Ayanna Pressley: 'Especially painful' to lose John Lewis during 'new moment of racial reckoning'
More lawmakers, politicians, and former government officials on Sunday shared their appreciation for Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon who died on Friday.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Karen Bass (D-Calif.), and Val Demings (D-Fla.) were among those who appeared on various network shows to pay tribute to Lewis. Pressley, the first Black congresswoman elected in Massachusetts, said she considers herself a "beneficiary" of Lewis' activism while lamenting the fact that he passed away during a time of strife and unrest in the United States.
Democratic Rep. @AyannaPressley on the death of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis: “It is especially painful to lose a justice seeker and a man with the moral clarity of John Lewis against the backdrop at a new moment of racial reckoning in this country.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/SzUGEGDnYT
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 19, 2020
Clyburn was asked by CNN's Jake Tapper how he thinks President Trump could honor Lewis going forward, and the congressman said Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), together could usher through and sign a bill to restore the Voting Rights Act.
“It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. That’s the way to do it. Words maybe powerful, but deeds are lasting.” - Rep. James Clyburn on how President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can honor the legacy of Rep. John Lewis. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/uHMLUVGGlK
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 19, 2020
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