John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brenda B. Wood, a premier broadcast journalist, one of the best in our region, who has been a newsmaker and news breaker in the Atlanta metro area since 1988. She decided to retire this year after dedicating over 40 years to her career, but I understand she will be returning to the small screen to work on special creative projects. We want to pay tribute to her as she moves into this next phase of her contribution to metropolitan Atlanta. Ms. Wood was born in Washington, DC, graduated from Takoma Park Academy and got her degree in mass media from Loma Linda University in Southern California in 1977. She reported for several stations in Alabama and Tennessee following her graduation from college but was hired as the evening news anchor and reporter in the Atlanta market first by WAGA-TV, where she hosted an Emmy award-winning news magazine show called Minute by Minute. In 1997, she joined WXlA-TV as its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. weekday news anchor and spent the next 20 years of her career at the station. Ms. Wood became a trusted voice on the air. We could depend on her to get to the heart of the issues and keep the metro area informed with all the news we needed to know to participate effectively in a democratic society. Her coverage was incisive, balanced, and comprehensive. During her tenure, Ms. Wood interviewed top newsmakers like President Jimmy Carter, Egypt's former First Lady Jehan Sadat, Ambassador Andrew Young, Cher, the rapper T.I. and many others. She produced several award-winning prime time specials, including Remembering the 1996 Olympics, the year Atlanta hosted the games, A Conversation Across America, 50 Years of Change, Mission of Hope. Ms. Wood developed several special broadcast series like, Journeys with Brenda Wood, a news magazine show, The Last Word commentaries, and The Daily 11 at 7 with Brenda Wood, another award-winning primetime show. She has taken home 20 Emmy awards and garnered many different honors. Most notably, Ms. Wood was named Georgia Woman of the Year in 2013, was granted the Legacy Award of the Atlanta Business League, the NAACP's Phoenix Award for Best News Anchor, and inducted into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame in 2014, among a host of other honors. Our community has loved to watch her tell the stories that gave meaning to our lives in the South and described our world so accurately. Ms. Wood never ceased to inform us, inspire us, and will always be a shining light for our city. We all will miss seeing her on the air, but know that Brenda Wood will continue to serve our community as a leader who can bring people and good ideas together.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from Georgia, the Honorable Karen C. Handel, be permitted to the oath of office today. Her certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to her election.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome the newest member of the Georgia congressional delegation, Representative Karen Handel, serving the Sixth Congressional District in our beautiful State. I want to congratulate Karen on becoming the first Republican woman ever elected to the House of Representatives from the State of Georgia. She was actually born in the District of Columbia, and was raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. So she is returning home. She was president and CEO of the Greater Fulton County Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Governor and now Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, and Secretary of State of Georgia. The Georgia delegation is Democrats and Republicans, but we are a family. We are trying to do our very best to serve the people in our district, in our State, and to work on behalf of the people of this great Nation. I welcome Karen and her husband, Steve. If you should need my help, please feel free to call on me. I wish her well, and I look forward to serving with her. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves), my friend and brother.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Handel).

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the heaviest of hearts. Mr. Speaker, I want to be crystal clear that there is not any room in our society for hate. There is no room for violence. Whatever we do and wherever we may stand, we must act in a peaceful, orderly, and nonviolent fashion. We must understand that we are one people--the American people; we are one family--the American family; and we live in the same house--the American house. Mr. Speaker, we must teach all of our people to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being. We must be the headlights, not the taillights, in loving and cherishing our brothers and sisters. We are brothers and sisters. We must understand that our foremothers and our forefathers came to this great Nation in different ships, but we are all in the same boat now. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: We must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters; if not, we will perish as fools. Yesterday, was a difficult and dark day. There was so much pain and suffering for so many people--for our fellow Members, for our families, and for our staffs. It shook the Congress and our Nation to its core. I, too, was in shock. My heart and my soul ached for those who were attacked and for those who witnessed the violence. Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my love and my feelings for all of our colleagues, our friends, our staffs, the officers, and their families. In each and every moment, my thoughts and prayers have been with all of the victims and their families as they begin the long road to healing and recovery. They must understand that we are with them. We are with you. You are not alone. We love you, and we are praying for your safety and recovery.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this bill. As elected Representatives, we have a mission, an obligation, and a mandate to fight for each and every American. I ask you, Mr. Speaker: Who will stand for the American people? Who will speak up for those who have been left out and left behind? Mr. Speaker, I have said it time and time again: Health care is a right. It is not a privilege reserved for a wealthy few, for what does it profit this body to pass this bill and lose our soul? This bill is a shame. It is a disgrace. Mr. Speaker, today my heart breaks for the disabled, for women, for seniors, and for working families. My heart aches for those who are living paycheck to paycheck. My heart mourns for innocent little children whose very lives depend on if their families can pay the bills. This is the right and wrong of it. This is the heart and soul of the matter. We cannot abandon our principles, Mr. Speaker. We cannot forget our values. I have fought too hard and too long to back down now. I will fight any bill that turns the clock back to a darker time. I will fight every single attempt to turn a deaf ear, a blind eye, and a cold shoulder to the sick, to our seniors, and to working families. Mr. Speaker, I will fight every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. I oppose this bill with every breath and every bone in my body. We must not give up. We cannot--I will not--give in, not today, not tomorrow, not never, ever. On this bill, there is only one option, and that option is to vote ``no.'' We can do better. Mr. Speaker, we must do better. Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado and the gentleman from Maryland for supporting this legislation. I am a proud sponsor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act. First, let me thank each and every member and the staff from the Natural Resources Committee for their hard work and support of this act. Mr. Speaker, this nonpartisan bill will simply change these historic Atlanta places from being a site to a park. At no additional cost to taxpayers, this bill will create the first national historic park in the State of Georgia. This small change will significantly improve the way the National Park Service preserves, shares, and presents the history of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., site or park. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was our moral compass. He represented the best of America. His mission was to create the beloved community, a community at peace with itself and our neighbors. Throughout his life, Dr. King urged each and every one of us to recognize the dignity and worth of every human being. Passing this simple piece of legislation will improve how this important history and legacy is shared with visitors from across our country and from around the world. Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chair and ranking member for their support of this legislation.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Amendment XIII, section 1: ``Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.'' Section 2: ``Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2854, the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act. This is the Senate companion to H.R. 5067, the bill I introduced with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner). This has been a bipartisan, bicameral effort from the first day, and I ask each and every one of our colleagues to support this important legislation. Ten years ago, I stood on the House Floor and promised to work tirelessly to pass this legislation. Two years later, we were successful in passing the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. That legislation created a Federal strategy to bring justice and healing to the victims, survivors, and families. When the bill was signed into law, family members, academics, historians, lawyers, advocates started working towards a full accounting for these gross human and civil rights atrocities. The reauthorization that we are considering today responds to the their appeals to Congress to make the law whole--to ensure that their thoughtful, tireless work did not fall on deaf ears and end up in a forgotten drawer. So many people have died; so many families have mourned; so many communities have suffered. Mr. Speaker, as you know this bill is named for a 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered 61 years ago for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Many people here tonight will recognize the names of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, but few know of the countless other possible victims of racially motivated crimes during this period. This bill restores hope for the families of so many who have unanswered questions--like the Atlanta Five in my congressional district. In 1974, five African-American men--Lee Roy Holloway, Robert Walker, Marvin Walker, John Sterling and Lonnie Merritt--left Atlanta for a fishing trip near Pensacola Florida. Their families never saw them alive again. Their pain and that of so countless others is real. I said before, and I will say it again--we have a mission, an obligation, and a mandate to restore faith in the cornerstones of our democracy and accountability in the pursuit of truth and justice whenever possible. This bill does just that. In developing this legislation, we took the time to research and study what happened after the original bill was signed into law. We listened to and were guided by the advocates, by law professors, by families, and by the press. We worked across the aisle and across the Dome to develop a bill that fulfills our promise to never give up on this effort--to never abandon the pursuit of truth. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to thank the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern University School of Law; the Cold Case Justice Initiative at Syracuse University College of Law; the Emmett Till Justice Campaign; the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation; the Georgia Civil Rights Cold Case Project at Emory University; the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR); the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); the NAACP-Legal Defense Fund (NAACP-LDF); the National Urban League; and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The leadership and staff of these institutions fought long and hard for this legislation. They deserve recognition and appreciation. I would also like to thank the thousands of people across the country who signed petitions, called, emailed, and urged for Congress to act. Mr. Speaker, we must thank them for their determination, their passion, and their commitment to justice. In closing, I would like to thank the Chair, the Ranking Member, the lead sponsors, our House Leadership, the staff, and all the Members who supported this effort. I ask each and every one of my colleagues to support this important legislation and let it become law.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer a bipartisan resolution which recognizes the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) on Saturday, September 24, 2016. I am so proud that over 110 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have joined me as original cosponsors. This weekend will mark an historic moment in our Nation's history. Hundreds of thousands of people will convene in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall to celebrate and welcome this historic institution which is dedicated to documenting African American life, history, art, and culture. Many people in this body, across the nation, and around the world shall celebrate this great day. Tonight, I applaud Dr. Lonnie Bunch, III, the Founding Director, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, the Deputy Director, Cheryl Johnson, Chief of Staff, and the hundreds and thousands of people who worked so hard to make this dream a reality. For over 10 years, they have toiled day in and day out to prepare for the opening and operation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I know that the leadership and staff of the Museum have labored tirelessly for years and years--designing the building, raising funds, envisioning the exhibits, collecting artifacts, conducting research, and meeting with the many people across this country and around the world who are so excited about this historic moment. Mr. Speaker, I thank each and every one of them for their hard work, determination, and dedication to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mr. Speaker, the National Museum of African American History and Culture took over 100 years to evolve from a dream to a reality in the Nation's Capitol on the National Mall. The most recent congressional effort began with the late former Congressman Thomas ``Mickey'' Leland from Texas who revitalized the legislation in 1985. I was proud to continue his work and fought for 15 years for the bill to pass the House and Senate before finally being signed into law by President George W. Bush. It was a long, hard, labor of love, and there were so many wonderful Members on both sides of the aisle and the dome, who helped accomplish this mission, which spanned generations, decades, and movements. In 1993, the late Senator Paul Martin Simon from Illinois introduced a companion to the House legislation. Beginning in 2001, former Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas, former Senator Max Cleland from Georgia, and former Senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut joined the House coalition which included Representatives William ``Bill'' Clay from Missouri, J.C. Watts, Jr. from Oklahoma, and Jack Kingston from Georgia who helped take this bipartisan, bicameral effort across the finish line. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not also thank some of the former congressional staff who worked for so many years to pass the legislation which authorized the Museum--Tammy Boyd in my office; Kerri Watson with former Rep. J.C. Watts; LaRochelle Young with former Sen. Sam Brownback: and Donni Turner with former Sen. Max Cleland. They refused to give up; they refused to give in, and we thank them for their hard work and service. On the eve of this long-awaited day, I join with more than 110 of my colleagues in congratulating Smithsonian Institution's family, the countless staff, and many volunteers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on their persistence, their determination, and--very, very soon--on their success. Tonight, we should all be proud, and each and every one of us must take the necessary hours, days, weeks, and months to visit, learn, explore, and reflect on the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and all that it signifies and entails. Mr. Speaker, this is a good day; it is a great day.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer a bipartisan resolution which recognizes the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) on Saturday, September 24, 2016. I am so proud that over 110 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have joined me as original cosponsors. This weekend will mark a historic moment in our Nation's history. Hundreds of thousands of people will convene in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall to celebrate and welcome this historic institution which is dedicated to documenting African American life, history, art, and culture. Many people in this body, across the nation, and around the world shall celebrate this great day. Tonight, I applaud Dr. Lonnie Bunch, III, the Founding Director, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, the Deputy Director, Cheryl Smith, Chief of Staff, and the hundreds and thousands of people who worked so hard to make this dream a reality. For over 10 years, they have toiled day in and day out to prepare for the opening and operation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I know that the leadership and staff of the Museum have labored tirelessly for years and years--designing the building, raising funds, envisioning the exhibits, collecting artifacts, conducting research, and meeting with the many people across this country and around the world who are so excited about this historic moment. Mr. Speaker, I thank each and every one of them for their hard work, dedication, and determination to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mr. Speaker, the National Museum of African American History and Culture took over 100 years to evolve from a dream to a reality in the Nation's Capital on the National Mall. The most recent congressional effort began with the late former Congressman Thomas ``Mickey'' Leland from Texas who revitalized the legislation in 1985. I was proud to continue his work and fought for 15 years for the bill to pass the House and Senate before finally being signed into law by President George W. Bush. It was a long, hard, labor of love, and there were so many wonderful Members on both sides of the aisle and the dome, who helped accomplish this mission which spanned generations, decades, and movements. In 1993, the late Senator Paul Martin Simon from Illinois introduced a companion to the House legislation. Beginning in 2001, former Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas, former Senator Max Cleland from Georgia, and former Senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut joined the House coalition which included Representatives William ``Bill'' Clay from Missouri, J.C. Watts, Jr. from Oklahoma, and Jack Kingston from Georgia who helped take this bipartisan, bicameral effort across the finish line. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not also thank some of the former congressional staff who worked for so many years to pass the legislation which authorized the Museum--Tammy Boyd in my office; Kern Watson with former Rep. J.C. Watts; LaRochelle Young with former Sen. Sam Brownback: and Donni Turner with former Sen. Max Cleland. They refused to give up; they refused to give in, and we thank them for their hard work and service. On the eve of this long-awaited day, I join with more than 110 of my colleagues in congratulating Smithsonian Institution's family, the countless staff, and many volunteers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on their persistence, their determination, and--very, very soon--on their success. Tonight, we should all be proud, and each and every one of us must take the necessary hours, days, weeks, and months to visit, learn, explore, and reflect on the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and all that it signifies and entails.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer a resolution recognizing September 21st as the International Day of Peace. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the United Nations declaring the need for the global community to celebrate an International Day of Peace. Around the world, today is an inclusive effort towards encouraging, promoting, and recommitting to peaceful action and ceasefire. At a time when war, violence, and conflict dominate the news headlines, peace may seem a distant and lofty goal. However, during times like these I am reminded of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--``Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.'' Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed seemingly insurmountable obstacles of hate be toppled by the spirit of love. It is for this reason that I continue to have faith in the possibility of positive and good change. Every year, I fight tirelessly to protect the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), an organization which serves as the key link between U.S. national security agencies and their global counterparts to prevent and resolve conflicts. I believe in my heart of hearts that USIP's mission and work are critical to our national security and foreign policy priorities. A few years ago, after leading a congressional delegation to India to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. King's pilgrimage, I introduced a bill--the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act. This bill teaches the doctrine of nonviolence, the effectiveness of applying the principle of Satyagraha, or non-violent resistance, to a new generation of emerging global leaders and scholars. USIP was on the same page and developed educational modules on nonviolent civil mobilization. In my core, I also believe that peace work begins at home. It is for this reason that I was so encouraged when the U.S. Institute of Peace launched the inaugural USIPeace Teachers program, which selected educators from across the country to incorporate peacebuilding into their curricula. My constituent, Timothy McMahon, a teacher at Atlanta International School, was an inaugural participant in this great program, and sought to instill the skill of effective, mindful dialogue in his classroom. You see, Mr. Speaker, peacefulness begins at the local level, within each community, and in every person. Nearly a year ago, His Holiness, Pope Francis addressed the U.S. Congress, and he reminded us of the Golden Rule--``To treat others as we treat ourselves.'' On days like today, I encourage each of my colleagues not only to cosponsor this resolution, but also to consider how even the smallest act can make this world a little better, a little more peaceful, a little more loving for generations yet unborn.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an opinion editorial that appeared in the Washington Post on August 26, 2016. This piece is authored by Mr. Wade Henderson, who serves as the president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the national coalition of more than 200 organizations committed to a fair, open, and inclusive America: The pursuit of capital punishment for Dylann Roof is a step backward (By Wade Henderson, August 26) On Nov. 7 in Charleston, S.C., a federal court will begin selecting a jury in the death penalty prosecution of Dylann Roof, the accused killer of nine African American worshipers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. At first glance, the notion of a white man facing the death penalty for murdering black people in the South--in a killing inspired by the murderer's racist views--may seem like a marker of racial progress. It isn't--and those who champion civil rights should not celebrate this moment. Roof's crime was surely heinous, and his racism was repugnant. But supporters of racial equality and equal treatment under the law should support Roof's offer to plead guilty and serve a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. How can it be that a lifelong civil rights lawyer such as myself would take this position? Because the death penalty cannot be separated from the issue of racial discrimination, especially in the South. The history of slavery and lynching left deep scars in the black community, and the current death penalty does not fare much better. More than 8 in 10 of the executions carried out since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 have occurred in the South. Blacks make up more than one-third of the 1,170 defendants executed in the region, with most convicted of murdering a white victim. Given the racial disproportion inherent in the modem application of the death penalty, it is no surprise that most African Americans (including me) oppose the death penalty, a position that would also disqualify most of them (and me) from serving on the jury in Roof's case. As a result, if the Roof trial continues on its present course, a jury will be chosen that represents only part of the community. Those who oppose the death penalty on principle will be struck from the pool of jurors by the presiding judge. Those who express doubts about the death penalty will likely be struck by the prosecution. The resulting jury will have fewer blacks, fewer women and fewer people of faiths that oppose the death penalty than a jury selected at random from the residents of Charleston. That cannot be a desirable outcome in such an emotional and racially charged case. Neither would the adversarial proceeding necessitated by a refusal to accept Roof's offer to plead guilty and accept a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Once the trial begins, there will be a detailed recounting of the worst day this community has ever experienced. It will be the prosecution's duty to portray this multiple murder as gruesomely as possible in order to secure a death sentence. Family members may be called to the stand to describe precisely what they went through that day and how it affected them. Likewise, the defense will be obligated to do everything in its power to lessen Roof's culpability. This is how our adversarial process works, but it is not necessary here. Without the agony of trying to decide between life and death, a sentencing proceeding that followed a guilty plea could pay tribute to the victims, focusing on the value of their lives and the consequences of their loss. All family members could voice their pain, regardless of their view on the death penalty. It would not be an easy day, but far better than months of focusing only on Roof, followed by years of appeals and uncertainty. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch has allowed this case to proceed as a capital prosecution until now, but a new decision point is coming soon. Most criminal cases settle before trial because it is in the best interests of the entire community. That could happen here; the offer is already on the table. The attorney general need only agree. After the racially inspired attack on the parishioners of Mother Emanuel, as the church is known, South Carolina took the bold and important step of permanently lowering the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds. This powerful symbol--perceived by many as the embodiment of racism and discrimination--had to go. With the death penalty, the Justice Department now has the power to lower another flag that has torn communities apart along racial lines. Capital punishment in this case may appear to be just retribution for Roof's unfathomable crime. Yet the real-life operation of the death penalty suggests that its application to Roof would only pave the way for future cases in which the death penalty is invoked to harm the very community on which he inflicted so much pain.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise yet again to speak out about mass shootings and gun violence in our Nation. When I think of Newtown, of Charleston, of Orlando, my heart just breaks. Mr. Speaker, what would it take for Congress to act? How many more must suffer? How many more must die? How many more little children must die? How many more mothers and fathers will mourn the loss of a child? Today, Mr. Speaker, I ask you to think of Taylor Hayden, the beautiful young woman celebrating a girls' weekend in Atlanta who was killed by gang crossfire. Please think of the young woman killed while driving home from work in southwest Atlanta. Think of the woman fighting for her life at this very moment in Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta. Just last week, she was injured in a shooting that brought the interstate, I-85, to a stop. Mr. Speaker, time and time again, we asked for compassion. Time and time again, we asked for action. Time and time again, we asked for leadership. Our people are sick and tired of a do-nothing Congress. They elected us to do our jobs. Instead, Mr. Speaker, we take a break. Mr. Speaker, Republicans must join with Democrats and do what is right, what is just, what is fair, and what is long overdue. There are good, commonsense proposals that not only protect rights, but also will save lives. These bills should be passed. Bring them to the floor. Let us have a vote. Give us a vote. Time is of the essence. We cannot be silent, and we will not be silent. We cannot wait for another time, another place, another person. Mr. Speaker, the time is now for us to act. Today I urge all of my colleagues to join us. Be brave. Be bold. Take a stand for what is good and necessary. Or if you prefer, please take a seat, roll up your sleeves, and let's go to work. The time for silence is over. It is time to move. Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that the spirit of history is upon us. We have a mission. We have a moral obligation and a mandate to do what is right. History will not be kind to us if Congress continues to turn a blind eye and a cold shoulder to those crying, begging, and pleading for action. I ask my colleagues, each and every one of you, to join me in the well. We must pass commonsense legislation to prevent gun violence and mass shootings in our country, and we must act now. History is demanding, the people are demanding that we act, and that we act now-- not next week, next month, or next year, but now, before we leave and go home.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, in the memory of Billy Talley from Union, Mississippi, a victim of gun violence who never, ever received a moment of action on the House floor.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise because I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that the Republican Members of Congress would leave Washington, the Nation's Capital, for 7\1/2\ weeks without taking a single step to respond to the real suffering, the real pain, the real hurt, the real despair of the American people. Mr. Speaker, there is so much hurt, so much hate, so much violence. We have a moral obligation, a mission, and a mandate to do something about gun violence. Too many of our sisters and brothers have suffered. Too many have lost their lives. They have lost too many of our children, too many of our mothers and fathers, too many of our friends and neighbors. Where are the leaders? Do you have any courage, Republican Members of Congress? Where is your leadership? It is a disgrace, it is a shame that you would leave Washington and not do anything about gun violence.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation to honor the memory of Xavier Arnold, a victim of gun violence who never ever received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), my friend and brother, for yielding. Now is the time for us to find a way to dramatize it, to make it real. We have to occupy the floor of the House until there is action.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all of my colleagues join me on the floor. On occasion, Mr. Speaker, I have had what I call an executive session with myself. For months, even for years, through several sessions of Congress, I wondered what would bring this body to take action, what would finally make Congress do what is right, what is just, what the people of this country have been demanding, and what is long overdue. We have lost hundreds and thousands of innocent people to gun violence: tiny little children, babies, students and teachers, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors. What has this body done? Mr. Speaker, nothing. Not one thing. We have turned deaf ears. We have turned deaf ears to the blood of the innocent and the concern of our Nation. We are blind to a crisis. Mr. Speaker, where is the heart of this body? Where is our soul? Where is our moral leadership? Where is our courage? Those who work on bipartisan solutions are pushed aside. Those who pursue commonsense improvement are beaten down. Reason is criticized. Obstruction is praised. Newtown, Aurora, Charleston, Orlando. What is the tipping point? Are we blind? Can we see? How many more mothers and how many more fathers need to shed tears of grief before we do something? We were elected to lead, Mr. Speaker. We must be headlights and not taillights. We cannot continue to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the reality of mass gun violence in our Nation. Deadly mass shootings are becoming more and more frequent. Mr. Speaker, this is a fact. It is not an opinion. We must remove the blinders. The time for silence and patience is long gone. We are calling on the leadership of the House to bring commonsense gun control legislation to the House floor. Give us a vote. Let us vote. We came here to do our job. We came here to work. The American people are demanding action. Do we have the courage? Do we have raw courage to make at least a down payment on ending gun violence in America? We can no longer wait. We can no longer be patient. So today we come to the well of the House to dramatize the need for action--not next month, not next year, but now, today. Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary. Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, and when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more. The time for silence is over.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for this bill. I want to congratulate the gentlewoman from Alabama for her good and great work on this bill. Amelia Boynton Robinson was a daughter of Georgia who moved to Alabama to study at Tuskegee Institute. After graduating, she began working for the United States Department of Agriculture in Dallas County, Alabama, where Selma is the county seat. This is where Mrs. Boynton met her husband, Samuel Boynton. They raised their sons--Bill, Jr., and Bruce Carver--on the front lines of the fight for equality and civil rights. I remember going to Selma, Alabama, for the first time in 1963, at the age of 23, to help African Americans gain the right to vote. Mrs. Boynton was one of the first individuals I met. She worked tirelessly. She organized. She mobilized. She spoke. She led. She was fearless. Mrs. Boynton was one of the very first African Americans to register to vote in Dallas County. The county had an African American majority, but only about 2.1 percent of African Americans of voting age were registered to vote. People had to stand in lines. On occasion, they were asked to count the number of bubbles on a bar of soap, the number of jelly beans in a jar. Occasionally, people had to pass a so-called literacy test. Time after time, she stood up to brutality and injustice. I remember her very well on Bloody Sunday. Mrs. Boynton was knocked down by Alabama State Troopers and trampled by horses and tear-gassed, but she never gave up. She kept her faith. She kept her eyes on the prize. Mrs. Boynton's vision, determination, and commitment helped to pave the way for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Last year, when she passed away, at the age of 104, I mourned with the rest of the Nation. I was happy that during her long life she had an opportunity to see the impact of her work. So I think, Mr. Speaker, it is so fitting for a post office to be named in her honor. Her work has changed not just Selma, but the entire State of Alabama, the South, our Nation, and inspired people all around our world. I hope that all of my colleagues will support this important bill.

Mr. LEWIS

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to say a few words about Jocelyn Dorsey. Jocelyn Dorsey has won some of the highest honors the field of broadcasting has to offer, and, in many categories, she has been the first one to do it. She is an Emmy award-winning journalist and is the first African American woman to appear on a daily news show in Atlanta. She is the first woman and the first African American to receive the Georgia Association of Broadcasters' lifetime achievement award, Citizen of the Year, among many other honors. She has achieved so much. I will not have enough time here to mention it all. I have known Jocelyn ever since she first came to Atlanta so many decades ago. How do you put into a few short words the gift that is 40 years of one person's life? It is not easy to sum up all we have seen together, all she has done, and what she means to our community, to our city, to our State, and to our Nation. But when you boil it all down, Jocelyn Dorsey stands for trust and credibility, generosity and human kindness. Jocelyn is a professional who shines in the spotlight, who deserves the fame and the acclaim. But the reason she lasted 40 years in a tough business is that she loved the people and the institution she served. We could feel it, and we loved her back. Jocelyn wants to touch people. She wants to do something that helps create life-changing outcomes for those around her. Her work was not a job; it was a way of life. She has traveled the length and breadth of America on her motorcycle, even as far away as Fairbanks, Alaska, meeting people as she went. She served on community boards in Atlanta that help the disabled, that mentor young girls, that support minority businesses, children's shelters, voter empowerment, and many other worthy causes. She gave her time and used her power as a broadcaster, not because it was fashionable but because it was the right thing to do. It was right. Jocelyn Dorsey has won just about every accolade she could have won in her region. I don't know whether I can offer any words that would surpass what she has already heard. But we brought her here to the House of Representatives to celebrate her retirement because she is committed and dedicated to the citizens of this country--a woman who took her responsibility as an American seriously and did all she could to help others in any way she could. I know and truly believe that WSB is so sorry to see her go, but, as a community, we are glad to know where she will stay--in our hearts. She will be forever in the hearts of all of our people and at the center of public service in our community. Thank you, Jocelyn Dorsey, for all of your great and good work, and may the blessing of the Almighty be with you.