House passes Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal crime
The House on Wednesday passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal crime.
The bill was passed with a vote of 410-4. The bill is named in honor of Till, who was murdered at age 14 in a racist attack in Mississippi in 1955. His lynching was one of 4,742 that were reported between 1892 and 1968, reports NBC News.
Only Reps. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) voted against the bill; Yoho told CNN's Manu Raju the bill is an "overreach of the federal government."
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), meanwhile, hailed its passage as a way to "finally bring justice" to the victims of lynching.
In the last 120 years, Congress has attempted to #OutlawLynching over 200 times.
After decades of terror, today, the House will finally bring justice to the over 4,000 victims of lynching by passing the #EmmettTill Antilynching Act to outlaw lynching once and for all.
— James E. Clyburn (@WhipClyburn) February 26, 2020
The legislation is expected to move to President Trump for his final signature.
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