[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 130 (Thursday, July 23, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3695-H3696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REST IN PEACE, JOHN LEWIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McCarthy) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, in ``The Columbian Orator,'' a collection 
of speeches that Frederick Douglass read as a young man, there is a 
speech that says: ``Let it be remembered, there is no luxury so 
exquisite as the exercise of humanity, and no post so honorable as his, 
who defends the rights of man.''
  Now, I don't know if Douglass read those exact words, but I do know a 
man who embodied them better than anyone else in my lifetime: John 
Lewis. John's legacy is his love of country and humanity. He rose above 
prejudice and responded to force with forgiveness.
  In his time, there was a lot that he couldn't love about America, but 
he never gave up on it or wanted to destroy it. Instead, he used what 
is right with America to fix what was wrong with it.
  Because of his patriotism, our Nation has come a long way, not 
perfect, but more perfect, as we must always strive to be.
  John was unquestionably one of the great champions of freedom in the 
modern age, and he secured his place as a giant in American history 
long before his career in Congress even began.
  Born on a farm without running water or power, the son of a 
sharecropper rose to become a founding leader of the civil rights 
movement by the age of 23. As a young student, he showed courage and 
patience and dignity beyond his years.
  From his lunch counter sit-ins, to the Freedom Riders, to Bloody 
Sunday in Selma, Alabama, his unflinching example of nonviolence was a 
powerful call to arms. It was made irresistible by the fact that he, 
like Dr. King, sought to vindicate the core ideas of our founding 
documents by applying them to everyone.
  Today, our task is to continue to uphold these timeless principles 
for all people. It will not be easy, but I am confident we will 
succeed, because we have the memories of leaders like John to guide us 
and inspire us.
  I have several memories of my friendship with John that I will always 
treasure.
  I remember my last time speaking with him, just 2 weeks before he 
passed away, talking about the latest uprising in America. I asked if 
John would spend a moment in time and do a conference call with the 
freshmen. They had not had the opportunity to walk through Selma with 
him to give them the example of which he lived.
  You see, my family and I have joined John many times in Selma, but 
the one that I will remember the most is on the 50th anniversary. To 
think for a moment that 50 years before, John came very close to death, 
and on that day 50 years later, he was introducing the President of the 
United States. Not only the idea that John would stand for all, he 
always had the patience to tell a student about what it was like 
before.
  I remember at the State of the Union of 2015, there was Amelia 
Boynton Robinson. You see, she was with John that day 50 years prior, 
and she came here in hopes of meeting President Obama. She came by my 
office. And before, we stopped by John's office.
  I told Amelia: Just wait right outside the Chambers here, because the 
President has an escort party, and in that escort party, I am one of 
them, but stand there and we will make sure when the President comes 
out, you will greet.
  She had a picture of that day, and you will see John leading.
  When John would tell you the story of the march across the bridge, he 
would walk you up to one certain place, then he said: I can tell you no 
more, because I cannot remember.
  You see, they beat him unconscious, almost to his death, on that 
Bloody Sunday.
  I remember sitting with Tim Scott, watching John speak about what 
happened that fateful day. I will never forget what he said.
  When he would tell the story of the march, he would stop at a moment, 
as I said before, and say: I cannot remember past this point because I 
had been beaten. And I was carried back, and I almost died.
  Reflecting on the violence he endured, he said with humility that he

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``gave a little blood.'' In fact, John gave so much more than that. He 
gave his country his all, and he was willing to give his life to make 
America a more perfect Union, but he never gave himself over to anger 
or allowed himself to harbor hatred in his heart for those who 
persecuted him.
  In a true mark of his character, he famously forgave George Wallace, 
saying: ``. . . to do otherwise--to hate him--would only perpetuate the 
evil system we sought to destroy.''
  John continued: ``Our ability to forgive serves a higher moral 
purpose in our society. Through genuine repentance and forgiveness, the 
soul of our Nation is redeemed.''

  This, he said, was the ``very essence of the civil rights movement.''
  Mr. Speaker, as I reflect on John's life, those words sum up why he 
was a great man and why we will always honor him.
  It was truly the privilege of my life to call him my friend. We are a 
better country because of him. His legacy of change will last as long 
as America does. Everyone should strive to honor his incredible life. 
More importantly, we should all strive to learn from it.
  But today, we mourn his loss, celebrate his life, and thank Almighty 
God for sending a great man who helped change a nation and serves as 
the highest example of courage, compassion, and moral character.

                          ____________________