And hakeem jeffries. It is about 50 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome speaker of the house, kevin mccarthy. House democratic leader, hakeem jeffries. Postmaster general, louis dejoy. And mr. Michael collins, chief of staff to the honorable John Robert Lewis. [ applause ] kevin mccarthy, speaker of the United States house of representatives. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. It is my privilege to recommend to the u. S. Capital. We are honored to have with us the u. S. Postmaster,. And linda early chastain to participate and share a special occasion. Each of them is instrumental in honoring the legacy of congress ms. Congressman luis and having the special stamp. Commemorative stamps are more than just pieces of paper with pictures on them. They tell stories. They honor heroes and they capture important moments in history. We are honoring and extraordinary contributions to the american people. An inspiring future generations to follow his lead. I want to thank you for joining us in celebrating johns life and legacy. I cannot think of a better place to honor him then right here in congress, where he served for 17 consecutive terms. He was an extraordinary man to every Single Person who served or visited this place. Today, we will talk a little bit about his life. With this honor, we are going to remember his contributions. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors and the singing of our national anthem. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave . Ladies and gentlemen please remain standing for the invocation. Would you pray with me . Almighty god, we lift up our voices to you. Got of our countrys weary years. God of our silent tears we pause today to give testimony to how far you have brought us. From a bloody bridge on a sunday in selma through decades of a life of service rife with brutal resistance, John Robert Lewis has stayed forever on your path. Stony are the roads he trod chastening those who would strive, like he, to emerge from a gloomy past. Now, he passed the gleam of the hope of freedom you plant in our souls today. We pray your blessing on this commemorative moment. Reveal in this unique tribute. Not just a figure of strength and courage in our nations challenging history but with eyes to see and may we appreciate this man of faith. Faith in you. Faith in humanity. Faith in our countrys promising future. Let our rejoicing rice with a song full of hope that john lewis past has brought us. A song full of hope that your servant has brought us. And that this honor be worthy of the liberty for wish congressmans lewis has fought for on behalf of each one of us. In your eternal and gracious name, we pray amen. Please, be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable kevin mccarthy, speaker of the United States house of representatives. Now it is my privilege to invite the official party to unveiled the stamp. Please,. Hakeem, former speaker nancy pelosi, you can come too. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable louis dejoy, 75th postmaster general of United States and chief executive octave sir of the United States Postal Service. That is a nice looking stamp. Thank you, everyone, for attending today. I would like to thank Speaker Mccarthy, leader jeffries and the lewis family for organizing this event in recognition of the Great American hero. Through our Stamp Program the United States Postal Service celebrates the very best of america and congressman lewis represents that ideal. John lewis let a life of consequence. He was a passionate leader of American Civil Rights movements throughout his life and a force for his generation. Our nation certainly benefited from his fearlessness and his unfailing willingness to get into good trouble. In congress, john lewis continued his work and was a legislative force for freedom and justice for more than 30 years. Many of his colleagues called him a conscious of the congress. For his decades of service and unwavering commitment to achieving equality, john lewis was awarded the president ial medal of freedom, the nations highest civilian honor from president barack obama. I would be remiss in not pointing out that in Congress John lewis was a strong advocate for the United States Postal Service, its mission and the women and men who served our nation every day. In 2013 when john lewis spoke, we issued a commemorative stamp honoring the 50 Year Anniversary with the march on washington. 50 years before at the age of 23, john lewis had been the youngest speaker at that moment does march. Letting his voice to a generation to the cause of freedom. In addition to in 2017, congressman lewis is a paid in the dorothy establishment. As far as many contributions to our nation at the Main Post Office in atlanta, it will renamed the John Lewis Post Office at a dedication ceremony this coming august. [ applause ] our Stamp Program has honored many American Civil Rights heroes including icons like Martin Luther king jr. , malcolm x, rosa parks, fanny lou hammer and thurgood marshall. It is my honor to announce the United States Postal Service will issue a forever stamp celebrating the life and legacy of congressman john lewis. [ applause ] we will officially dedicate the john lewis forever stamp on july 21st at a special ceremony at Morehouse College in atlanta. [ applause ] the 635,000 women and men of the Postal Service take great pride in our mission to bind the nation together. Just as john lewis worked tirelessly to create for us the beloved. By issuing the special stamp, we are providing away for the public to come together and remembers an commemoration. We hope that this stamp might spark young people to learn more about the life of john lewis and his long legacy of Public Service. We are proud to honor john lewis, the best of america with the stamp. Thank you. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, inaugural president and chief executive officer of the john and Lillian Lewis foundation and former chief of staff to John Robert Lewis. Mr. Speaker, hakeem jeffries, colleagues, friends and families of congressman john lewis. It warms my heart and it is amazing. It is kind of ironic that we are here today to celebrate john lewis and the u. S. Postage stamp that will bear his likeness. Ironic may not be the exact word. Let me tell you why it came to mind when i talk of this occasion. I was congressman lewiss chief of staff back in the day before there was internet and before everyone had a cell phone. Dbs trackers were not generally available. So when i had to track the congressman down, which i had to do rather often, i had to sent interns to do it the first place i would send them would be here. I would tell them to come here first. Most of the time, here is where they would find him. He was talking to groups of students, chatting with the capitol police, catching up with colleagues, answering questions from visitors or just wandering around looking at the statues. John love this place. He was in awe of this place. This place strengthened and fortified him to do the peoples work. This was his favorite place on the hill. Not the hallowed halls of congress. Not the house chamber. Not his congressional office, which was full of photos and memorabilia telling his life story and the story of the civil rights movement. Here in statuary hall with the people that the people around the country decided to elevate and commit to stone and to have represent them in our capital building. How excited he would be to have you in the hall today. Mary mcleod had a devotion to young people, her leadership, her ability, her civility and also like john lewis, her ability and commitment to bring Diverse People and perspectives to the table to find Common Ground and to work for the common good. If john lewis were with us today, he would first tell you about growing up in pike county, alabama. 40 miles outside of a little town called trey. With parents who were sharecroppers and who bought 110 acres of land that his family still owns. And, you guessed it, he would tell you about his preaching to the chickens. Then, he would tell you Something Else you may have heard him say before. That is the ball is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy. We nest must protect it. We must use it. John lewis name is anonymous was salmon. You know the story. He dedicated his entire life to ensuring the right to vote. His face is the face of Voting Rights. Having his face on a postage stamp honors conger missed congressman lewis and encourages Voter Participation and civic engagement. I thank all of you who helped him make this post is stamp possible. Congressman lewis would be too humble to say this. You probably say, linda, dont say that. Not now or here. Im going to say it anyway. Honor his memory, his life and his legacy by finding ways to work together, not for us but for the rest of us. Honor his memory by standing up for what you truly believe is right and honor his memory by voting. Finally, some of you were here when we celebrated congressman lewis life almost three years ago and he lay in state as thousands from all over the world paid their respects. If he were here today, other than in spirit, congressman lewis would express his deep appreciation and gratitude to both sides of the aisle coming together for this special ceremony. He would see the ceremony as a symbol of unity and would be honored at this reminder of his legacy and for what he stood up. His words would echo his sentiment that we may not have chosen the same path but we are all in this together. This ceremony wouldve fell congressman lewis with hope and reinforced his belief of the power of unity and collective action to make a difference and create lasting change. Thank you. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable hakeem jeffries, democratic leader of the United States house of representatives. [ applause ] speaker kevin mccarthy, to nancy pelosi who served with john lewis for 34 years. They were both members of the same class. That is a pretty good class. Catherine clark and members of congress and the members of the lewis family, to former staff members, friends and all those in attendance, good afternoon. Thank you for your presence here today. It is a great honor and privilege on the house of House Democrats to stand before all of you to pay tribute to a civil rights champion, defender of meritocracy. Voice for the voiceless. Legendary leader and a powerful profound principle public servant, the honorable john lewis. The stamp will forever represent and commemorate one of our countries greatest sons. Conscience of our congress. Its appropriate that one of our forever heroes will be recognized with a rubber stamp. Personally, as all of us who have the opportunity to serve know that we will deeply cherish the time we had with him serving in the peoples house and in my case as a member of the congressional black caucus. I remember how special it was that as a new member i first saw john lewis on the house floor early in january of 2013. He called me over to him and asked, are you the new guy . I responded, yes, sir. Anybody with any sense called john lewis sir. He then asked, you are from brooklyn . I was tempted to say, brooklyn is always in the house. This was the great john lewis so instead i said, yes, sir. Then he said something to me that i will never forget. He said i was talking to your predecessor. He had a few positives to say about you. Washington, d. C. Can be a rough place. So, young man, i dont want you to get into any trouble unless it is good trouble. That is something that the great john lewis knew a whole lot about, good trouble. The boy from troy as dr. King affectionately called him, when he saw something wrong he did something about it. John lewis sat in and protested and organized. He spoke up and stood up. He showed up. John lewis got into good trouble in order to bend the mark of the universe toward justice. He was a force for good. An angel among us and a believer in the beloved community. Several times throughout his journey he was met with brutal violence. On bloody sunday, march 7, 1965, he was beaten within an inch of his life while leading the first march from selma to montgomery. The situation seemed hopeless. The courage that john lewis displayed that day set in motion a chain of events that led to the historic passage of the 1965 Voting Rights act. When a man what man meant for evil, god meant for good. John lewis was a man of faith, gutless, goodness and mercy were in his dna. Justice and equality was not a partisan affair. It was as deeply held set of values anchored in love of country, love of the constitution and love of god. As paul the apostle wrote to timothy, i have fought the good fight, finished the race. And kept the faith. That new testament scripture is quintessential john lewis. He ran his race, fought the good fight, made a big difference, got into some good trouble, changed america, crossed the finish line, and always kept the faith. May god continue to bless the legacy of the great john lewis and may god continue to bless the United States of america. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable kevin mccarthy, speaker of the house of representatives. [applause] we talk about it being fitting to have in this room, its not just in this room. Its the location. I want you to look at mary smiling down on him. Two great educators. Two great civil right leaders and two people who changed the course of history to make a more perfect union. Almost 3 years ago, the body of congressman john lewis was carried out of the rotunda and down the steps of the capitol for the final time. In many ways, the spirit of john lewis, who represented the people of georgia in congress for more than 30 years, has never left these halls. John lewis was an extraordinary man with courage, compassion, and character. As a young man he suffered for his nation so future generations can enjoy the full blessings of reason. Freedom. Racism and discrimination were not history for him. They were reality. I had the privilege of going to selma twice with john lewis. The first time i was able to go, i took my entire family. I took my sons girlfriend who is now our daughterinlaw. She was so excited to meet john lewis. In this time it was a president ial year so the crowds were large. You would visit the churches. We were going to make the march onto the bridge. John lewis made sure i marched next to him. As the crowds got bigger and everybody wanted to be with john, as my family would walk a little bit slower, i remember as we were walking down the street he stopped the entire march. The cameras and those who were running for president , to make sure that my family was back with him. What i remember is what he told me as he made that march. He said, i got arrested trying to eat lunch at the counter in that building. As we marched toward the bridge i will never forget. He would tell us the story of that day. When we got to a certain point, i cant tell you anymore. I dont remember past this moment when i was beaten. He does not remember how he got back, but he was carried back. He had been beaten so bad that he lost consciousness. He almost died, yet john never gave up on america. He never gave into himself to be angry. He rose above prejudice and responded with forgiveness. In other words, he used what was right with america to fix what was going wrong with america. John was also a teacher who believed deeply in Civic Education and lead by example. We worked together for many years on we the people Civic Education. Fittingly, his last act of Public Service was about Civic Education. He and i sent a letter the day before he died calling for more investment in civic courses in elementary, middle, and high schools. Even on the last day of his life, john never stopped working to improve the lives of others. You know, there are certain things that happen in your life that are so powerful, when they happen it is almost like slow motion. You remember it that way. I told you about the first time i went to selma with him. The second time was the 50th anniversary. This one was different. This was the 50th anniversary. The amount of press, and on this day president obama was going to speak. He gave one of his best speeches, i told him afterwards. That was not what moved me that day. As i sat with senator tim scott in the front where, you know what moved me . Watching john lewis and thinking about 50 years prior been beaten simply because he wanted to register people to vote. Standing up and introducing president obama, the president of the United States. I may be in a Different Party but i am an american. I had goosebumps thinking about how far we had come that john lewis walked on that bridge and that regardless you realize the change that had begun. The man who led it was right in front. I told the postmaster that he should have been dancing. That is the way that i knew john. People without relents that we had a pretty good friendship as michael will attest. I remember sometimes he would have me come and provide the word with him. I was fortunate. These groups had given it to everybody else. I asked john to be the one to present to me. I am proud and honored to call him a friend. Everyone should strive to celebrate his incredible life and legacy and we should learn from it. Fortunately, they enter. In fact, they are stamped on our hearts forever. John will be as well. Thank you and god bless. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the benediction by the chaplain of the United States college of representatives. Would you pray with me . Holy god, bless us as we go on our way. For you have by thy might lead us into the light of freedom of justice. Keep us forever on my path. Lest our feet, our hearts, our words, our lives, straight from the places where we still meet you in the faces of the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden. In the gazes of the needy, the thirsty, and the hungry. Lest we forget you remind us again of the life and legacy of your servant, john lewis. He woke each day to the rising sun, a new day begun, to make good trouble. In honor of the honorable John Robert Lewis and in light of your truth, may we march ever onward in our service to you, to this country until your victory is won. In the strength of your mighty name, we pray. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, Speaker Mccarthy and leader to jeffries invite you to join us. Thank you for joining us today
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