
world loses the most respected ``good trouble'' maker of our time.
  John's standing will only grow as his legacy endures.
  Mr. Speaker, every year since I have been in Congress, I asked John 
to speak to entering high school seniors from San Diego who visited our 
Capitol as part of an in-depth civics and leadership program; and for 
20 years, with each new group of 45 very diverse students, he gave his 
time, his energy, and his wisdom, graciously answering their many 
spirited questions. They, too, will never forget him and how he changed 
them. Here is just a brief example:

  Alejandra Cordova, from 2001, said Mr. Lewis taught her ``not to be 
afraid to rock the boat every once in a while.''
  David Hickman, from 2015, said he ``truly showed us what it meant to 
be a change-maker, to live through our actions and speak up against 
injustice.''
  He taught our children well.
  John, you taught and changed me and everyone you touched. Thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Michael Collins and all of John's staff, who had 
the hardest task of all to say to visitors captured by John's words: 
``I am sorry, but the Congressman must depart now.''
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Hice), a fellow pastor.
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Walker), my good friend, for yielding to me.
  There is no question that all of us who have served with John Lewis 
mourn the passing of this towering figure who devoted his life to 
fighting for freedom and equality.

                              {time}  1945

  An interesting perspective of his life, as a son of Alabama 
sharecroppers, John Lewis demonstrated that, in America, a single 
individual, even one

[[Page H3680]]

coming from the most humble of backgrounds, can have an enormous impact 
in this country.
  We all know that he rose to be a powerful leader in the civil rights 
movement; worked very closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and so 
many other great heroes who sacrificed their lives to ensure that 
Americans of all races live in liberty in this country. But he did so 
peacefully.
  He once wrote this, and this has a great, powerful meaning. He said: 
``Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of 
revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your 
heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already 
won.''
  John Lewis knew that it was necessary to fight the sins of this 
country; but he understood also to fight those in a nonviolent way.
  I just have the deepest respect for John Lewis, and I am honored to 
have considered him a dear friend.
  I just want to thank all my colleagues this evening for joining in 
this time to honor such a great man and an icon, obviously, 
particularly in the civil rights movement.
  My wife, Dee Dee, and I continue to pray for the Lewis family. Again, 
I thank all my colleagues for joining tonight.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
North Carolina for allowing me several minutes to pay my respects to a 
great man.
  And it is not remiss that I see the Speaker pro tempore; it is very 
appropriate that you are in the seat tonight, sir.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Lewis. He was an American 
icon, civil rights legend, and dear friend and an inspiration to 
millions. Yet, these words truly fail to describe the difference he 
made in our country.
  He always spoke of ``getting into good trouble,'' and I know that has 
been echoed here on numerous occasions, but it sums up what Mr. Lewis 
was all about.
  His efforts led to the Civil Rights Act. His efforts led to the 
Voting Rights Act. And his efforts led to the Congressional Black 
Caucus, and even the election of President Barack Obama.
  But his loss is more than his legacy. For me, once again, I have lost 
one of my fathers on the floor of Congress. He was a role model for 
what makes a great Congressman, and I constantly watched as he moved 
about his business: Like the way he always fought for the right thing; 
the way he could convey such power and strength through such a gentle 
demeanor.
  But when he had passion, and was committed, there is no one else on 
this floor you would rather have with you going into that fight.
  And the way he stood up to abuse to make this country a better place. 
One of my greatest honors was to be a part of the sit-in he led on the 
House floor to fight for gun control legislation after the terrible, 
dreadful Florida issue. We got into some good trouble that day.
  He inspired us then, and his words and deeds will inspire new 
generations; whether they are civil rights pioneers, elected officials, 
or any American with a dream or cause.
  God bless you, Mr. Lewis. Your life made our country and our world a 
better place.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, may I get a time remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 32 minutes remaining.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Allen).
  MR. ALLEN. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for this 
privilege.
  Mr. Speaker, many Americans learned about the civil rights movement 
in the news or read about it in history books. John Lewis lived it.
  One of my greatest memories here was to have dinner with Congressman 
Lewis at his home, where he shared with the entire Georgia delegation 
his experience in leading the civil rights movement.
  He shared with me that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayed with them on 
those buses before the demonstrations and urged everyone to remain at 
peace to ensure lasting change.
  I know we can all learn from the example Congressman Lewis set as a 
civil rights icon. We must meet injustice with humility and 
perseverance to do what is right.
  Pride and fear are the opposite of humility. John Lewis and all those 
in this movement demonstrated perfect love while being persecuted. 
Perfect love casts out all fear and only comes from God and obedience 
to His word and was perfectly demonstrated at the cross of Jesus 
Christ.
  My wife, Robin, and I pray that his family finds peace during this 
difficult time. And this is a lesson for this body as we honor those 
like John Lewis, who have come before us and fought for an America that 
is stronger and is unified, by putting aside our differences to serve 
the American people in perfect love.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Cohen), with his own amazing civil rights history.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time.
  I say to the gentleman from North Carolina that I remember that the 
last time I saw John Lewis was March 5, his birthday; and the gentleman 
offered the prayer. That meant a lot to me, and it showed me the 
respect that you had for him and that he had for you. It was a 
beautiful moment.
  There was not a more perfect person that has probably served in the 
Congress and, certainly that I have known in my life, than John R. 
Lewis. He had every quality that you would desire in a human being 
and couldn't even imagine a person to have them altogether.

  He was a hero of the civil rights movement and cared greatly about 
the injustices that he had seen as an African American, and that is 
what launched him on his civil rights struggles. But once he got 
moving, it was people of different issues of discrimination that he 
championed; whether it was gay and lesbian; whether it was Native 
Americans; whether it was women, or just simple people being victims of 
gun violence, John Lewis took up the cause and he stood up for 
everybody.
  He did not know color. He did not know gender. He did not know any 
differences in people. He loved all people.
  It was such an honor to serve with him.
  Early in my career, the American Bar Association presented the Day 
Award to John Lewis, Richard Lugar and myself. The award was nothing 
compared to the fact that I was with John Lewis that day. It made me 
feel much greater than I ever could become.
  I had the great honor to travel with him to South Africa for the 50th 
anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy's Ripple of Hope speech in Cape Town. 
I saw and I sat across from he and Bishop Desmond Tutu, and I knew I 
was seeing two angels together, two special souls united.
  Mr. Lewis loved two people in life that were his heroes; one was Dr. 
Martin Luther King Jr., and the other was Robert Kennedy. The purpose 
of that speech on that trip was to honor Robert Kennedy and the 50th 
anniversary of that speech.
  In that speech, Robert Kennedy said: ``It is from numberless diverse 
acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a 
man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or 
strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, 
and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and 
daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest 
walls of oppression and resistance.''
  Robert Kennedy might as well have been speaking about John Lewis that 
day in 1964, because that is what John Lewis did; and he was more than 
a ripple of hope, he was a tsunami of hope. He was in every good cause 
there was, and he sacrificed himself physically in South Carolina, in 
Alabama, in Mississippi, for civil rights. And he sacrificed himself 
even when he was a Member of Congress for different causes, getting 
arrested.
  And when he was on death's doorstep, he got himself to Washington, 
D.C., to appear at Black Lives Matter Plaza and give hope and 
encouragement and support to the young people that were striving for 
the causes that he had strived for his whole life.

[[Page H3681]]

  I value every single moment I spent with Congressman Lewis. It was an 
honor to know him. I miss him.
  And just the other day, I looked up at the scoreboard, and when I 
didn't know quite how to vote on some issues, I would look to John 
Lewis and see how he voted. And he wasn't there.
  He was my hero.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Carter), another one of Mr. Lewis' colleagues.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, in our lives there are people and places we remember. I 
will always remember John Lewis.
  There are some people that you feel especially honored to have met. 
You feel like you are one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to 
hear their stories, to learn their convictions, and to feel their 
triumphs. I believe just about anyone who had the opportunity to meet 
John Lewis would agree that he is one of those people.
  He was born the son of sharecroppers. He grew up on his family farm, 
and he attended segregated public schools in Alabama. He told the story 
often, and I remember him telling us this story, about how he used to 
preach to the chickens.
  He went on from that humble beginning to be called one of the most 
courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced, a title he 
rightfully deserved.
  John Lewis dedicated his entire life to securing equality and justice 
for all people, while remaining a devoted advocate for nonviolence. It 
must have been an incredible blessing for him to see how his fight 
changed our Nation and the entire world with his own eyes.
  For me, it was a blessing to know him. His office was over in the 
Cannon Building for many years, and my office was in the Cannon 
Building. And oftentimes, as we were walking over here, I would get to 
walk with him. I hung on every moment, on every word, just to have the 
opportunity to spend time with someone like John Lewis. I will always 
be grateful for those walks.
  Many of my colleagues in the Georgia Delegation have mentioned the 
time that he invited us to dinner at his home here in Washington. What 
great stories he told that night; truly, one of the greatest 
experiences I have had while I have been up here in Washington, D.C.
  John Lewis was a giant among men. He will be deeply missed, but his 
legacy will live on forever.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern).
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, sharing a jail cell with John Lewis was 
one of the greatest privileges of my life.
  When we were arrested for protesting the genocide in Darfur a few 
years back, we were put into a police van, booked, and fingerprinted. 
John had been arrested over 40 times for peaceful protests by that 
point, so let's just say he had some advice.
  John made trouble like this because he knew that words aren't enough 
and that real change requires action. He called it the struggle of a 
lifetime, but it was never his struggle alone. He challenged all of us 
to fight injustice and oppression and to stand up for civil rights and 
for human rights.
  Mr. Speaker, John was a great man. He was an American hero who called 
our country to a higher standard. But perhaps more importantly, he was 
a very good man. He treated every single person he met, no matter who 
they were, with dignity and respect. When he saw wrong in this world, 
he did his best to make it right.
  Lisa, Patrick, Molly, and I miss you already, John. We love you, and 
we will never stop making good trouble in your name.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Turner).
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, John Lewis has a true legacy of leadership 
in this House, and he changed the world that we live in.
  When Congressman Lewis would take the podium, everyone in this House 
would fall silent and listen to him. I doubt in his long career in this 
House that the Speaker ever had to hammer the House into order to 
listen to John Lewis speak.
  A man who fought for the Voting Rights Act, John Lewis' legacy 
demands that Congress act. I call on Congress to pass and send to the 
President's desk for signature the bipartisan H.R. 1799 renewing the 
Voting Rights Act.
  Congressman Lewis was a giant in history, but he was a humble man in 
this House. He treated every Member the same and with dignity. He will 
be missed.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Cardenas).
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this hour to honor one of the 
most beautiful human beings that ever walked this Earth. Many of us 
believe in God, and many of us try to be the best that we can be, but 
few of us are capable and able to live a life of true love and of 
tremendous dignity and respect for every single person who comes our 
way.
  I wish I could learn how to turn my cheek the way John Lewis proved 
he could and did.
  I mourn his passing, but I celebrate the honor of knowing that he 
lived and also knowing that I could go to him on the floor of this 
House or in the hallways of Congress and speak with him, learn from 
him, and then say ``I love you, brother,'' and then to have him tell 
me--and I selfishly relished the opportunity to hear him say it--``I 
love you too, brother,'' as I gave him a hug and he hugged me back.
  I am unfortunate that I grew up in a very strict household where my 
mother and father only said ``I love you'' to the big boys and girls 
and adults very few times. Once we got off their knee, it just didn't 
happen very often. But John Lewis reminded me how much I missed that, 
and in a selfish way, that is one of the reasons why I always rushed to 
him and asked him, by saying ``I love you,'' to know that he would say 
``I love you'' and with all his heart mean it.
  I am going to miss him. Some of my family members were fortunate to 
meet him and to know him, and I feel blessed to know that he was my 
friend as well.
  May he rest in peace.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind if we can keep the 
remarks about 1 minute, we will get as many as we can in tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and remember my 
friend, the civil rights pioneer, Congressman John Lewis, a true gentle 
giant among us.
  He walked the talk, and we watched him walk the talk in these Halls 
of Congress for many years, from his years as a student at Fisk 
University to his last days as one of the most influential Members of 
Congress.
  He didn't let bad actors and people who were trying to do him harm or 
even cancer slow him down from his fight for equality until the very 
end.
  He led many Members of Congress on that march in Selma, a civil 
rights pilgrimage that my husband and I were honored to join him on a 
couple of years ago when we went to Memphis, Montgomery, Birmingham, 
and Selma. He walked the talk and walked with us and shared with us the 
memories of that painful journey for him and all of those students and 
all the people that he led across that bridge. He took our hands, and 
we all walked together.
  He then later that year came to Indianapolis, where he was the 
keynote speaker because our community celebrated the Kennedy King 
Memorial Initiative becoming a national historic site. Indianapolis was 
the site where Senator Robert Kennedy informed our city that Dr. Martin 
Luther King had been killed on that night 50 years ago.
  It was in Indianapolis, in 1968, that John Lewis learned from Robert 
Kennedy about Dr. King's death. Dr. King was his friend, his mentor, 
and his hero. He had not been to this park in Indianapolis for 50 
years, yet he came there as the keynote speaker. He brought together 
our community--Democrats, Republicans, Hispanics, African Americans, 
and White. Everyone stood together to hear his words, to honor him, and 
to pay tribute to his legacy, to the legacy of Dr. King, and to the 
legacy of Senator Robert Kennedy.
  John was our friend. He walked the talk. He is walking in Heaven now. 
He is showing us all how to walk the talk, and now it is up to us to 
not let him down.

[[Page H3682]]

  

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan 
(Ms. Stevens).

  Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, Congressman John Lewis was the embodiment 
of human prosperity as measured by love. Not only was he the richest 
man I have ever known, but he was absolutely the most generous. John 
Lewis gave out love and, boy, did love come back. He was always 
showering people in love.
  When I saw him in Kentucky long before I knew I would ever join this 
Chamber at the encouragement of a friend from Georgia, he was talking 
about Comic-Con and that his new book with pictures, ``March,'' had 
just come out.
  We have so much work to do. John Lewis, we will heed your words. We 
will not despair. We will look up. We will keep moving and marching 
forward. We will pass that Voting Rights Act. And we will remain 
dedicated to your pursuits.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota 
(Ms. Craig).
  Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, last week, our country lost a fearless 
fighter and hero for civil rights, and we in this Chamber lost a 
colleague and a friend.
  Representative John R. Lewis' sense of fairness and of right and 
wrong was always ahead of his time. That sense of fairness extended to 
all civil rights issues.
  His willingness to support opening up the 1964 Civil Rights Act to 
add protections for the LGBTQ community was critical and personally 
incredibly meaningful to me. My colleague and I, over my term in 
Congress, found that we had something very important in common. We both 
were adoptive parents.
  His bill, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, is another example 
of his commitment to fairness, eliminating discrimination against the 
LGBT community in foster care and adoption.
  He took time to listen to my story of my fight to keep my son, Josh, 
in a years-long court battle. He understood that all that should matter 
is that children have safe, loving homes. He understood that right is 
always right.
  My heart tonight is with his family, and my commitment is to continue 
his work to restore and protect the Voting Rights Act, to address 
systemic racism, and to do what is kind, good, and just.
  Rest in power, Mr. Lewis. We promise to work today, next week, next 
month, and next year, just as you did for our lifetimes.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to introduce the majority 
leader. As he is coming, I want to express to him my thanks for 
allowing me to have the honor to pray for Representative John Lewis at 
his birthday party this past March. It is a privilege and a memory that 
I will cherish.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks.
  Some in my generation remember the song ``Abraham, Martin and John.'' 
Then, of course, there was Bobby. All four were taken from us far too 
early in their lives.
  God blessed each of us, this institution, and this country by giving 
to John Lewis health for eight decades. He used that health and 
strength, mind and body, to serve his God, his faith, his country, and 
his people.
  I can say that John Lewis was my friend, but then again, we could all 
say that John Lewis was our friend and be right in that claim because 
John Lewis was a person who loved his fellow human beings.
  So many of you have heard me refer to John Lewis as the most 
Christlike person I have ever met. He was human, and he represented the 
best of humanity and all the positive attributes that humanity can 
summon. That is why you hear from both sides of the aisle, from all 
ideologies, from people of different colors, different races, different 
genders, different nationalities, and perhaps even different 
languages--certainly, different languages--for he was not just an 
American--though proud he was of that appellation--he was a citizen of 
humanity.
   Jim Clyburn said a little earlier today that we hear about Gandhi, 
and we talk about Christian values, but no one we know has lived and 
breathed who was those attributes, not that he believed in them or 
talked about them, but he embodied the best attributes that are in us 
all.
  We have a short time because time is limited, and so many want to 
speak because they were touched by John Lewis, because they were 
inspired by John Lewis, and because they were motivated and uplifted by 
John Lewis.
  Mr. Speaker, how lucky we are to be able to say that John Lewis was 
our friend. I knew John Lewis. John Lewis made a personal difference in 
my life and the lives of millions of other people who may not even know 
the name of John Lewis.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. Speaker, if I had another hour or another day or another week, I 
would not run out of good things to say about John Lewis. But his life 
and his contributions need no elevation from me or any others, for his 
life is a book of goodness, of courage, of commitment, of vision, and 
of great accomplishment.
  We sing the song ``God Bless America,'' and God blessed America and 
the world with John Robert Lewis.
  Thank you, Lord.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, may we make a commitment to make sure this 
next generation does know the name ``John Lewis.''
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from North Carolina has 7 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Casten).
  Mr. CASTEN of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, John Lewis was a legend. He was 
also just a man. I knew the legend, but I was only just getting to know 
the man. And I guess I just hope we remember both, because somehow the 
legend feels unattainable.
  On our best days, none of us are half the man that John Lewis was 
every day. And the real inspiration, I think, is the man, because it 
was that proof of his life that showed us our potential: if only we can 
summon his decency and his courage and his conviction.
  The legend was the guy whom I could never muster the courage to call 
anything but Mr. Lewis. And the man was the guy who always said, ``Just 
call me John.''
  The legend was the orator at this podium, or that one, or the one 
down there. And the man was the guy who would sit there and pull me 
aside and say, ``How are you doing?''
  But somehow, the legend and the man are one in the same, because it 
was a man who stood on that bridge, and it was a man who made all that 
``good trouble,'' and it was a man who showed us that the amount of 
love we can spread into this world isn't constrained by our mortality, 
but by our ambition.
  Thank you, Mr. Lewis. And while I never quite mustered up the courage 
to say this while you were alive, thank you, John.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. 
Fletcher).
  Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, John Robert Lewis was one of the most 
courageous and committed citizens that our country has ever known. With 
unparalleled courage, with deep faith, and with profound hope, he 
personified a belief in this country and a belief in his fellow 
citizens all the days of his life.
  Through his life, he gave all of us a gift: a chance to see the world 
as it should be and a way to make it so.
  At this pivotal time in our country's history, his faith in America 
and in Americans must guide us now. We have the opportunity and the 
responsibility as Members of Congress and as citizens to honor him by 
believing, as he did, in an America as good as its promise and by 
working to make it so.
  We have many miles to go to build the beloved community, but he 
showed us the way. How lucky we are, and how we miss him so.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, as we conclude this Special Order, I am most 
reminded by my colleagues this evening of the immense impact of a life 
that was John Lewis.
  In our current House, who can we think of that has more of an impact 
in the civil rights movement than John Lewis?
  His legacy is not simply of humility and kindness in the pursuit of 
equality, but one in which we should all aspire

[[Page H3683]]

to replicate. We have talked many times tonight of his nonviolent 
approach, but do not hesitate for one second to think that John Lewis 
was not a strong man, a strong man with a lion's heart.
  America is the greatest country in the world, but let's be 
transparent. It took us a few years to really act out that all men were 
created equal. John Lewis dedicated his life to making sure this 
country lived up to the ideals of our Founding Fathers in making this 
Nation a better place for everyone.
  John was a man of faith. He grew up as a young preacher and later 
became an ordained Baptist minister, and I can relate to that. It was 
under this background that he began this fight for equality. Had the 
church joined him, I am convinced there would be less division today.
  As a member of the Freedom Riders, John and his fellow Riders were 
subjected to mob beatings and arrested for his efforts. Despite this 
opposition, he remained steadfast in his conviction and continued 
onward with his courageous message as he pressured our Federal 
Government to do the right thing.
  Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, John Lewis ascended to a seat in the U.S. 
Congress and continued to make ``good trouble,'' as he would deem it. 
During this distinguished time as a Member of the United States House 
of Representatives, John left no stone unturned in his fight for the 
American people.
  As you can see this evening, Congress has felt this impact 
resoundingly. It has been made clear: John Lewis' kindness and humility 
in the many faces of oppression and adversity have lifted up Congress 
and America for decades. To say he will be sorely missed is a vast 
understatement.
  Let us continue to tell the story of John Lewis for generations to 
come. Remember his guidance, and let his presence live on in our 
hearts. In other words, let's keep on a walkin' and keep on a talkin'.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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