John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8681) to establish the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship to fund international internships and research placements for early- to mid-career professionals to study nonviolent movements to establish and protect civil rights around the world, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 8681, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8681, the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022, and I thank Ms. Williams for authoring this important bill.

I want to begin with a passage from an essay written by Representative John Lewis before his death, which was published on the day of his funeral.

Representative John Lewis, in reflecting on the past and looking to the future said: ``You must also study and learn the lessons of history because basic humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others.''

These words are a call to action and H.R. 8681, the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act, seeks to meet that call, to learn from history and find solutions to the challenges of our time.

The John Lewis Fellowship will be part of the Fulbright Scholarship Program administered by the State Department and will advance the teaching of the history of nonviolent movements around the world by fostering research and international exchange.

The fellowship supports 25 young scholars in studying the history of nonviolent civil rights movements around the world and improving the understanding of nonviolence as a critical tool for change.

Fostering constructive methods of civic expression is vital for a healthy, flourishing society. Thanks to John's leadership by example, thousands of people around the world over have learned how to confront the injustices of their own societies through nonviolent means. Now, the duty of honoring his legacy and shepherding a new generation of leaders falls on our shoulders.

I can think of no better time than now to pass this bill that honors the legacy of the great John Lewis. I strongly urge all Members to vote in support of this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Williams).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate my staunch support for the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022.

This legislation encourages the values of peaceful expression and invigorates a new generation of leaders with

the same spirit that drove John in his lifelong advocacy for civil rights. His leadership during the civil rights movement was pivotal for extending the American promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all Americans. Many of us may not be standing here before this Chamber but for his contributions to racial equality.

This legislation seeks to instill that very same drive and purpose in the leaders of tomorrow, promoting the use of nonviolent civil rights as a tool for change around the world.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me and support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of H.R. 8681, the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022.

Following in the footsteps of Congressman John Lewis is no easy feat. He was a friend and a mentor to many of us. He was known as the conscience of this body. I often tell people that while I will never fill his shoes, I strive daily to carry out his legacy.

It is my honor to ensure that my friend and my mentor and my predecessor's legacy lives on through the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship within the Fulbright program, which will give scholars an opportunity to study both the inspiration and the impacts of the civil rights movement internationally.

The John and Lilian Miles Lewis Foundation has been working hard to launch this program as a tribute to Congressman Lewis' impact on social and political change around the world.

Congressman Lewis himself was shaped by his study of nonviolent civil rights movements from around the world, most notably, the philosophy and tactics of Mahatma Gandhi, whose very words were ``it is either nonviolence or nonexistence.''

Of course, people across the globe have been inspired by the tactics of the United States' civil rights movement, many led by Congressman John Lewis himself. From the lunch counter sit-ins of the early 1960s, to the 1961 Freedom Rides, to the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus bridge, Mr. Lewis taught the world that the most powerful way to bend the moral arc toward justice is rooted in the discipline of nonviolence.

But for all of his experiences and impact at home, Congressman Lewis always wished that he would have had the opportunity to study abroad.

Creating the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship is a full-circle tribute: sending scholars to study Congressman Lewis' inspirations and impacts around the world in his name. We hope this program will unlock a powerful opportunity for students who, like Congressman Lewis, would not otherwise have an opportunity to do research across the globe.

The John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship will be a beacon for the importance of nonviolence, and I look forward to the incredible academic work and exchange this fellowship will support.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures. If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted Aye for the following votes:

Roll 461, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 4900--SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022.

Roll 462, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8466--Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2022, as amended.

Roll 463, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 3470--End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act of 2022.

Roll 464, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 2551--AI Training Act.

Roll 465, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 958--Maximizing Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act.

Roll 466, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 6965--Visit America Act, as amended.

Roll 467, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 7321--Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act, as amended.

Roll 468, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, House Amendment to S. 3662--Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act.

Roll 469, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8888--Food Security for All Veterans Act.

Roll 470, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 2794--Supporting Families of the Fallen Act.

Roll 471, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, As Amended, H.R. 8446--Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022, as amended.

Roll 472, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 8463--Millennium Challenge Corporation Eligibility Expansion Act.

Roll 473, September 29, 2022: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Certain Bills and Concur in the Senate Amendments on H.R. 8956, H.R. 6967, H.R. 8163, H.R. 4081, H.R. 6889, H.R. 1638, Senate Amendment to

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act. John Lewis was a powerful, tireless advocate for equality and justice all his life.

Along with his mentor and friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he put his life and personal safety on the line as a leader in the nonviolent civil rights movement that profoundly changed our Nation for the better.

His boldness in pursuit of justice was powerfully rooted in faith and love. As he himself described it: ``At a very early stage of the movement, I accepted the teaching of Jesus, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. The idea of hate is too heavy a burden to bear. It is better to love.''

To help pass these values on to future generations, this bill establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship within the Fulbright Program at the Department of State.

The Fulbright educational exchange program has enjoyed bipartisan support for over 75 years. As part of Fulbright, the stated purpose of the John Lewis Fellowship is ``to advance foreign policy priorities of the United States by promoting studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent movements that established and protected civil rights around the world.''

This bill is a worthy way of honoring a great man who sacrificed so much to make America and the world a better place. I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, John Lewis lived a life profoundly dedicated to pursuing equality and justice for all, rooted in love and nonviolence. The part he played in the brave struggle against racial injustice changed the course of American history and inspired many around the world.

This bill to create a Fulbright fellowship program in his name is a fitting tribute to his legacy. I support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 10 of House Resolution 1396, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bills: H.R. 1638, H.R. 3304, H.R. 4081, H.R. 4821, H.R. 6889, H.R. 6967, H.R. 8163, H.R. 8510, H.R. 8681, H.R. 8875, H.R. 8956, and S. 1198, and concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 5641.