Lawmakers are seeking ways to honor the legacy of the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), from possibly lying in state in…
Lawmakers are seeking ways to honor the legacy of the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), from possibly lying in state in the Capitol to pushing for an expansion of voting rights that he spent his lifetime defending.
Democrats returning to Washington on Monday three days after Lewis died from pancreatic cancer were at turns emotional over the loss of their colleague, and adamant that Lewis will be honored in ways befitting his historic contributions to his country.
What form that takes remains very much in the air, in part because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A towering figure like Lewis would normally receive the honor of lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, but it’s unclear how members of the public could pay their respects while the building is closed to tourists. Still, many lawmakers are pressing for one of Congress’s rarest honors.
“If anybody deserves to lie in state here at the Capitol, it’s John,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), adding that one of his fondest moments in Congress was getting arrested with Lewis during a protest against former President Obama’s immigration policies.
“Not only was he the conscience of the Congress, but he also brought nobility to the position,” Grijalva said. “People like him are irreplaceable.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) seconded that idea, saying Lewis “certainly” should lie in state.
“And I think there are a number of other things we ought to do as well,” he added, without offering specifics.
Lewis’s family has delayed their service plans until after the burial of the Rev. C. T. Vivian, another hero of the civil rights movement who also died Friday. Vivian’s services are scheduled for Thursday.
The House on Monday held a moment of silence that was noticeably punctuated by sniffles as lawmakers and staff alike — from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to the House reading clerk — struggled to hold back tears.
Susan Cole, the clerk, began reading aloud in her usual neutral tone from the text of a resolution that “the House has heard with profound sorrow…” but then, in a rare display of emotion, she stopped.
Cole paused for a full 10 seconds to collect herself before completing the sentence: “… of the death of the Honorable John Lewis, a representative from the state of Georgia.”
“Every once in a while, there are moments on this floor where time stops.
