Memorializing the Honorable John Lewis

Floor Speech

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Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, last week, our country lost a fearless fighter and hero for civil rights, and we in this Chamber lost a colleague and a friend.

Representative John R. Lewis' sense of fairness and of right and wrong was always ahead of his time. That sense of fairness extended to all civil rights issues.

His willingness to support opening up the 1964 Civil Rights Act to add protections for the LGBTQ community was critical and personally incredibly meaningful to me. My colleague and I, over my term in Congress, found that we had something very important in common. We both were adoptive parents.

His bill, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, is another example of his commitment to fairness, eliminating discrimination against the LGBT community in foster care and adoption.

He took time to listen to my story of my fight to keep my son, Josh, in a years-long court battle. He understood that all that should matter is that children have safe, loving homes. He understood that right is always right.

My heart tonight is with his family, and my commitment is to continue his work to restore and protect the Voting Rights Act, to address systemic racism, and to do what is kind, good, and just.

Rest in power, Mr. Lewis. We promise to work today, next week, next month, and next year, just as you did for our lifetimes.

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