House passes anti-lynching bill

WASHINGTON—Nearly 65 years ago, two white men brutally tortured and lynched 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi. On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which makes lynching a federal hate crime punishable by up to life in prison, a fine, or both.

How did the vote break down? House lawmakers approved the measure by a vote of 410-4. Democrats unanimously supported the bill. Three Republicans—Louie Gohmert of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Ted Yoho of Florida—voted against it, as did independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan. Gohmert said he supported the concept but thought state courts should try suspects in Texas. Others called the bill a “federal overreach.” The Senate unanimously passed nearly identical legislation last year. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a reconciled version of the act.

Congress first considered anti-lynching legislation 120 years ago and has shot down such efforts almost 200 times since then. “While this reign of terror has faded, the most recent lynching [in the United States] happened less than 25 years ago,” said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Dig deeper: Read Lynde Langdon’s report in The Sift about the federal government reopening Till’s case after a key witness admitted to lying.