Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that it should not be misled by Republican Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’ friendly demeanor when deciding his fitness to lead the Justice Department.
“It doesn’t matter how Senator Sessions may smile, how friendly he may be, how he may speak to you, but we need someone who gonna stand up, speak up, and speak out for the people that need help, for people that have been discriminated against,” Lewis said during Sessions’ attorney general confirmation hearing. “It doesn’t matter whether they are black or white, Latino, Asian American or Native American, whether they are straight or gay, Muslim, Christian, or Jews, we all live in the same house: the American house.”
Lewis, a civil rights icon, warned that the United States has made great progress but said: “We’re not there yet.”
“There are forces that want to take us back to another place,” Lewis said. “We don’t want to go back, we want to go forward.”
Lewis has previously spent time with Sessions: in 2015, Lewis joined arms with Sessions and other members of Congress in Selma, Alabama for the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.”
Lewis testified alongside Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and with the Congressional Black Caucus seated behind him.
