[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 130 (Thursday, July 23, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H3698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0930
                    HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a joy to acknowledge 
my one-quarter century relationship with our friend, John Lewis. The 
better I got to know him, the deeper my respect for his courage, his 
determination, and his strength.
  People have remarked about his gentle spirit, his kindness, and his 
generosity. I watched countless young people be introduced to him in 
awe, including my own grandson.
  I just heard Leader McCarthy acknowledge being in Selma with John on 
the 50th anniversary of that Bloody Sunday. It was beyond my ability 
for words to express watching John. On that stage near where he was 
once almost beaten to death, he spoke as a Member of Congress and then 
he introduced the first Black President of the United States, Barack 
Obama.
  It is heartening to hear so many who were polar opposites of John 
politically honor and praise his life and his service. They sincerely 
mourn his passing and salute his career. I would hope, Mr. Speaker, 
however, that we would not just repeat his words, but listen and 
understand and honor his lifework and his lifetime commitment to 
lifting people up and helping them find their voices and express their 
wishes by exercising the precious right of voting.
  When John started, the vote was suppressed by violence and 
intimidation. Today people are suppressing the votes using computers, 
legal challenges, and capricious voting standards against the poor, 
people of color, the young, and the marginalized. These are people John 
knew should have special help, but instead he was outraged in his own 
gentle but forceful way that they got special barriers shutting them 
out.
  I would hope that those who come to the floor to issue their tributes 
to John Lewis would join me in respecting his life's work. Let's find 
ways to work together to protect the political process for those whom 
he fought so valiantly to be able to engage and protect.
  I will be forever grateful for his friendship and his example. I hope 
we will all find it in our hearts to honor his mission which should be 
the mission of us all.

                          ____________________