WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andrew Clyde (GA-09) issued the following statement regarding his vote on H.R. 55, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act:

“Lynching is an evil act of violence that is already against the law at the federal level; it is first-degree murder. Furthermore, my home state of Georgia recently signed hate crime legislation into law this past year. H.R. 55 would create no new federal offense and the current hate crime criminal code already establishes penalties for willful bodily injury to another person. Simply put, we do not need another duplicative federal law. Carving out a separate distinction for lynching may be symbolic, but it falsely suggests that individuals who commit, or attempt to commit, a lynching do not already face criminal charges and consequences. No matter the method or tool used in a horrendous act of violence, all victims of crime deserve equal justice.”

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