With only one-minute of time allotted to speak, Rep. John Lewis made this statement today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008:

Today, a bill sponsored by Rep. John Lewis, Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the U.S. House of Representatives called the Charities Enhancement Act of 2008 (H.R. 7083) was passed by the House. Lewis introduced the bill earlier this year as a result of hearings he called and testimony he requested on the impact of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 on charities and foundations.

“The discussions on this issue are still on-going, and we still do not know what the final package will entail.  We know this is a very serious crisis.  We cannot run and hide.

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed, the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 (H.R.7006) by an overwhelming vote of 419 to 4. This legislation includes key provisions authored by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). Because of the tornado damage to Atlanta in March 2008, Lewis was the first to support a bill introduced by his colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), which served as the basis for the disaster relief legislation passed today.

"Today is a dark day in the state of Georgia and the nation. Today a man named Troy Anthony Davis, a man who may be innocent, is scheduled to be put to death in Georgia at 7 PM.