Lucy McBath
Representative for Georgia · Democratic · United States
“It was John, who was the leader of our delegation, who introduced me to the entire Democratic Caucus. That moment was so monumental for me, so monumental for me that I had the John Lewis, our civil rights icon, introduce me to the Democratic Caucus as one of his very own. It takes my breath away even to this day.”
“He believed in the best of man. That joy came through whenever he was with organizations and people that had come to celebrate all the work that he had done. He would celebrate and give them love through dance.”
“[[Page H4678]] {time} 2010 Since his passing, those protections have eroded further, and the struggle to protect voting rights continues in his name here with legislation, back home in my home State of Georgia, and in State legislatures all across this country. Progress is rarely linear.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank so much, once again, our esteemed colleague Representative Jennifer McClellan from Virginia who consistently, over and over again, has always been steadfast in holding Special Order hours for the Congressional Black Caucus.”
“From the son of Alabama sharecroppers to a renowned civil rights activist to a Member of Congress, John's life was a true testament to the American Dream. He embraced a country that did not always embrace him because he believed in the promise of a better tomorrow and was willing to fight for it. He was willing to even die for it.”
“John cared so deeply about what he used to say all the time was the Beloved Community. The members of the CBC that I am so blessed to be able to serve with, we are always going to carry that mantle. That is our charge: to carry that mantle, uplifting the community that he loved so much.”
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“John cared so deeply about what he used to say all the time was the Beloved Community. The members of the CBC that I am so blessed to be able to serve with, we are always going to carry that mantle. That is our charge: to carry that mantle, uplifting the community that he loved so much. We will continue to speak up, and we are going to continue to speak out against bigotry, against hatred, inequity, and injustice because that is what we know best. As people of color, that is what we know best. So we will continue to speak up against all of these forms of inequity. In all of its forms, we will continue to fight against it. This will always be our charge, as we are tasked to be the protectors and the armor-bearers of democracy.”
“[[Page H4678]] {time} 2010 Since his passing, those protections have eroded further, and the struggle to protect voting rights continues in his name here with legislation, back home in my home State of Georgia, and in State legislatures all across this country. Progress is rarely linear. Despite this tumultuous time in our Nation's history, John's story reminds us that the fight to make our country a better place is never-ending. It is generation after generation. There is no end. It was one of the greatest honors of my life to be his colleague and a fellow member of Georgia's congressional delegation. Let's not forget the impact that he had on our country because his legacy is what guides us towards the future. It was a pure legacy for everyone in this country.”
“At this moment in our Nation's history, we draw upon the wisdom of his words and look to his legacy for strength and guidance as we carry the torch that he lit for civil and human rights, for not only people of color but for everyone in America. Because even today, we painfully have to be reminded that our work is still unfinished and not everybody in this country has been set free. Before we mourn the death of John Lewis, we grieve the loss of the Federal protections the Voting Rights Act once afforded every American in this country, rights that John nearly gave his life for long before he ever had the chance to even serve in Congress.”
“He believed in the best of man. That joy came through whenever he was with organizations and people that had come to celebrate all the work that he had done. He would celebrate and give them love through dance. I remember even before I came to Congress, I asked John, when I was national spokesperson for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in Atlanta, I was holding a rally and asked him if he would be my keynote speaker, never imagining he would say yes. Never in a million years did I believe that John Lewis would listen to me, just an average mom who had lost her own son to gun violence, but just asking for a little bit of his time. He came and spoke at my rally. One thing I know about John is he always showed up for people, the people. They were his cause. Democracy was his cause. Freedom was his cause.”
“It was John, who was the leader of our delegation, who introduced me to the entire Democratic Caucus. That moment was so monumental for me, so monumental for me that I had the John Lewis, our civil rights icon, introduce me to the Democratic Caucus as one of his very own. It takes my breath away even to this day. I will never forget the day that he accompanied me and other survivors of gun violence and those who have lost loved ones as we marched our way over to Senator Mitch McConnell's office. We were demanding that he pay heed to our stories, that he pay attention to the hundreds of thousands of people in this country that are dying unnecessarily to gun violence every single day. I remember dancing with John Lewis. He loved to dance. Despite everything that happened to him in his life, he believed in the good of man.”
“From the son of Alabama sharecroppers to a renowned civil rights activist to a Member of Congress, John's life was a true testament to the American Dream. He embraced a country that did not always embrace him because he believed in the promise of a better tomorrow and was willing to fight for it. He was willing to even die for it. He fought for it on the streets of Montgomery. He fought for it while bruised and bloodied on a bridge in Selma. He fought for it for 33 years representing his community in the Halls of Congress. He was a mentor to me when I first came to this Chamber ready to make life better for families in Georgia. In fact, I remember the very first day I was here, after I was sworn in. The Democratic Caucus always welcomes the brand-new Members.”
“While all of my now colleagues were sitting on the House floor asking for background checks for all gun sales, asking for safer communities, legislation that would keep our families safe, I was on the outside leading the rally, leading the charge for the very same thing. John reminded each of us of the importance of getting into good, necessary trouble. You will hear that said by my colleagues again and again because the trouble is absolutely necessary. John's story is one of faith. It is one of resilience and perpetual belief that it is our responsibility--especially those of us who serve in this body--to fight for the change that we wish to see, that our constituents and our communities are crying out for.”
“As John would often say, and it has been quoted a million times over, we have a moral obligation, a mission, and a mandate to do what we can to make our country and our world a better place, and to help usher in a loving community where no one is left out or left behind. John was probably one of the only politicians that I truly believe lived by those words and was absolutely unafraid to do what was necessary to realize them, no matter if he was marching for freedom in Selma or sitting in on the House floor in support of safer gun laws. I remember that night so distinctly because at that time, I was the national spokesperson for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.”
“Renowned as the conscience of Congress--and I don't think there will be anyone else ever to come along in this esteemed body, for years to come, long after we are all gone, that can ever be revered as the conscience of Congress--John leaves behind a legacy that serves as a guiding light toward what is right and what is just in America. In a world where Federal protections for communities indeed are under constant attack every single day, where the Voting Rights Act is being systematically dismantled, and where some children born today have fewer protections than their parents had, it has never been more important to let his words guide our actions.”
“It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since the passing of our dear friend and colleague Congressman John Lewis, or as he would always say, ``I am the boy from Troy.'' Despite years lacking his presence, his spirit and his soul still fill this Chamber every single day. There are so many of my colleagues that continue to use his words and his phrases and his thoughts every single day as they want to be able to emulate the work that he has done for democracy, the work that he has done for the United States of America on behalf of every community in America.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank so much, once again, our esteemed colleague Representative Jennifer McClellan from Virginia who consistently, over and over again, has always been steadfast in holding Special Order hours for the Congressional Black Caucus. She understands the relevance and the importance of our history and all that this means to communities of color that we make sure that we have our say here on the House floor and all these words are kept in the record for perpetuity. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and the CBC for hosting tonight's CBC Special Order hour to honor what we all know is a really, really great man. I think everyone, whether you are Republican or Democrat, has always understood the importance of having John Lewis as our esteemed colleague.”
“When our elected leaders belittle public-serving judges and bend the Department of Justice to serve their own interests, then they shatter that trust. Families looking for answers, for protection, and for justice cannot afford to wait. Trust me, Mr. Speaker, I know. I have been one of those families. I know the stakes of receiving justice for a loved one, and they are just far too high. I thank my colleagues for standing up. I thank Representative Johnson for standing up for the integrity of our democracy on behalf of those who rely upon it every single day. Mr. Speaker, for those who are watching at home, I say this to them: You are simply not alone. House Democrats are fighting for you, and we will not let this administration undermine the very ideals of America and the fabric of our democracy.”
“I came to Congress to make our laws safer after I witnessed firsthand how fragile our justice system can be, and now I am determined, as we all should be, to protect our justice system so that perpetrators of crime and violence are actually held accountable. There have been recent attacks on judges, as has been expressed by my colleague, Mr. Johnson. These attacks on our judges and the courts by the Trump administration should alarm every American. It will now become harder for families to seek accountability for crimes that are committed against them and for survivors to get the justice that they deserve. Every American, no matter their background or the State that they live in, deserves to trust that when they walk into a courtroom, the law is fighting on their side.”
“These egregious Trump administration cuts are a slap in the face to every family and every survivor of gun violence. In many cases, these rollbacks also make it more difficult for law enforcement to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, of all the disputes local officers are called to address, domestic violence incidents involving a gun are some of the most dangerous. The emotion and volatility during these incidents mean they can quickly turn deadly if a lethal weapon is present. Instead of strengthening background checks and red flag laws to provide tools to our law enforcement, the Trump administration has weakened those crisis response tools that law enforcement depends on and drastically cut funding to police departments, putting our officers at risk.”
“They have cut critical funding for gun [[Page H1718]] violence prevention programs at the Department of Justice and have weakened the ATF, making it easier for guns to fall into the wrong hands and for gun crimes to go unsolved. They even disbanded key initiatives that tracked domestic terrorism and hate crimes tied to gun violence. These decisions are not just reckless. They are deadly, making it easier for violence to spread, for lives to be shattered, and for communities to keep on living in fear. As a mother who lost her son to gun violence, let me be perfectly clear: The American people are crying out for the basic right to live safe from unnecessary gun violence. Americans want to send their children to school or to the mall without wondering if they will ever come home.”
“While the Trump administration is emboldened to tear down foundational programs that keep Americans safe and gut the Department of Justice and our law enforcement, Democrats in Congress are holding this administration accountable and fighting so that our government works for every family, not just the richest in the world or the close friends and colleagues of the President. I am here today not just as a public servant but as a mother who knows what it feels like to lose everything to gun violence, and I know this: Every family in America deserves the right to be safe at school, at the grocery store, and at home. The Trump administration is making this much harder. This White House has worked to unwind the very protections that are designed to keep us safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my delegation colleague, Representative Johnson, for being the managing Member and for yielding to me this evening. I thank him for these moments tonight as we are in a very critical time, as my friend has been expressing before I came. I thank Mr. Johnson's staff, as well, for taking the time and effort to put this together tonight and the Litigation Task Force for convening on the floor tonight. I am proud to join my Democratic colleagues here to raise the alarm that this administration's actions are rapidly undermining our democracy and our justice system. However, Democrats continue to stand as the party of truth, the party of democracy, and the party of the American people.”
“The time is now for all Members in this body to speak up, to speak out, and to fight back against these attacks on our families in each and every one of our districts. It doesn't make a difference what district any of our colleagues are representing. All of our children are being affected. Every single one of us should be willing to stand up and fight back for our communities and fight back for our students before it is too late.”
“Students and their families are left behind despite being promised that their school would get their child on a path to success and independence. Programs like these are the difference between students being successful in adulthood or regressing. They can be the difference between a lifetime on disability versus a good job that someone can actually raise a family on. The President and Secretary McMahon claim that students with disabilities will not be affected by their plans to gut the Department, but they already are. Time and time again, they say one thing, and they do another. It is the American people and our students who are paying the price in this country every single day. Emails like this, life-changing services for families being discontinued at random, this is the Trump-Musk plan for our children, and this is only the beginning.”
“I have not met one parent in this country who didn't break their backs to make sure that they were offering their child every opportunity to be successful, and that takes on another level of significance when your child has autism, dyslexia, or another condition that makes learning even more difficult for them. It takes a different level of commitment, a different level of support, to ensure that they can reach the potential that all of us want to see fulfilled in our kids. That is exactly what this program was doing before President Trump and Elon Musk actively decided that it was not worth continuing. All too often it is, unfortunately, sink or swim for disabled students after high school in America.”
“It is more than wrong to pull the rug out from under families in the middle of the school year during one of the most formative times in a child's life, after recruiting and convincing them to participate in this program in the first place. The Charting My Path for Future Success program was operating in 13 different districts across 11 States. It had actively recruited over 1,000 students with disabilities and their families, as well as 60 teachers, to take part in this program, some of whom uprooted their entire lives to be involved. Seeing your child grow up to thrive, that is the goal of every parent.”
“In February, parents in Georgia received this exact email, telling them that year-round counseling and support services meant to assist them and their disabled child in transitioning from high school to adulthood have been discontinued--overnight, in the middle of the school year. As every parent knows, raising a child takes an incredible amount of planning and care, especially if your child has unique or special needs, and even more so if that child is one of color. We would do anything for our children. The fact that a group of faceless government officials can go behind a parent's back and cancel programs that our kids rely on with no explanation is absolutely unacceptable.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan) for yielding, and I thank the gentlewoman for anchoring this Special Order hour tonight on behalf of the CBC. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against the Republican assault on every American's right to a quality public education in this country. For decades, families have been promised the right to send their kids to good public schools, regardless of how much money they make or their child's disability. The actions of President Trump are a direct threat to making good on that promise, specifically for children with disabilities.”