[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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