[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 28, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4524-S4525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REPRESENATTIVE JOHN
LEWIS
Mr. PERDUE. Madam President, throughout all of human history, in
every generation, there are a handful of people who rise to the level
of greatness. Despite adversity, danger, and sometimes impossible odds,
these great men and women fight for what is right and push our society
forward and make America better for the next generation. That has been
true for the last 230 years.
Representative John Lewis in our generation, who just passed away
last week, was certainly the embodiment of this type of greatness. John
was a titan in the struggle for civil rights and the equality of all
races. Because of him, more Americans can enjoy their God-given rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
John's lifelong fight against injustice began at a very young age, as
we now know. When his local library banned African Americans from
checking out books, a teenaged John Lewis wrote a petition requesting
and demanding equal access.
From that point forward, John Lewis never backed down from the fight
for what is right. He always remained peaceful, despite receiving
physical violence and going to jail for his protests.
His commitment to nonviolence served as a guiding force in John's
life. He founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to fight
for nonviolent resistance across America.
In 1961, he participated in the Freedom Rides to protest segregation
in public transportation.
John's determination for equal rights only grew stronger and more
effective over time. At age 23, he was one of the ``Big Six'' leaders
of the March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shared
his dream for a better future for everyone.
Later, John bravely marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,
AL, where he was beaten in what was called Bloody Sunday.
The efforts of John Lewis and others finally paid off with the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That bill gave African
Americans the right to fully participate in our democratic Republic. It
pushed our country forward.
That incredible victory may seem like the end of John's struggle for
equal rights. In reality, it was just the beginning. For the rest of
his life, John Lewis never lost sight of what the real fight involved.
During his time in the Atlanta City Council and later in Congress, he
never gave up the fight for justice.
Today, our country is mourning a hero, a truly great American, and a
great Georgian.
As we continue to say our good-byes, we should also take this time to
reflect on John Lewis's life and what he stood for. We should take this
as a call to action to continue the effort to which he dedicated his
life.
The stain of injustice still marks our country. Just this year, there
have been horrible tragedies that have shaken all of us to our core.
Though John Lewis is no longer with us, we can still carry on his
legacy.
As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 660, submitted earlier today,
and that the text be read in full.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will read the resolution.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows
S. Res. 660
Whereas the Senate mourns the loss of John Lewis, a titan
in the struggle for civil rights and equality for all races,
and commemorates his life and accomplishments;
Whereas John Lewis was born during the era of Jim Crow in a
segregated community in which racism and discrimination ran
rampant;
Whereas John Lewis's moral clarity and unwavering
commitment to nonviolence made his first passions preaching
and ministry;
Whereas John Lewis fought his first battle against
segregation when he was just a teenager, authoring a petition
for equal access to his local public library, where African
Americans had paid for the construction of the facilities but
were banned from checking out books;
Whereas, before his 21st birthday, John Lewis established
his commitment to ``good trouble'' by organizing sit-ins at
segregated restaurants and theaters;
Whereas John Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee, which advocated for civil
disobedience and nonviolent resistance against segregation
across the United States, bringing him to the forefront of
the struggle of the United States for civil rights;
Whereas John Lewis participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides,
which were a series of trips that tested a new desegregation
order of interstate transportation facilities and resulted in
multiple beatings and the firebombing of the bus that John
Lewis was supposed to be riding;
Whereas, at 23 years of age, John Lewis served as the
youngest member of the ``Big Six'', which planned the 1963
March on Washington, and worked alongside Martin Luther King,
Jr., James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and
Whitney Young to advocate for racial equality and justice for
all;
Whereas John Lewis courageously led protestors across the
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, bravely bearing
violence from the police to embody the struggle of the United
States to live up to its founding ideals of equal justice
under the law;
[[Page S4525]]
Whereas the bravery of John Lewis during ``Bloody Sunday''
led Congress to pass, and President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign
into law, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et
seq.), ensuring that African Americans have the right to
fully participate in the democratic process in the United
States;
Whereas John Lewis faithfully served the city of Atlanta
between 1977 and 1981, embodying his election night promise
to ``bring a sense of ethics and moral courage'' to the
Atlanta City Council;
Whereas John Lewis faithfully served the 5th congressional
district of Georgia in the House of Representatives between
1987 and 2020, serving as the ``conscience of the Congress''
by continuing his pursuit of justice and truth in the capital
of the United States; and
Whereas the Senate commends John Lewis for his life and for
embodying the spirit of love and dignity through his
unceasing advocacy for reconciliation, justice, and the
equality of all mankind: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate--
(A) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the
announcement of the death of the Honorable John Lewis, a late
Member of the House of Representatives; and
(B) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the
Senate--
(i) communicate this resolution to the House of
Representatives; and
(ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the
family of John Lewis; and
(2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a
further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable John
Lewis.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no
intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 660) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
(The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
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