Ayanna Pressley: 'Especially painful' to lose John Lewis during 'new moment of racial reckoning'
More lawmakers, politicians, and former government officials on Sunday shared their appreciation for Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon who died on Friday.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Karen Bass (D-Calif.), and Val Demings (D-Fla.) were among those who appeared on various network shows to pay tribute to Lewis. Pressley, the first Black congresswoman elected in Massachusetts, said she considers herself a "beneficiary" of Lewis' activism while lamenting the fact that he passed away during a time of strife and unrest in the United States.
Clyburn was asked by CNN's Jake Tapper how he thinks President Trump could honor Lewis going forward, and the congressman said Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), together could usher through and sign a bill to restore the Voting Rights Act. Tim O'Donnell
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.