On the recordJuly 22, 2020
I count among my life's greatest blessings the distinction of being able to call John Lewis my colleague and my friend. Martin Luther King said the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. John Robert Lewis spent his entire life working to accelerate and complete that bend fully committed to justice, to nonviolence and, in his own words, to good trouble. John Lewis' incredible capacity for love, his steadfast belief in nonviolence, and his limitless humility inspired all of us, Democrat and Republican, to be better. His singular character established him as the conscience of the Congress. I have too many personal stories to share in a short 1-minute speech, enough stories, in fact, to more than fill the entire hour. I will hold each of these treasured memories in my heart for the rest of my life. I join with my colleagues to honor his legacy and together hope we will continue his work bending that arc toward justice. Rest in peace, John, knowing your memory will be a blessing to your Nation and to all whose lives you touched.
