For Immediate Release: July 20, 2020
Contact: Lee Morrow, [email protected], 202-601-7871
NETWORK Mourns the Passing of Congressman John Lewis and Calls for Voting Rights Legislation
Sr. Simone: “If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans want to honor the life of John Lewis, they must move beyond sympathetic words to action.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This weekend, our nation lost a true hero for justice with the passing of Congressman John Lewis. A founding father of the Civil Rights Movement, he never stopped fighting to end social and racial injustice. The Catholic Sisters and advocates of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice mourn his loss.
In his memory, we continue to work for policies that protect voting rights, fight poverty, ensure health care for all, treat immigrants with welcome and respect, and value Black lives. Following Congressman Lewis’ example, NETWORK strives to get in good trouble and keep up the struggle for voting rights. We call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take up and pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act that was co-sponsored by Congressman John Lewis.
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice said:
“On the passing of Congressman John Lewis, I am reminded of something he said to me in 2017. We were discussing healthcare and the need to provide hope to those who are struggling, and he told me we must ‘Go beyond preparing people to die. We’ve got to prepare people to live.’ He knew that justice meant providing a better future for people, and it is the job of leaders to show us the way.
“John Lewis showed us the way: get in good trouble and keep up the struggle for the rights of others. He used inspiring words, but his actions were even more important. Last year, he co-sponsored the Voting Rights Advancement Act that would restore the voting protections that he and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched for in the 1960s. His work to protect voting rights must go forward. If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans want to honor the life of John Lewis, they must move beyond sympathetic words to action. They must take up and pass the voting rights bill he co-sponsored.”
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NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a nearly 50-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org