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Congressman Nadler Statement on the Passing of Congressman John Lewis

New York, NY, July 18, 2020

New York, N.Y. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) released the following statement on the passing of Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis:

"I join our nation today in mourning the loss of John Lewis. Congressman Lewis, a champion of justice, relentlessly worked to make the world a more just, fair, and equal place. He was a dear friend who will be missed by everyone who was touched by his influence and inspired by his example. From Selma, where he shed his own blood in confronting violent racism and bigotry in the fight for voting rights, to the halls of Congress, where for more than 33 years he continued his life’s mission to secure an ever more inclusive America, he was a towering moral beacon for all of us. 

 "Particularly in this moment of national anguish and moral reckoning over racial injustice and other forms of inequality, our Nation will sorely miss Congressman Lewis’s voice, a voice that now belongs to the ages. It has been an honor and privilege to work with him on several major pieces of civil rights legislation including the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a law that would not have existed without his tireless activism. His early support for the Equality Act provided crucial momentum in ensuring the bill’s passage by the House.  And in 2016, he led our colleagues in a sit-in on the House floor to demand that Congress address the scourge of gun violence. He truly was the Conscience of the Congress and of our country.

"My heart goes out to his family, his staff, and his constituents during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing."
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