Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the African Americans who duly won election to the House during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era but were wrongly denied the right to take their seats should be recognized as former Members of the House.

Bill: 118-hres-817
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Carter, Troy [D-LA-2]
Introduced: 2023-10-26
Policy area: Congress
Latest action: action_date: 2023-10-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-10-26
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls&nbsp;(1) won election to the House during Reconstruction, (2)&nbsp;were wrongly denied the right to take their seats as Members, and (3) should be recognized as former Members.</p><p>The resolution also&nbsp;expresses the sense of the House that an&nbsp;oil on canvas honoring James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls should be displayed in the House connecting corridor (first floor).</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 817 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 26, 2023 Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick , Mr. Frost , Ms. Wilson of Florida , Ms. Jackson Lee , Ms. Williams of Georgia , Mr. Payne , Mr. Ivey , Mr. Thompson of Mississippi , Ms. Adams , Ms. Norton , Mr. Bishop of Georgia , Mr. David Scott of Georgia , Mr. Cleaver , Mr. Green of Texas , Ms. Clarke of New York , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Mr. Carson , Ms. Sewell , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Mr. Evans , Mr. Neguse , Ms. Brown , Ms. Crockett , Mr. Davis of North Carolina , and Ms. McClellan ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the African Americans who duly won election to the House during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era but were wrongly denied the right to take their seats should be recognized as former Members of the House.

Whereas, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, many African Americans won election to the House of Representatives but were wrongly denied the right to serve as Members; Whereas James Lewis of Louisiana, who won an election in 1869, was denied his seat in the House when his credentials were challenged; Whereas John Willis Menard of Louisiana, who also won an election in 1869, was denied his seat in the House on the basis of a challenge by the individual he defeated; Whereas Pinckney B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana, who had been elected previously to the House, conceded his seat in the House on the assumption that he would be seated in the Senate, but was denied his seat by the Democratic majority; and Whereas Josiah Thomas Walls of Florida, who had been elected previously to the House and recognized as a former Member of Congress, won an election in 1874 but was denied his seat in the House on the basis of a challenge by the individual he defeated, a former colonel in the Confederate Army: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls duly won election to the House during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era; (2) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls were wrongly denied the right to take their seats as Members of the House; (3) James Lewis, John Willis Menard, and Pinckney B.S. Pinchback should be recognized as former Members of the House; and (4) an oil on canvas honoring James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls should be displayed in the House connecting corridor, first floor.