DCNOW Marks the Fifth Anniversary of the Death of Former Congressman John Lewis

By: Miriam Edelman

Today (July 17, 2025) marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of former Congressman John Lewis (D-GA). The “Good Trouble Lives On” National Day of Action, occurs today. “Good trouble” refers to Lewis’ famous “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble” quotation. DCNOW’s blog piece, entitled “John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action: “Get in Good Trouble” and Participate,” discusses Lewis and the 2024 John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action. Last Congress’ D.C. statehood bill was one of the 2024 day’s featured bills.

Lewis was a strong supporter of statehood for Washington, D.C. He cosponsored D.C. statehood legislation. He voted for D.C. statehood both times during his life that the House of Representatives voted on statehood: 1993 and 2020. In 1993, the House voted against statehood by a vote of 277 Nays to 153 Ayes. Four people did not vote. In 2020, the House passed D.C. statehood by a vote of 232 Ayes to 180 Nays. 19 people did not vote. Lewis was not alive in 2021 when the House passed D.C. statehood for the second time in history. In 2021, the House passed D.C. statehood by a vote of 216 Ayes to 208 Nays. Six people did not vote.

During the House Floor debate on D.C. statehood on the House Floor on November 21, 1993, Lewis supported D.C. statehood. He began with “I rise in support of D.C. statehood. I rise in support of what is fair, what makes sense, and what is right.” He discussed Bloody Sunday, when Lewis advocated for voting rights and which led to the introduction of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lewis stated:

“It is not right that we have to be here in 1993 debating whether to give American citizen living right here in the shadow of the Capitol the right to be represented in Congress, to give D.C. statehood. It is not right. You know it, and I know it. It is not right. They are still Americans for whom one man, one vote is still a dream. It is not right that there are still Americans for whom democracy is not a living reality. It is not right that there are still Americans who face taxation without representation. Many of us has [sic.] risen on this Floor to speak in support of these principles in Russia, Haiti, China, Somali, and South Africa. We have cast dozens of votes supporting democracy in other country [sic.]. The time is long due to extend the same principles to the people of the District of Columbia. The time is nine [maybe intelligible] to do what is fair, what is right, …and what is just. I urge you to support statehood for the District of Columbia.”

Let’s honor Lewis by finally granting statehood to D.C. Decades later, Lewis’ poignant words from 1993 still ring true. It is a national shame that in the year before the United States turns 250 years old, D.C. residents still do not experience full democracy.