[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E695-E696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE LIFE AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEGACY OF THE HON. JOHN LEWIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2020

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I will always remember my last 
conversation with a

[[Page E696]]

dear friend and colleague, the Honorable John Lewis of Georgia. John 
had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he was undergoing 
treatment. Yet it didn't affect his kindness, his warm smile, or the 
gentle touch of his hand. John greeted me and we chatted. It was 
memorable because it was so natural, normal, and it turned out to also 
be good-bye.
  For nearly twenty years I have served in the Congress with John 
Lewis, a civil rights champion and legend. His personal journey 
extended from sharecropper fields in Alabama to civil rights leader, 
Member of Congress to national treasure. John's voice had the moral 
authority of a man who had been tested by injustice and tormented by 
the defenders of injustice. John marched on the frontline of America's 
struggle for civil rights, voting rights, equal rights and he still had 
the profound goodness to listen to adversaries, seek goodness in all 
people, and forgive those who hurt him. John Lewis marched with Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. on behalf of Black Americans who were treated 
as second class citizens by Jim Crow laws, but his lifetime of service 
and sacrifice, his lifetime of love, was for all mankind. John was a 
powerful force for good, for righteousness, and for justice.
  There are many books written about John's civil rights legacy and 
many more will be written. His life should be a lesson to all of us and 
especially to future generations of Americans who will continue to work 
to overcome inequality as our country strives to be a more perfect 
union. The courage, commitment and compassion of John's life is well 
documented and rightly honored. There was another John Lewis that I 
will remember and cherish.
  On numerous occasions over the years John and I had the opportunity 
to sit on the House floor during votes and just chat. We chatted about 
everyday matters. John loved gardening. He talked with great expertise 
about flowers. It was a special joy in his life that I loved hearing 
him talk about. And sometimes a conversation on flowers would lead to 
one on climate change.
  Once, we discussed another matter of seeming significance to John--
fishing. He told me he liked to go fishing but obligations and official 
commitments made finding the time difficult. I invited him to visit me 
in Minnesota during the winter and told him I would share a special 
experience with him--ice fishing. Well, John smiled and laughed and 
very graciously informed me that such a thing made no sense to him and 
he would pass on the invitation.
  John Lewis lived by the ``Golden Rule''--Do unto others as you would 
have them do unto you. He worked so hard to live by that rule that he 
made it look easy for those of us who are not as strong, disciplined, 
or courageous. I know John had his struggles, but he was a shining 
example for all who knew him and my life is richer, more full because 
of his generosity, kindness, and determination.
  The passing of Rep. John Lewis is a sad and painful loss for his 
family, friends, and his congressional staff who loved him very much. 
It is also a difficult loss for his Georgia constituents, his 
congressional colleagues, and our entire nation. May God bless the soul 
of John Lewis and all who loved him. I am eternally grateful to have 
known John and called him my friend and colleague.

                          ____________________