Washington, D.C. - Today the members of the For Country Caucus issued a statement announcing their support for H.R. 35 - Emmitt Till Antilynching Act, which was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting approval in the U.S. Senate. 

"For over 100 years, Congress has failed to pass a bill to make lynching a federal crime. As members of the For Country Caucus, made up of veterans who proudly stood on the line to defend the principle that all people are created equal, we call on the U.S. Senate to immediately pass H.R. 35 – Emmett Till Antilynching Act. 

"H.R. 35 amends the United States Code to criminalize lynching and provide for enhanced sentencing under existing federal hate crime statutes.  It specifies that a lynching offense is a deprivation of civil rights and frames the act as a conspiracy crime. 

"The bill language in H.R. 35 is identical to that of S. 488 that passed the Senate by unanimous consent in 2019 and has wide bipartisan support in the Senate, including 47 co-sponsors. Given the pain caused by racism and racial injustice that has been rightfully moved to the forefront of our national consciousness over the past two weeks, H.R. 35 is a needed action to demonstrate to our country that Congress can be unified in standing up for Black lives. We, the For Country Caucus, commit ourselves to personally and collectively doing the work necessary to eradicate racism and bolster justice in our nation."

For Country Caucus provides principled military veteran members a platform to work in a nonpartisan way and create a more productive government. For Country’s vision is a less polarized Congress that works for — and is trusted by — Americans. We seek a Congress where members serve with integrity, civility and courage. And we want a Congress that is strategic in purpose, focused in action and where elected officials put their country first. 

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