“I was proud to support the passage of legislation today to honor the memory of my friend and brother John Lewis by renaming a post office in Atlanta after a champion of civil rights and voting rights who represented Georgia’s Fifth District in the House for seventeen terms.  I want to thank Rep. Nikema Williams for leading this effort.  She has been an outstanding Representative for her district, carrying on John’s work and taking steps to ensure that his legacy is long remembered and celebrated.    “John Lewis was an extraordinary human being and American hero.  Once this legislation is enacted, the newly renamed John R. Lewis U.S. Post Office will serve as a powerful reminder of his contributions to government, to our democracy, and to the economic opportunity and wellbeing of the Georgians he represented.  That’s because our community post offices are centers of activity in all of these areas.  They are the places where Americans go to access economic opportunities; they are the places Americans go to receive important services from the federal government; and, most importantly, they have become places where many Americans participate in our democracy by casting votes by mail.  John, of course, was a crusader for the right to vote.  He worked hard throughout his life to ensure that every eligible American could exercise that right, cast a ballot, and have a voice in our government.  Whenever a Georgian casts his or her ballot by mail at the John R. Lewis U.S. Post Office in Atlanta, that act will honor his memory and life’s work.”