Press Releases

Hoyer Statement on Markup of H.R. 35, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today after the House Judiciary Committee marked up H.R. 35, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act:

"I thank the House Judiciary Committee for taking action and passing the Emmett Till Antilynching Act out of their Committee today. This long-sought legislation will finally designate lynching as a hate crime under federal law. For hundreds of years, lynchings terrorized the African American community in Maryland and states across our nation, and its use as a threat today is horrific and unacceptable. It's past time that we federally designate this abhorrent action as a hate crime. Now that this bill has passed out of Committee, I look forward to bringing it to the House Floor for a vote before the August district work period."