The House on Wednesday passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal crime.
The bill was passed with a vote of 410-4. The bill is named in honor of Till, who was murdered at age 14 in a racist attack in Mississippi in 1955. His lynching was one of 4,742 that were reported between 1892 and 1968, reports NBC News.
Only Reps. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) voted against the bill; Yoho told CNN’s Manu Raju the bill is an “overreach of the federal government.”
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), meanwhile, hailed its passage as a way to “finally bring justice” to the victims of lynching.
The legislation is expected to move to President Trump for his final signature
In the last 120 years, Congress has attempted to #OutlawLynching over 200 times.
After decades of terror, today, the House will finally bring justice to the over 4,000 victims of lynching by passing the #EmmettTill Antilynching Act to outlaw lynching once and for all.
— James E. Clyburn (@WhipClyburn) February 26, 2020
