I would ask expedite the passage of hr 35, anti winching act as amended. I seem to amend this legislation not because i take it or take lynching quietly because i take it seriously. This legislation does not. This was a tool of terror to claimed the lives of nearly 5000 americans between 1881 and 1968. This bill would cheapen the meaning of lynching by defining it so broadly that to include in operation. History of racial terrorism, the rents more seriousness from us than that. Wb wrote in his autobiography about 1899 lynching of sam in georgia. The boys wrote, after diligent, the reviewed and displayed at a store in mitchell street in atlanta. His liver and heart were presented to the governor of s georgia as a souvenir. Sickening, grotesque. The images of lynching. 1931 from raymond was lynched in missouri. A Spectacle Group drew a crowd of almost 4000 people including if you can believe it, women and their children. In the tragedy of lynching, the author writes, one foreman held her little girl so high so she can better see the victim who was blazing on the roof. Sickening and grotesque. The summer of 1955, 14yearold was visiting family in mississippi when he went to a store and bought some candy. While in there, he is accused oe fording for the right woman and for the offense, he was kidnapped in the middle of thend night and afterwards his body was unrecognizable. After seeing her sons remains, his mother insisted on an open casket funeral so the whole world could see what the killers had done to her son. We must remember the murders of emmett, raymond gun, sam hose and thousands of others who lives were taken. This bill will not do that. This would expand the meaning of lynching to include any Bodily Injury including a cut and abrasion or a bruise. His occult pain, illness or any other injury to the body no matter how temporary. Mr. President , words have meaning. It would be a disgrace for the congress of the United States to declare this as lynching from abrasion is lynching. Any injury to the body, no matter how temporary is onhe par with the atrocities done to people like emmett, raymond and sam. They were killed for no reason but because they were black. To do that would demean their memory and cheapen the historic and horrific legacy of lynching in our country. Has congressman stated to be clear, the bill does not make lynching a federal hate crime. Murdering someone on account of their race or conspiring to do so is now illegal under federal law. Its already a federal crime and already a hate crime. He is right. Weve had federal hate crimes for over 50 years and it o has been a federal hate crime to murder someone because of their race for over a decade. Additionally, murder is already rather than considering good intentioned but symbolic bill, the senate could immediately consider addressing qualified immunity and ending police militarization. You can and must do better. Thats why no one in the senate has been more involved in criminal Justice Reform than i have. No one has introduced more criminal Justice Reform bills in my time in the senate, ive authored a cosponsor at least 22 unique criminal Justice Reform bills. I am acutely aware of the injustices perpetrated year in and year out in our cities. Reform needs to be more than this. Thats why i am on the floor to offer expedited passage as of today, the lynching bill has amended. Lynching is a particular vicious kind of murder. Federal law should treat it as such. For these reasons, emmett hill anti lynching act should be adopted which my amendment. It would apply lynching only and not for other crimes. Thank you. I ask unanimous consent descent proceed to be immediate consideration of hr 35, which received by the house, i ask tanimous consent my amendment retail. Be considered read a third time and passed in the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. If the objection . The Senate Report california. The idea that we would not be taking the issue ofly lynching seriously is an insult. An insult to senator booker, senator tim scott and myself and all of the senators past and present who have understood this as part of the great stain of americas history. To suggest that anything short of pulverizing someone so much that the casket would otherwise be closed except for the heroism and curse of emmett hills mother, to suggest that lynching would only be a lynching, if someones heart was pulled out and displayed to someone else, its ridiculous. On this day, the day george floyd funeral, on this day, a day that should be a day of national mourning, mr. President and 2018, the Senate Unanimously pierced past. I probably introduced the only other black members of this body, senator cory booker and tim scott. It was a historic moment, the first time in history of our country that federal anti legislation had been passed by the United States senate. It passed again by unanimous consent from its 2019. Senator is now trying to weaken a bill that would already past. Theres no reason for this. Theres no reason for this. Senator pauls amendment was placing a greater burden onct victimsch of judging, its currently required under federal hate crimes laws. Theres no reason for this. Theres no reason other than cruel and deliberate obstruction on a day of mourning. On this veryhi day, at this very hour, there is a Memorial Service to honor the life of george floyd. Who was murdered by a Police Officer with a knee on his neck. Eight minutes and 46 seconds, george floyd played for his life, called for his late mother and said he could not breathe. The plane experienced pain experienced not only by the human being and his family and his children but the pain of the people of america witnessing what we have witnessed of the sounding of this country, which is that black lives have not been taken seriously and the deserving of dignity. It should not require torture in order for us to recognize a lynching when we see it and recognize it by federal law and call it what it is which is that is a crime that should be punishable. With accountability and consequences. It is remarkable and it is painful to be standing here right now, especially when people of all races are marching in the streets of america, outraged by the hate and violence and murder that has been fueled byha racism, during the span of this countrys life. America is raw right now. The fact that in the history of our country, black people have been treated as less than human. I stood here with senator booker when we first proposed this lynching law. We talked about theai pain and e history of the pain of this issue in america. The fact is, the country is raw because america has never fully addressed the historic and systemic racism that existed in our country. Our bill in its current form is an opportunity, and opportunity for this body to acknowledge the seriousness of this. They acknowledge that if someone places a noose over someones neck, why would you require in addition, their heart would be pulled out . Or their body pulverized beyond recognition . Our bill is an opportunity to right a wrong and an opportunity for reckoning and federal law and we cannot pretend that lynching is a thing of the past. Almond armory was a victim of a modernday lynching. He was murdered in 2020, three months ago. We learned one of the men killed him used a racial slur after shooting him. He should be alive today. No longer should the crime of lynching go on punished. In closing, ida b wells once said our countrys National Crime is lynching. Its not the sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury or the unspeakableun brutality of an insane mom. It represents the pool calculating, deliberation of intelligent people who openly about that the unwritten law that just decides putting humans to death without complaint under oath, without trial by jury, without opportunity to make a defense and without right of appeal. Our country has waited too long for reckoning on this issue of lynching and i believe no senator should stop the full weight of the law to protect these human beings and human lives. Senator booker and i are working on a bill to address this into the tragedy at the heart of this national day of mourning and i address senator pauls address, i yelled to the floor. Thank you very much, sir. I would to i thank Sandra Harris for her words and as a lead senator on this bill. I want to thank her for her partnership and leadership. I want to thank tim scott from South Carolina who has shown extra night commitment to this legislation as well. On to think on the high side, bobby rush for black panther. I want to thank him for his leadership and generational commitment to Racial Justice in america. I want to recognize the advocacy of erica taylor, was a relative of emmett hill and founder of the foundation. She was here the t last time ths bill was before this body. She is dead now. I know shes looking down and hoping we dont disappoint her. Mr. President , february 2019, this body did something historic. I dont mean to be emotional, i am raw this week but i stood here with kamala and wept. We talked about the hundreds of years over centuries of efforts to pass legislation brought up and defeated time and time again in this body, about segregationists and how proud i was that in a time the partisanshipun is high in this country, we got together in one voice. One hundred senators to pass this exact same bill. There right people in this body on both sides. We were correcting a wrong of history. Nobody in this body needs a lecture on lynching and how horrible it is. Everybody in this body deplores racism and believes this violence is unjust. There are friends of mine here. Unanimously, we passed that legislation. We made history on this floor. This is why i am confused because this has been passed unanimously and you are on a date of a Memorial Service for aother person whose murder was condemned by people on both sides of the aisle, ive sat set and watched the differences between republican leader and democratic leader. I dont go back long in this body but i watched Mitch Mcconnell and Chuck Schumer disagree so deeply time and time again but we came together and passed the bill unanimously. Mitch mcconnell let the bill come to this. To try to block it. And my colleague over there, rand paul was one of the first hands i shook on this senate floor. He is my friend. Everything he said about his commitment to criminal Justice Reform is right. One of the first bills i wrote here, i wrote with rand paul. Then he went further. Another time like this when america was raw, another black man unarmed was shot, he went as far in Time Magazine to stand up and talk openly about the data about a black man in America Thing about 100 times, if not more, likely to be shot by the police and someone whos white. He said there must be something more going on here. I do not question the sincerity of his convictions. Ive had too many conversations with him to question his heart. But i am so raw today. Both days we are doing this. Of all days we are doing this right now, having this discussion when god, if this bill passed today, what that would mean for america, that this body and that body have now finally agreed because i know congressman right, the last black person to serve in congress before the fall, godh awful fall of the backlash after reconstruction fell, he gave the Statement Speech where he talked about rising from one day black people will serve in this body and here we are making history the first time three africanamericans have even served together, the publican and democrat we all came together rooting on this bill. Theres something about us that we knew, it was something more than the legalistic issues my colleague now wants to bring up. We are a nation who knew this historic healing. If we pass this, it would not only do something substantive to make a difference on the books of the American History, it would speak volumes. To the racial pain and hurt of generations, i do not need my colleagues to tell me about one lynching in this country. Ive spoken in Montgomery Alabama and watched africanamerican families weeping at the stories on pregnant women lynched inth this country and babies ripped out of them. While this body did nothing. I can hear the screams at this body, cries for justice. Every one of us has sent back pain as the senator from kentucky. This week sandra from kentucky mentioned colleagues justin, he is one of only four congressman abbe 435 body devote against anti lynching bill. That means this bill was supported by the leaders of the democrats and speaker of the house. It was supported by the leader of republicans, 400 plus votes supported this. My colleagues thinks this is wrong, if strong, Republican Leadership of the house is wrong. If this bill is wrong, the, democrat leadership of the house is wrong. If its wrong, 99 senators are wrong. If this bill is wrong from the end of the naacp is wrong. This bill was wrong, the committee free to be civil rights is wrong. If its wrong, the league of america is wrong. Legal organization, civil rights organization, democrats and republicans, tell me another time when 500 plus congresspeople, democrats, republicans, house members and together ine conviction and say now is a time in america that we condemn the history of our past and actually passed anti lynching legislation. Not one man, and i do not question his motives because i know his heart. One man is standing in the way of the law of the land changing. Because of the difference of interpretation to talk about bruising someone a difference of interpretation. America needs a win on Racial Justice today. The english cries of people in the streets, children breakdown this week wondering if this would be a country that values their lives as much as white peoples lives. I had to explain to grown men that there still a hope to in america. We can make change in america. We can grow and heal in america. We m can make this a more convenient union. One thing, one member for once, what he did in february 2019 from for 1 day and give america this win. Lets pass this piece of legislation today of all days, lets give a headline tomorrow something that will give hope to this country that we can get it right. It may not cure the ales from so many are protesting about but it is hope. I object to this amendment, i object, i object on substance, i object on the law and for my heart and spirit in every fiber of my being, i object from a ancestors. Objection is heard. The senator for kentucky. Its important to know and let the record show that ive been working with Senators Office for three months on the amendment to this bill, im willing to have unanimous passage of the bill today. Is incredibly important that we get this right though. A woman in new jersey, a black woman in new jersey assaulted three jewish women and slapped them. It was terrible. She uttered racial about them. She was charged with third degree misdemeanor assault up to a year in prison which sounds to be significant but she was then charged with a hate s crime in addition, four years in addition. We do have to get this right. If slapping someoneth early racl will get you ten years in prison, thats what we have been fighting about in criminal Justice Reform. We set up a system didnt Pay Attention to the penalties and things we didnt intend, happened. We have to be smart. Im willing to pass the bill today as amended, which would simply say nothing even to harm someone, you have to attempt to harm them but has t to be an attempt to harm them. All of the discussion about bruising while trying to clinch someone,er yes, that is attemptd murder and covered by this bill. Nothing in the bill would stop or prevent the prostitution of heinous behavior. Thats what it is intended for. Im trying to do is make sure we dont get unintended conferences. We fought the battle against mandatory minimums for a decade now because we tie up people in sentencing that doesnt make sense. Thank you for slapping someone would be an abomination. It could happen to anyone. Do we want a black woman who slept three jewish women in new jersey to get ten years prison . If theres a group, it is not a conspiracy to clinch. We have to use common sense here. We should not have ten Year Prison Sentence for anything less than an attempt to do bodily harm. The statute was what bodily harm is but it could still be an attempt from doesnt mean you actually have to have it but it would preclude somebody shops somebody in aba bar and they fal down and have an abrasion and they say he did it because of a racial animus towards me and you have a ten year penalty. Thats not right. All of us here are advocates on criminalside of Justice Reform, we have all argued on the same side the law screwed up. Its incarcerated too many people unfairly and thats what im trying to prevent here. I understand the emotions, do you think i take great joy in being here . No. Im a sponsor of 22 criminal justice bills. You think im getting good publicity out of this . No. I will be excoriated by simpleminded people whoileo thii dont appreciate the history and memory of emmett help. Ive got no right to have an opinion on these things, is, should be quiet we cant just not read the bills. I have worked in an honest way with sandra bookers office for three months. Weve gone back and forth, we gave them some language and they came back to us and said it wouldnt work. I said what about this . Was not on any responses back in a month or more. Santos litigating in the president trying to accuse me of somehow being in favor of something so heinous that it makes my skin, it makes me sick to my stomach to read the accounts of what happened. Well want to be fair and honest. Lynching is illegal. People said theres no federal law against lynching are not telling the truth. The law says if you kill somebody and you have racial animus under the hate crimes status, it is illegal. You cant do that and its also illegal in all states. This does not make lynching illegal. For all the discussion about, is create a new crime called conspiracy to lynchburg if theres a crowd, lets arrest off. All four policemen should be responsible for what happened. To mr. Ford. The thing is, when we do that, we have to be careful that we dont then put a crowd of people and where someone pushed into someone or slap someone. There has to be justice, people are chanting justice, justice have to have a brain and vision and cant be strong into something that can give someone ten years prison for a minor crime. This is very minor. Everything we left in here, we have worked to make sure it is inclusive. They came back and said what about attempted . We said lets change the language. We have an attempt to cause seriously bodily harm. There can be no injury but someone will have to have a discussion with her it was an attempt that looked like it would be serious. Slapping someone isnt but under the current statute as is, say nobody would do that. Maybe but we are putting it on the books. Minimums have kept people in jail for decades. Life for non violent crimes. Im asking for a minor change. Ill pass it right now. Im completely out of the way. I am forth the bill, im asking unanimous consent to pass the bill with one amendment that just says lets be careful not to arrest people for slapping one or pushing into somebody and getting them ten years prison. This isnt about someone trying to kill another person or someone attempting bodily harm. They would be included in this language even if they did not have a mark on the person and they were tying them up and put a rope over the tree, that is attempted murder they would be included under this bill even without a mark. We have to preclude, but we are trying to is the bill doesnt get used for the wrong purposes. We are all on the same side about who we want to punish and who we should prevent. We cant pass laws w that do exactly what all of us have said is wrong, all of the unintended consequences theres one here and i ask in a very polite way, ive been asking for three months for one small change and i let the velcro today on thursday, theyre not brandnew changes, weve tried as hes had objections, work within on his objections. I asked unanimous consent to pass the bill as amended. Is theirok objection . Senatorce from new jersey. Thank you. This is a bill thats already past this body. Saint bill, same language. There is no objection there. Look for members of the house objective. Saint bill, same language. Ive heard this objection. We disagree with this. The truth is, whats being proposed is not just proposed by me but republican colleagues were sponsoring thisri bill and this body opposed these corrections as well. In addition, changes to the bill would send it back to the house of representatives. Its a tactic that will send the bill back over to the house where again it would have to be voted. This idea that somehow someone would be brought up on lynching charges were slapping is absurd, especially as you see how hate crime legislation, how difficult it is even to prove. So i am decently deeply disappointed by the objections bve heard from that were not being manifested last year 2019 but somehow seem to be stopping in 2020. So i object with this predicti prediction, we as a body, will collect the story of health and pass legislation through this body, through the house of representatives one day in this nation, this will pass. Perhaps it will have to wait until im not here, until senator paul is not here unless it goes back to the 2019 senator paul. The question is, what side of history will be be on . I pray it passes in this congress. I pray the president signed legislation against legislation. How historic that would be tod today, it is not going to happen, obviously. Im telling you right now, this celebration will come. This moment in American History will come. Frustrating for meti is out of time this country hungers for common sense, racial reconciliation and acknowledgment of our past and looking forward to a better future, this will be one of the saturdays without possibility was halted. As we all know, one of the great leaders of republicans and democrats all have asked that question, how long will it take . The simple answer is not long because we will rise again, not one because reap what you sow. Not long because universe is long but it is historic justice. We will pass this legislation. I pray members of this body are the ones to do it. Thank you. I object. Objection is heard. Senator for alaska. Thank you. Before my colleagues of the chamber, i want to acknowledge your words and thank you for the passion, emotion from your true words are words that i think all of us, as members of the senate should hear, reflect on. I want you to know that i am thankful that i was here on the floor to personally here because we could read words, it is when we have the ability to hear and feel those words. Ho the true meaning comes out. I appreciate and thank you for that. With the federal government at work in d. C. And throughout the country, the congressional directory for Contact Information for members of congress, governors and federal agencies. Order your copy online today at cspan store. Org. Next house select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, holding a hearing on Racial Disparities in the covid19 pandemic. Medical doctors and healthcare advocates discuss data and research d