Rand Paul holds up anti-lynching legislation

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Wednesday he is holding up popular bipartisan legislation to make lynching a federal crime, a long-sought goal of supporters that is acutely relevant now against the backdrop of nationwide protests against police mistreatment of African Americans.

"We want the bill to be stronger," Paul told reporters on Capitol Hill. "We think that lynching is an awful thing that should be roundly condemned and should be universally condemned."

We want the bill to be stronger. We think that lynching is an awful thing that should be roundly condemned and should be universally condemned. I don't think it's a good idea to conflate someone who has an altercation where they had minor bruises with lynching," Paul said.

"The bill as written would allow altercations resulting in a cut, abrasion, bruise, or any other injury no matter how temporary to be subject to a 10-year penalty. My amendment would simply apply a serious bodily injury standard, which would ensure crimes resulting in substantial risk of death and extreme physical pain be prosecuted as a lynching," Paul explained further in a statement from his office later Wednesday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer criticized Paul over the move on Wednesday, tweeting, "It is shameful that one GOP Senator is standing in the way of seeing this bill become law."

SOURCE: CNN

House passes Emmet Till Antilynching Act

On February 26, 2020 the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the historic Emmett Till Antilynching Act (H.R. 35), which was introduced by U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.). The legislation received broad, bipartisan support and passed the House by 410–4.

“Today is a historic day for this U.S. House of Representatives, this Congress, and the American people. Being from Chicago, the death of Emmett Till sent shockwaves through my community and personally affected me and my family. However, his death would not be in vain, for it was the spark that ignited the long arc of the civil rights movement, leading us to this very moment,” said Rep. Rush.

“With the passage of this bill we correct a historical injustice, based on a lie, that took the life of this young man. We also bring justice to the over 4000 victims of lynching, most of them African-Americans, who have had their lives tragically, and horrifically cut short at the hands of racist mobs and hate-filled hordes. After 120 years, and 200 failed attempts, the House finally positions itself on the right side of history, outlawing the heinous act of lynching once and for all.

“I am immensely grateful to my colleagues in the House for their support and to Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Chairman Nadler, and Chairwoman Bass for making this bill a priority.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Anti-Lynching Legislation Introduced by Booker, Harris, and Scott

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, historic legislation that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in American history.

The legislation was originally introduced in June 2018 by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and Tim Scott (R-SC).

“After more than a hundred years of failed efforts, we are now one step closer to finally making lynching a federal crime and putting an end to a long period of Congressional inaction and indifference,” said Senator Booker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “This bipartisan legislation is a painful – but necessary – acknowledgement of our nation’s horrific past, stained with the terror of racialized violence committed with near impunity. It sends a very clear signal that we as a nation will not tolerate bias-motivated violence in any form.”

“Lynching is a dark and despicable part of our country’s history. These were acts of violence, needless and horrendous acts of violence that were motivated by racism. And we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “These were crimes that were committed against innocent people. These are crimes that should have been prosecuted. There are victims and their families that should have received justice and did not. With this bill, we have a chance to speak the truth about our past make clear that these hateful acts should never happen again.”

“This is an important, long overdue bill that sends a strong message that we will not allow those who spew hate to divide us as a nation,” said Senator Scott. “I want to thank Chairman Grassley and the Judiciary Committee for passing this legislation and helping underscore the severity of this crime.”

From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. Lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation 4,084 times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Equal Justice Initiative, and has companion legislation in the House of Representatives led by Congressman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL).

Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Tim Scott Introduce Bill to Make Lynching a Federal Crime

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and Tim Scott (R-SC), the only African-American members of the United States Senate, have introduced legislation to make lynching - the willful act of murder by a collection of people assembled with the intention of committing an act of violence upon any person – a federal crime. The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 will amend the United States Code to specify that lynching is a crime in itself that would warrant an enhanced sentence under existing federal hate crime statues. Leader Mitch McConnell was recently asked about anti-lynching legislation and responded, “I certainly would support it.”

“It’s a travesty that despite repeated attempts to do so, Congress still hasn’t put anti-lynching legislation on the books,” said Senator Booker. “This bill will right historical wrongs by acknowledging our country’s stained past and codifying into law our commitment to abolishing this shameful practice.

“Lynching is a dark, despicable part of our history, and we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris. “From 1882 to 1986 there have been 200 attempts that have failed to get Congress to pass federal anti-lynching legislation, it’s time for that to change.”

"This measure is certainly well past due and I am glad to be able to join in efforts that will underscore the severity of this crime,” said Senator Scott. “This piece of legislation sends a message that together, as a nation, we condemn the actions of those that try to divide us with violence and hate.”

"It is never too late for our nation to express our sorrow for the decades of racial terror that traumatized millions in this country, said Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and the founder of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, a national memorial acknowledging the victims of racial terror lynchings. “Passing an anti-lynching law is not just about who we were decades ago, it's a statement about who we are now that is relevant, important and timely."

The efforts to pass anti-lynching legislation date back to 1918, when Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer (R-Mo.) became the first member of Congress to introduce a bill on the subject. His bill, intended to punish authorities that failed to prevent lynching, was designed to act as a deterrent that would end the practice. His bill ultimately died in the Senate after facing stiff opposition. After 200 failed attempts by Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation, however, Congress is now prepared to right this shameful failure to criminalize lynching as an instrument of terror and intimidation used against more than 4,000 African-African men, women, and children during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.

As recently as 2005, ninety (90) members of the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution apologizing to the victims of lynching for the repeated failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legislation. These senators expressed their deepest sympathies and most solemn regrets of the Senate to the descendants of victims of lynching, the ancestors of whom were deprived of life, human dignity, and the constitutional protections accorded all citizens of the United States.

This is the Senate companion to legislation introduced last week in the House of Representatives by Congressman Bobby L. Rush (H.R. 6086) and 36 members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the following organizations: NAACP, Anti-Defamation League, and Equal Justice Initiative.

Text of the bill can be found here.

In addition to Booker, Harris, and Scott, the legislation was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Doug Jones (D-AL), Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).