John Lewis

=== Tenure ===
==== Overview ====
[[File:John Lewis official biopic.jpg|thumb|An official portrait of Lewis]]
Lewis represented [[Georgia's 5th congressional district]], one of the most consistently Democratic districts in the nation. Since its formalization in 1845, the district has been represented by a Democrat for most of its history.

Lewis was one of the most liberal congressmen to have represented a district in the Deep South. He was categorized as a "Hard-Core Liberal" by [[On the Issues]].<ref name="Lewis 2000">{{cite web |title=Issues 2000 Lewis |url=http://www.issues2000.org/GA/John_Lewis.htm |publisher=Issues2000|access-date=June 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513215725/http://issues2000.org/GA/John_Lewis.htm|archive-date=May 13, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described Lewis in 1998 as "a fiercely partisan Democrat but ... also fiercely independent".<ref name="Fighter">{{cite news|title=Nonviolent Fighter; John Lewis Retraces the Route That Led to the Future|first=Peter|last=Carlson|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|location=Washington, D.C.|date=June 9, 1998|page=01}}</ref> Lewis characterized himself as a strong and adamant [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]].<ref name="Fighter" /> ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' said Lewis was the "only former major civil rights leader who extended his fight for human rights and racial reconciliation to the halls of Congress".<ref name="Conscience">{{cite news |title=John Lewis: 'Conscience' carries clout: Civil rights icon's moral authority enhanced |last=Kemper |first=Bob |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=May 21, 2006}}</ref> ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' also said that to "those who know him, from U.S. senators to 20-something congressional aides", he is called the "conscience of Congress".<ref name="Conscience" /> Lewis cited Florida Senator and later Representative [[Claude Pepper]], a staunch liberal, as being the colleague whom he most admired.<ref name="EmoryWheel_Smith_20080421">{{cite web |url=http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=25537 |title=The Tuesday Ten: An Interview with Rep. John Lewis |first=Asher |last=Smith |work=[[The Emory Wheel]] |date=April 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124225545/http://emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=25537 |archive-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> Lewis also spoke out in support of [[gay rights]] and [[national health insurance]].<ref name="Fighter" />

Lewis opposed the 1991 [[Gulf War]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Mideast Trip Strengthens Georgia Lawmakers' Resolve |first=Mike |last=Christensen |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=January 11, 1991 |page=A7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Tour labors in opposition to NAFTA |first=Colin |last=Campbell |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=February 19, 1998 |page=F02}}</ref> and the 2000 U.S. trade agreement with China that passed the House.<ref>{{cite web |title=The China trade vote: A Clinton triumph; House, in 237–197 vote, approves normal trade rights for China |first1=Eric |last1=Schmitt |first2=Joseph |last2=Kahn |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 25, 2000 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E7D9153DF936A15756C0A9669C8B63&pagewanted=all |access-date=February 27, 2011 |archive-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717013515/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/25/world/china-trade-vote-clinton-triumph-house-237-197-vote-approves-normal-trade-rights.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref> He opposed the [[Clinton administration]] on [[NAFTA]] and [[Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act|welfare reform]].<ref name="Fighter" /> After welfare reform passed, Lewis was described as outraged; he said, "Where is the sense of decency? What does it profit a great nation to conquer the world, only to lose its soul?"<ref>{{cite journal |title=Social programs: world report. The wreck of the gravy train |journal=Canada and the World Backgrounder |publisher=Taylor Publishing Consultants |location=Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |volume=62 |issue=2 |date=October 1996 |pages=3–34}}</ref> In 1994, when [[Foreign policy of the Bill Clinton administration#Haiti|Clinton considered invading Haiti]], Lewis opposed armed intervention.<ref>{{cite news |title=President faces strong opposition in Congress |first=Sharon |last=Schmickle |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]]|location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |date=September 16, 1994 |page=1}}</ref> After a non-violent transition of power was negotiated, Lewis supported the presence of U.S. troops in Haiti as part of [[Operation Uphold Democracy]], calling the operation a "mission of peace".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1994-10-06/html/CREC-1994-10-06-pt2-PgH24.htm |title=Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 |date=October 6, 1994 |website=govinfo.gov |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=January 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>"Shared power, foreign policy, and Haiti, 1994. Public memories of war and race." Goodnight, G. Thomas; Olson, Kathryn M.; ''Rhetoric & Public Affairs'' 9. 4 (Winter 2006): 601–634.</ref> In 1998, when Clinton was considering a military strike against Iraq, Lewis said he would back the president if American forces were ordered into action.<ref>{{cite news |title=Georgia delegation divided on strategy; Some back force, others doubt military action is a real solution |first=Mark |last=Sherman |newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution |date=February 12, 1998 |page=A14}}</ref> In 2001, three days after the [[September 11 attacks]], Lewis voted to give President [[George W. Bush]] authority to use force against the perpetrators of [[9/11]] in a [[Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001|vote that was 420–1]]; Lewis called it probably one of his toughest votes.<ref name="Tough">{{cite news |title=Congress using religious compass in decisions |first=Melanie |last=Eversley |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=October 7, 2001 |page=7}}</ref> In 2002, he sponsored the [[Peace Tax Fund bill]], a [[conscientious objection to military taxation]] initiative that had been reintroduced yearly since 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=War Resisters: 'We Won't Go' To 'We Won't Pay' |first=Felicia R. |last=Lee |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 3, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/03/arts/war-resisters-we-won-t-go-to-we-won-t-pay.html |access-date=March 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113085527/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/03/arts/war-resisters-we-won-t-go-to-we-won-t-pay.html|archive-date=November 13, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis was a "fierce partisan critic of President Bush", and an early opponent of the [[Iraq War]].<ref name="Conscience" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Charles |title=Rep. John Lewis, civil rights icon, was a powerful voice against war with Iraq |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/john-lewis-was-a-lonely-voice-against-war-with-iraq-2020-7 |access-date=July 18, 2020 |website=[[Business Insider]] |archive-date=July 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718050049/https://www.businessinsider.com/john-lewis-was-a-lonely-voice-against-war-with-iraq-2020-7 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Associated Press]] said he was "the first major House figure to suggest [[Movement to impeach George W. Bush|impeaching George W. Bush]]", arguing that the president "deliberately, systematically violated the law" in authorizing the [[National Security Agency]] to [[N.S.A. surveillance without warrants controversy|conduct wiretaps without a warrant]]. Lewis said, "He is not king, he is president."<ref name="VandenHeuvel">{{cite web |url=http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?pid=45006 |title=The I-Word is Gaining Ground |first=Katrina |last=Vanden Heuvel |date=January 2, 2006 |work=[[The Nation]]|access-date=February 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120065321/http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?pid=45006|archive-date=November 20, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lewis drew on his historical involvement in the [[Civil Rights Movement]] as part of his politics. He made an annual pilgrimage to Alabama to retrace the route he marched in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery&nbsp;– a route Lewis worked to make part of the [[National Historic Trail|Historic National Trails]] program. That trip became "one of the hottest tickets in Washington among lawmakers, Republican and Democrat, eager to associate themselves with Lewis and the movement. 'We don't deliberately set out to win votes, but it's very helpful", Lewis said of the trip'."<ref name="Conscience" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Skene|first=Gordon|date=2020-07-18|title=John Lewis – Address At The March On Washington – August 1963 – John Lewis (1940–2020)|url=https://pastdaily.com/2020/07/18/john-lewis-address-at-the-march-on-washington-august-1963-john-lewis-1940-2020/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-16|website=Past Daily|language=en-US|archive-date=April 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422181314/https://pastdaily.com/2020/07/18/john-lewis-address-at-the-march-on-washington-august-1963-john-lewis-1940-2020/}}</ref> In recent years, however, [[Faith and Politics Institute]] drew criticism for selling seats on the trip to lobbyists for at least $25,000 each. According to the [[Center for Public Integrity]], even Lewis said that he would feel "much better" if the institute's funding came from churches and foundations instead of corporations.<ref name="publicintegrity.org">{{cite web|first=Marina Walker|last=Guevara|url=https://www.publicintegrity.org/2006/06/08/5606/lobbyists-tag-along-civil-rights-tour|title=Lobbyists tag along on civil rights tour|website=publicintegrity.org|publisher=[[The Center for Public Integrity]]|location=Washington, D.C.|date=June 8, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829024959/https://www.publicintegrity.org/2006/06/08/5606/lobbyists-tag-along-civil-rights-tour |archive-date=August 29, 2016}}</ref>

On June 3, 2011, the House passed a resolution 268–145, calling for a withdrawal of the United States military from the [[2011 military intervention in Libya|air and naval operations]] in and around [[Libya]].<ref>{{cite news |title=House Rebukes Obama for Continuing Libyan Mission Without Its Consent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/world/africa/04policy.html?_r=1 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 4, 2011|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230234050/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/world/africa/04policy.html?_r=1|archive-date=December 30, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis voted against the resolution.<ref>{{cite web |title=H.Res.292 – Declaring that the President shall not deploy, establish, or maintain the presence of units and members of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Libya, and for other purposes. |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-resolution/292/actions |website=Library of Congress |year=2011 |access-date=December 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231194241/https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-resolution/292/actions |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2002 op-ed, Lewis mentioned a response by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to an [[anti-zionism|anti-Zionist]] student at a 1967 Harvard meeting, quoting "When people criticize [[Zionism|Zionists]] they mean Jews, you are talking [[anti-Semitism]]." In describing the special relationship between African Americans and American Jews in working for liberation and peace, he also gave other statements by King to the same effect, including one from March 25, 1968: "Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/I-have-a-dream-for-peace-in-the-Middle-East-2880295.php|title=I have a dream for peace in the Middle East|date=January 21, 2002|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=February 2, 2021|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206002835/https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/I-have-a-dream-for-peace-in-the-Middle-East-2880295.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lewis "strongly disagreed" with the movement for [[Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions]] (BDS) against Israel and co-sponsored resolution condemning the pro-Palestinian group, but he supported Representatives [[Ilhan Omar]] and [[Rashida Tlaib]]'s House resolution opposing [[Israel Anti-Boycott Act|U.S. anti-boycott legislation]] banning the boycott of Israel. He explained his support as "a simple demonstration of my ongoing commitment to the ability of every American to exercise the fundamental [[First Amendment]] right to protest through nonviolent actions".<ref>{{cite news |title=Rep. John Lewis backs the right to boycott Israel — even though he opposes BDS |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/john-lewis-backs-the-right-to-boycott-israel-even-though-he-opposes-bds/ |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=July 27, 2019 |access-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808034457/https://www.timesofisrael.com/john-lewis-backs-the-right-to-boycott-israel-even-though-he-opposes-bds/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Protests ====
In January 2001, Lewis boycotted the [[First inauguration of George W. Bush|inauguration of George W. Bush]] by staying in his [[Atlanta]] district. He did not attend the swearing-in because he did not believe Bush was the true elected president.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merida |first=Kevin |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24413-2001Jan20.html |title=So Close, So Far: A Texas Democrat's Day Without Sunshine |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 21, 2001 |access-date=January 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117032230/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24413-2001Jan20.html |archive-date=January 17, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Later, Lewis joined 30 other House Democrats who voted to not count the 20 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral vote]]s from [[Ohio]] in the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Final Vote Results for Roll Call 7: On Agreeing to the Objection|url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml|publisher=U.S. House of Representatives|access-date=December 24, 2012|date=January 6, 2005|archive-date=May 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503021334/http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2003, Lewis spoke to a crowd of 30,000 in Oregon during an anti-war protest before the start of the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/us/threats-and-responses-dissent-tens-of-thousands-march-against-iraq-war.html| title=Tens of Thousands March Against Iraq War| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118042718/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/us/threats-and-responses-dissent-tens-of-thousands-march-against-iraq-war.html| archive-date=January 18, 2017| last=Lichtblau| first=Eric| newspaper=The New York Times| date=March 16, 2003| page=1}}</ref> In 2006<ref>{{cite news |last=Kemper |first=Bob |date=May 17, 2006 |title=Lewis, 6 other lawmakers arrested in embassy protest |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=3 }}</ref> and 2009 he was arrested for protesting against the [[genocide in Darfur]] outside the Sudanese embassy.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. lawmakers arrested in Darfur protests at Sudan embassy |work=CNN |url=https://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/us-lawmakers-arrested-in-darfur-protest-at-sudan-embassy/ |access-date=April 27, 2009 |date=April 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430065243/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/us-lawmakers-arrested-in-darfur-protest-at-sudan-embassy/ |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> He was one of eight U.S. Representatives, from six states, arrested while holding a sit-in near the west side of the [[U.S. Capitol]] building, to advocate for immigration reform.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20874725-democratic-lawmakers-arrested-during-immigration-protest?lite |title=Democratic lawmakers arrested during immigration protest |work=NBC News |date=October 8, 2013 |access-date=November 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122081738/http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20874725-democratic-lawmakers-arrested-during-immigration-protest?lite |archive-date=November 22, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2008 presidential election ====
[[File:John Lewis DNC 2008 (cropped2).jpg|thumb|Lewis speaks during the final day of the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Denver]], Colorado|alt=]]
At first, Lewis supported [[Hillary Clinton]], endorsing her presidential campaign on October 12, 2007.<ref name="CNNticker_20071012">{{cite news |access-date=May 6, 2010 |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/12/rep-lewis-endorses-clinton/ |date=October 12, 2007 |title=Rep. Lewis endorses Clinton |work=CNN Political Ticker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406175833/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/12/rep-lewis-endorses-clinton/ |archive-date=April 6, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> On February 14, 2008, however, he announced he was considering withdrawing his support from Clinton and might instead cast his [[superdelegate]] vote for [[Barack Obama]]: "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."<ref name="NYT_Zeleny">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html |title=Black Leader, a Clinton Ally, Tilts to Obama |first1=Jeff|last1=Zeleny |first2=Patrick|last2=Healy |date=February 15, 2008 |quote=Representative John Lewis said he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311195613/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ben Smith (journalist)|Ben Smith]] of ''[[Politico]]'' said that "it would be a seminal moment in the race if John Lewis were to switch sides."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Awaiting_Lewis.html |title=Awaiting Lewis |first=Ben |last=Smith |date=February 15, 2008 |work=Politico |access-date=August 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195727/http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Awaiting_Lewis.html |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 27, 2008, Lewis formally changed his support and endorsed Obama.<ref name="LAT_AP">{{cite web |access-date=February 28, 2008 |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-endorse28feb28,1,3290763.story |title=Civil rights leader John Lewis switches to Obama |quote=The Georgia congressman, who had previously endorsed Clinton, says he wants 'to be on the side of the people.' |date=February 28, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304010308/http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-endorse28feb28%2C1%2C3290763.story |archive-date=March 4, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 6, 2010 |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/27/lewis-switches-from-clinton-to-obama/ |date=February 27, 2008 |title=Lewis switches from Clinton to Obama |work=CNN Political Ticker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311075152/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/27/lewis-switches-from-clinton-to-obama/|archive-date=March 11, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> After Obama clinched the Democratic nomination for president, Lewis said "If someone had told me this would be happening now, I would have told them they were crazy, out of their mind, they didn't know what they were talking about ... I just wish the others were around to see this day. ... To the people who were beaten, put in jail, were asked questions they could never answer to register to vote, it's amazing."<ref name="Politico_Hearn_20080604">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10858.html |title=Black lawmakers emotional about Obama's success |date=June 4, 2008 |last=Hearn |first=Josephine |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=June 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608073714/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10858.html |archive-date=June 8, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite switching his support to Obama, Lewis drew criticism from his constituents for his support of Clinton for several months. One of his challengers in the House [[primary election]] set up campaign headquarters inside the building that served as Obama's Georgia office.<ref name="NYT_Hernandez_20080701">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/politics/01dems.html?ref=politics |first=Raymond|last=Hernandez|date=July 1, 2008 |title=A New Campaign Charge: You Supported Clinton |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104091011/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/politics/01dems.html?ref=politics |archive-date=January 4, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2008, Lewis issued a statement criticizing the presidential campaign of [[John McCain]] and his running mate [[Sarah Palin]] and accusing them of "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" in a way that brought to mind the late Gov. [[George Wallace]] and "another destructive period" in American political history. McCain said he was "saddened" by the criticism from "a man I've always admired", and called on Obama to repudiate Lewis's statement. Obama responded to the statement, saying that he "does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his [[racial segregation|segregationist]] policies".<ref name="Obama Rebukes">{{cite web |title=Congressman Rebukes McCain for Recent Rallies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/us/politics/12lewis.html?_r=1&ref=johnlewis |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |first=Elisabeth |last=Bumiller |date=October 12, 2008|access-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123650/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/us/politics/12lewis.html?_r=1&ref=johnlewis|archive-date=February 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Lewis later issued a follow-up statement clarifying that he had not compared McCain and Palin to Wallace himself, but rather that his earlier statement was a "reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior".<ref name="AJC">{{cite news |url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/10/11/ |title=John McCain equal to George Wallace? Barack Obama says 'no,' and John Lewis says he's been misunderstood |date=October 11, 2008 |access-date=May 11, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604113319/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/10/11/ |newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On an African American being elected president, he said:{{Blockquote|If you ask me whether the election ... is the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream, I say, 'No, it's just a down payment.' There's still too many people 50 years later, there's still too many people that are being left out and left behind.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Lauren |title=Rep. John Lewis reflects on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington |url=http://thegrio.com/2013/08/21/rep-john-lewis-reflects-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington/ |website=[[The Grio]]|date=August 21, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924110239/http://thegrio.com/2013/08/21/rep-john-lewis-reflects-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington/ |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}After Obama's swearing-in ceremony as president, Lewis asked him to sign a commemorative photograph of the event. Obama signed it, "Because of you, John. Barack Obama."<ref name=Remnick>{{cite magazine |last=Remnick |first=David |title=The President's Hero |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/02/02/the-presidents-hero|access-date=July 19, 2020 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202722/http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/02/02/090202taco_talk_remnick |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2016 firearm safety legislation sit-in ====
[[File:US House Democrats assume floor and begin 22 June 2016 sit in.png|thumb|House Democrats, led by Lewis, take the floor to begin a sit-in demanding [[gun control|gun safety legislation]] on June 22, 2016]]
[[2016 United States House of Representatives sit-in|On June 22, 2016, House Democrats, led by Lewis]] and Massachusetts Representative [[Katherine Clark]], began a sit-in demanding House Speaker [[Paul Ryan]] allow a vote on [[gun control|gun-safety legislation]] in the aftermath of the [[Orlando nightclub shooting]]. Speaker ''[[pro tempore]]'' [[Daniel Webster (Florida politician)|Daniel Webster]] ordered the House into recess, but Democrats refused to leave the chamber for nearly 26 hours.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bade |first1=Rachael |title=Democrats stage sit-in on House floor to force gun vote |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/democrats-stage-sit-in-on-house-floor-to-force-gun-vote-224656 |website=Politico |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=June 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622215704/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/democrats-stage-sit-in-on-house-floor-to-force-gun-vote-224656 |archive-date=June 22, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== National African American Museum ====
In 1988, the year after he was sworn into Congress, Lewis introduced a bill to create a national African American museum in Washington. The bill failed, and for 15 years he continued to introduce it with each new Congress. Each time it was blocked in the Senate, most often by conservative Southern Senator [[Jesse Helms]]. In 2003, Helms retired. The bill won bipartisan support, and President George W. Bush signed the bill to establish the museum, with the [[Smithsonian]]'s Board of Regents to establish the location. The [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]], located adjacent to the [[Washington Monument]], held its opening ceremony on September 25, 2016.<ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/for-rep-john-lewis-african-american-museum-was-a-recurring-dream/2016/06/28/fc05c81c-34b6-11e6-95c0-2a6873031302_story.html |title=For Rep. John Lewis, African American Museum was a recurring dream |last=McGione |first=Peggy |date=June 28, 2016 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216134746/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/for-rep-john-lewis-african-american-museum-was-a-recurring-dream/2016/06/28/fc05c81c-34b6-11e6-95c0-2a6873031302_story.html |archive-date=February 16, 2017 |url-status=live |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

==== 2016 presidential election ====
[[File:Atlanta Womens March John Lewis.jpg|thumb|John Lewis at the [[2017 Women's March]] in Atlanta]]
Lewis supported [[Hillary Clinton]] in the [[2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2016 Democratic presidential primaries]] against [[Bernie Sanders]]. Regarding Sanders' role in the [[civil rights movement]], Lewis remarked "To be very frank, I never saw him, I never met him. I chaired the [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]] for three years, from 1963 to 1966. I was involved in sit-ins, in the [[Freedom Riders|Freedom Rides]], the [[March on Washington]], the March from Selma to Montgomery&nbsp;... but I met Hillary Clinton". Former Congressman and Hawaii Governor [[Neil Abercrombie]] wrote a letter to Lewis expressing his disappointment with Lewis's comments about Sanders. Lewis later clarified his statement, saying "During the late 1950s and 1960s when I was more engaged, [Sanders] was not there. I did not see him around. I have never seen him in the South. But if he was there, if he was involved someplace, I was not aware of it&nbsp;... The fact that I did not meet him in the movement does not mean I doubted that Senator Sanders participated in the civil rights movement, neither was I attempting to disparage his activism."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2016/02/13/rep-lewis-softens-dismissal-sanders/80344896/ |title=Rep. Lewis softens dismissal of Sanders |date=February 13, 2016 |first=Meg |last=Kinnard |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[Burlington Free Press]] |access-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717013515/https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2016/02/13/rep-lewis-softens-dismissal-sanders/80344896/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/after-2008-flip-flop-john-lewis-barnstorms-hard-for-clinton-campaign-219307 |title=Hillary Clinton's secret weapon: John Lewis |first=Patrick |last=Temple-West |date=February 15, 2016 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503064320/https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/after-2008-flip-flop-john-lewis-barnstorms-hard-for-clinton-campaign-219307 |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=John Lewis: I did not mean to 'disparage' Bernie Sanders' civil rights activism|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=February 13, 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/13/john-lewis-congressional-black-caucus-bernie-sanders-civil-rights-movement|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-date=February 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214131350/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/13/john-lewis-congressional-black-caucus-bernie-sanders-civil-rights-movement|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a January 2016 interview, Lewis compared [[Donald Trump]], then the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] front-runner for the presidential nomination, to former Alabama Governor [[George Wallace]]: "I've been around a while and Trump reminds me so much of a lot of the things that George Wallace said and did. I think [[demagogues]] are pretty dangerous, really&nbsp;... We shouldn't divide people, we shouldn't separate people."<ref name="LAT_Panzar">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rep-john-lewis-trump-others-la-visit-20160123-story.html |title=Rep. John Lewis speaks out against Trump's divisive rhetoric during L.A. visit |last=Panzar |first=Javier |date=January 23, 2016 |quote=I've been around a while and Trump reminds me so much of a lot of the things that George Wallace said and did. I think demagogues are pretty dangerous, really [and] we shouldn't divide people, we shouldn't separate people. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611125950/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rep-john-lewis-trump-others-la-visit-20160123-story.html |archive-date=June 11, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 13, 2017, during an interview with [[NBC]]'s [[Chuck Todd]] for ''[[Meet the Press]]'', Lewis stated: "I don't see the president-elect as a legitimate president."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Chuck |last2=Bronston |first2=Sally |last3=Rivera |first3=Matt |title=Rep. John Lewis: 'I don't see Trump as a legitimate president' |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/john-lewis-trump-won-t-be-legitimate-president-n706676 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=January 14, 2017 |access-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113233912/http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/john-lewis-trump-won-t-be-legitimate-president-n706676|archive-date=January 13, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He added, "I think the Russians participated in having this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. I don't plan to attend the [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration]]. I think there was a [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|conspiracy on the part of the Russians]], and others, that helped him get elected. That's not right. That's not fair. That's not the open, democratic process."<ref>{{cite news| first=Nicholas| last=Loffredo|url=http://www.newsweek.com/john-lewis-trump-legitimacy-dems-skipping-inauguration-542819| title=John Lewis, Questioning Trump's Legitimacy, Among Dems Skipping Inauguration| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114211654/http://www.newsweek.com/john-lewis-trump-legitimacy-dems-skipping-inauguration-542819| archive-date=January 14, 2017| magazine=[[Newsweek]]| date=January 14, 2017}}</ref> Trump replied on Twitter the following day, suggesting that Lewis should "spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to [...] mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results", and accusing Lewis of being "All talk, talk, talk&nbsp;– no action or results. Sad!"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dawsey |first1=Josh |last2=Cheney |first2=Kyle |last3=Morin |first3=Rebecca |title=Trump rips John Lewis as Democrats boycott inauguration |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-john-lewis-233630 |work=Politico |date=January 14, 2017|access-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115140853/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-john-lewis-233630|archive-date=January 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump's statement about Lewis's district was rated as "Mostly False" by [[PolitiFact]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Qiu |first=Linda |title=Trump's exaggerated claim that John Lewis' district is 'falling apart' and 'crime infested' |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/15/donald-trump/trumps-john-lewis-crime-invested-atlanta/ |work=[[PolitiFact]] |date=January 15, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206142907/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/15/donald-trump/trumps-john-lewis-crime-invested-atlanta/|archive-date=February 6, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and he was criticized for attacking a civil rights leader such as Lewis, especially one who was brutally beaten for the cause, and especially on [[Martin Luther King Jr. Day|Martin Luther King weekend]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=David |title=Donald Trump starts MLK weekend by attacking civil rights hero John Lewis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/14/donald-trump-john-lewis-mlk-day-civil-rights |access-date=January 15, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London, England|date=January 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115022142/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/14/donald-trump-john-lewis-mlk-day-civil-rights |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT_2017">{{cite news |title=In Trump's Feud With John Lewis, Blacks Perceive a Callous Rival |url=https://nyti.ms/2iBjXO6 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 15, 2017 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |first=Yamiche |last=Alcindor |archive-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717013520/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/15/us/politics/trumps-race-john-lewis.html?smid=pl-share |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 15, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/15/in-feud-with-john-lewis-donald-trump-attacked-one-of-the-most-respected-people-in-america/?wpisrc=nl_most-draw14&wpmm=1 |title=In feud with John Lewis, Donald Trump attacked 'one of the most respected people in America' | first=Cleve R. Jr. |last=Wootson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916140645/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/15/in-feud-with-john-lewis-donald-trump-attacked-one-of-the-most-respected-people-in-america/?wpisrc=nl_most-draw14&wpmm=1 |archive-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref> Senator [[John McCain]] acknowledged Lewis as "an American hero" but criticized him, saying: "this is not the first time that Congressman Lewis has taken a very extreme stand and condemned without any shred of evidence for doing so an incoming president of the United States. This is a stain on Congressman Lewis's reputation&nbsp;– no one else's."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-john-lewis-feud-tweets-233685 |title=Trump maintains feud with Lewis: He also boycotted Bush 43 |work=[[Politico]] |first=Nolan D. |last=McCaskill |date=January 17, 2017|access-date=August 6, 2018 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723212514/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-john-lewis-feud-tweets-233685|archive-date=July 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

A few days later, Lewis said that he would not attend [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|Trump's inauguration]] because he did not believe that Trump was the true elected president. "It will be the first (inauguration) that I miss since I've been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right", he said. Lewis had failed to attend [[First inauguration of George W. Bush|George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001]] because he believed that he too was not a legitimately elected president. Lewis's statement was rated as "Pants on Fire" by PolitiFact.<ref>{{cite web |title=Democratic congressman John Lewis rejects Trump, will skip inauguration for first time in 30 years |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3181210/democratic-congressman-john-lewis-rejects-trump-will-skip-inauguration-for-first-time-in-30-years/ |website=[[Global News]] |publisher=[[Global News Network]]|location=Victoria, British Columbia, Canada|date=January 14, 2017 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=February 7, 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207184420/https://globalnews.ca/news/3181210/democratic-congressman-john-lewis-rejects-trump-will-skip-inauguration-for-first-time-in-30-years/|archive-date=February 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trump inauguration boycott grows |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38636136 |website=[[BBC News]] |access-date=August 1, 2020 |date=January 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812053028/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38636136 |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jacobson |first=Lewis |title=John Lewis wrong on whether he has skipped an inauguration |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/17/john-lewis/john-lewis-wrong-whether-he-skipped-inauguration-d/ |work=[[PolitiFact]]|date=January 17, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207182934/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/17/john-lewis/john-lewis-wrong-whether-he-skipped-inauguration-d/ |archive-date=February 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2020 presidential election ====
Lewis endorsed [[Joe Biden]] for president on April 7, 2020, a day before Biden effectively secured the Democratic nomination. He recommended Biden pick a woman of color as his running mate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/07/john-lewis-endorses-biden-170884 |title=John Lewis endorses Biden |last=Caputo |first=Mark |website=[[Politico]] |date=April 7, 2020 |access-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-date=April 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407113504/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/07/john-lewis-endorses-biden-170884 |url-status=live }}</ref>