John Lewis

07/10/2020

As many universities plan for online or hybrid learning this fall, this needlessly punitive proposal puts international students at risk of illness or deportation if they continue their education in the United States. Amid unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, this policy unnecessarily creates uncertainty and mayhem as colleges and universities rush to reorganize curricula and campus life in order to protect the safety of students and faculty.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) wrote Acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf in opposition to recent changes to the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. “As many universities plan for online or hybrid learning this fall, this needlessly punitive proposal puts interna...

06/18/2020

Today’s Supreme Court decision stopping the administration from dismantling DACA affirms what millions of Americans already knew: The current administration is so determined to wage a hateful campaign against immigrant families and communities that it makes cruel and arbitrary decisions that break the law.

For several years now, DREAMers and their families have been living with terrible and gnawing uncertainty about their future in this country. They worry about deportation from their home and separation from families and children. Along with other immigrant and minority communities, DREAMers also bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic -- without the benefit of assistance provided to other Americans.

This morning’s decision may ease some of their anxiety, but there is still more work to do. DREAMers are American in all but paperwork, and their home is here. It is up to Congress to finally give them a full measure of relief.

Congress must immediately protect all those seeking a better life in this country. Where the administration has failed, we must step up and be headlights, not taillights. The Senate must adopt H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, which the House passed last summer. This bill provides legal protections and a path to citizenship for Dreamers and for refugees seeking humanitarian refuge. Congress should pass my bill, the Higher Education Dream Act, to prohibit states like Georgia from discriminating against DREAMers in higher education. We must also get to work on comprehensive reform that reflects our nation’s commitments to justice, decency, and human rights.

The United States’ immigration system should lift people up, not push them down. I will continue to work with my colleagues to push, to pull, and to make a better way.

WASHINGTON – Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) made the following statement following the Supreme Court’s decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California that declared the administration’s sudden termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) progr...

05/30/2020

Sixty-five years have passed, and I still remember the face of young Emmett Till. It was 1955. I was 15 years old — just a year older than him. What happened that summer in Money, Mississippi, and the months that followed — the recanted accusation, the sham trial, the dreaded verdict — shocked the country to its core. And it helped spur a series of non-violent events by everyday people who demanded better from our country.

Despite real progress, I can't help but think of young Emmett today as I watch video after video after video of unarmed Black Americans being killed, and falsely accused. My heart breaks for these men and women, their families, and the country that let them down — again. My fellow Americans, this is a special moment in our history. Just as people of all faiths and no faiths, and all backgrounds, creeds, and colors banded together decades ago to fight for equality and justice in a peaceful, orderly, non-violent fashion, we must do so again.

To the rioters here in Atlanta and across the country: I see you, and I hear you. I know your pain, your rage, your sense of despair and hopelessness. Justice has, indeed, been denied for far too long. Rioting, looting, and burning is not the way. Organize. Demonstrate. Sit-in. Stand-up. Vote. Be constructive, not destructive. History has proven time and again that non-violent, peaceful protest is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve.

Our work won't be easy — nothing worth having ever is — but I strongly believe, as Dr. King once said, that while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.

ATLANTA — "Sixty-five years have passed, and I still remember the face of young Emmett Till. It was 1955. I was 15 years old — just a year older than him. What happened that summer in Money, Mississippi, and the months that followed — the recanted accusation, the sham trial, the dreaded verdic...

05/20/2020

Today, every Member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation in the United States House of Representatives co-signed a letter to U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General William Barr and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, who leads the Department’s Civil Rights Division. The correspondence encourages the Department to use “all possible Federal resources to achieve full justice, transparency, and accountability in the case of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, every Member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation in the United States House of Representatives co-signed a letter to U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General William Barr and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, who leads the Department’s Civil Rights Divisi...

05/14/2020

I am sharing more updates about our work in Congress and in Georgia’s 5th District. As we work to navigate the impact of COVID-19 on our daily life, we must remember that we are stronger together. During this time, it is critical that we all do what we can to keep our communities safe and healthy.

I write to share various updates surrounding our work in Congress and in Georgia’s 5th District. The CARES Act authorized the Internal Revenue Service to send direct stimulus rebates (Economic Impact Payments) to individuals across the country. Please share with your loved ones that individuals ha...

04/29/2020

Last week, my office hosted a webinar to assist Metro Atlanta small businesses with identifying critical resources and opportunities. In addition, Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which adds funding for programs that provide grants and loans to small businesses. More information about these programs are outlined in this edition of the newsletter.

Last week, my office hosted a webinar to assist Metro Atlanta small businesses with identifying critical

04/21/2020

Please join members of my staff and regional experts for a Small Business COVID-19 Webinar to learn about small business relief and assistance in Georgia's 5th Congressional District on Wednesday, April 22 at 5pm.

03/30/2020

As many of you know, Congress recently passed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This third congressional relief package provides $4.1 billion in support to help Georgians during this trying time. Last week, I also underscored the importance of the Internal Revenue Service suspending private debt collection for those who are already experience hardship.

Even though we are staying safe by staying apart, we are in this together. As a community, we can beat this pandemic. It is very important that everyone remains healthy, calm, and positive by following the guidance and safety precautions outlined by health professionals and local authorities.

As always, you may reach out to my office if you need help interacting with a federal agency or have any other legislative questions or concerns.

I write to provide a legislative update regarding the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

03/24/2020

As you know, Congress passed two bills to provide assistance to state and local government, health professionals, communities, and workers. Negotiations are ongoing for a third federal assistance package. This update is regarding domestic policies for COVID-19.

In these unprecedented times, we must take care to ensure that our communities are safe. As you know, Congress passed two bills to provide assistance to state and local government, health professionals, communities, and workers. Negotiations are ongoing for a third federal assistance package.

03/17/2020

As you know, we are in unprecedented times as the new coronavirus, COVID-19, becomes a global pandemic.

It is important that we all do our part; we should not panic. During times like these, we must look out for each other and lift up one another. If we work together to limit exposure and stay healthy, we can contain the spread of COVID-19.

This unprecedented situation is quickly evolving, and Congress is acting quickly.

As you know, we are in unprecedented times as the new coronavirus, COVID-19, becomes a global pandemic.

03/07/2020

55 years ago today, we were beaten, tear gassed, and trampled by horses. I thought I saw death. I thought I was going to die. I don't know how I made it back, but I know we cannot rest. We cannot become weary. We must keep pushing and pulling and find a way to get in the way.

02/03/2020

Ambassador Chambers was one of kind. She was a visionary and a business leader with a deep passion for philanthropy and education. In particular, we shared a love of the arts – where so many find solace, hope, and inspiration. She understood that art transcends borders, ideology, and language; it can influence a community and ensure we never repeat the mistakes of our predecessors.

“With the passing of Ambassador Anne Cox Chambers, we lost a champion and leader, who worked tirelessly to make Atlanta and the State of Georgia better. “Ambassador Chambers was one of kind. She was a visionary and a business leader with a deep passion for philanthropy and education. In particul...