WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger last night honored the life and memory of the late U.S. Representative John Robert Lewis on the floor of the U.S. House.

During her remarks, Spanberger shared the direct words of Congressman Lewis and his reflections about the ongoing march toward a more just society. Additionally, she encouraged others to follow the advice of Congressman Lewis that he gave on a recent call with his House colleagues.

Click here to watch her remarks, and a full transcript is below.

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I rise tonight to remember Congressman John Lewis.

For me, the best way to honor the memory of this beautiful man, this kind soul, our colleague, our friend, and for so many of us, our teacher, is to share his best lessons.

In his 2017 book, Congressman John Robert Lewis said the following:

“Freedom is not a state, it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is a continuous action we must all take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”

These are words to drive our work and our lives, and he spoke them to the world.

But to us, on June 4, on a call with so many of our colleagues, he told us, “Be brave, don’t get weary. Let’s continue to work.”

And I wrote those words down because, like everything John Lewis said, they struck me as powerful and important and worth remembering. And in his memory, and in his honor, we should all do just that — continue to work.

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