Emmett Till Antilynching Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding time to me. I am grateful that we are going to be voting today on this version of this bill. I think it is a much-improved version as opposed to the one that came out of committee. I am grateful to all those who worked hard on this to try to make this a better bill, and I am grateful for that.

I think when we reflect upon this bill and the history of our Nation--this Nation we all love and cherish--we recognize that we have to cure and acknowledge some issues and problems that we have had. And this is not the least of those for sure, but it is an important thing to recognize.

I appreciated the chairman of the Judiciary Committee mentioning George Henry White who was the first person to introduce an antilynching piece of legislation. George Henry White was from North Carolina. He was a Republican Representative. He was the only African American who was a Member of Congress at the time. After he left Congress in the early part of the last century, 1901, it would be 28 years before another African American came into these important Halls of law and legislation.

One thing that Congressman White was very bold about was to fight and stand against disenfranchisement, to fight disenfranchisement and also to fight mob violence which took an incredible amount of courage and discipline, and I appreciate that and his history.

I am hopeful that we will make this a unanimous vote. I hope that we will record that vote for our posterity and for all Americans to know and recognize that the United States House of Representatives could come together as yet we may disagree on so many things, but on this issue that we can come together unitedly.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this, and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

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Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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