John Lewis
In Selma, President Joe Biden vows to continue work on voting rights
President Joe Biden Sunday praised the courage of civil rights activists and condemned efforts to restrict voting and attack the election process in a speech commemorating the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. In his 20-minute address delivered at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where a law enforcement posse attacked civil […]
U.S. House votes to name Atlanta post office for the late Rep. John Lewis
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed legislation last week to name a U.S. postal office in Atlanta after the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who championed the right to vote and represented the state for more than 30 years. The bill, H.R. 5577, passed with bipartisan support with 421 votes. One lawmaker, Rep. Chip […]
Schumer says U.S. Senate to consider changing the filibuster if voting rights stalls
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned on Monday that the Senate is prepared to debate changes in the filibuster if Republicans continue to block the advancement of voting rights legislation. In a sternly worded letter to other senators, the New York Democrat set a deadline of Jan. 17 for the chamber to consider revising the […]
The time for change is now
As a young man, John Robert Lewis heard the words of a nearby Baptist preacher talking about the Beloved Community. For Mr. Lewis, Dr. King’s message was the clarion call he was searching for. Dr. King’s words inspired a 17-year-old Lewis to act. He acted by taking to the streets, much in the same way […]
Get in ‘good trouble’: John Lewis’ words ring out in Capitol one more time
WASHINGTON — The immortal words of the late civil rights leader John Lewis rang out from the U.S. Capitol Monday during a private ceremony in celebration of his life. “You must find a way to get in the way,” he said in a recording of a 2014 commencement speech he gave at Emory University. “You must […]
House passes bipartisan public lands bill; next stop president’s desk
WASHINGTON — Major environmental legislation sailed through Congress Wednesday while the nation’s political leaders were stuck in intense negotiations over the contours of a fifth coronavirus relief package. The bill would provide $9.5 billion over five years to pay down the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog and provide permanent funding at $900 million per year […]
Civil Rights hero John Lewis changed America making ‘good trouble’
Civil Rights icon and longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who advocated for change through nonviolence, died late Friday night at the age of 80. The Atlanta Democrat was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in late December. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed his death, saying the country had lost “one of the greatest heroes of […]
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warns of fascism at forum
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warned of fascism in the United States during an East Lansing appearance Wednesday. She was speaking at the former Gov. Jim Blanchard Public Service Forum at Michigan State University. Albright served under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001 and was the first woman to hold that role. She […]
U.S. House passes legislation to crack down on voter suppression
The U.S. House passed legislation on Friday that would give the federal government broader authority to police voting rights violations across the country. The bill, a top priority for House Democrats, passed by a vote of 228-187, with just one Republican — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — breaking party ranks to vote for the […]