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Recognizing African Americans Wrongfully Denied House Seats

This House of Representatives resolution aims to officially recognize four African Americans who won elections to the House after the Civil War but were wrongly denied their seats. While not directly impacting citizens' daily lives, it is an important step towards acknowledging historical injustice and promoting equality, which can strengthen trust in public institutions.
Key points
The House of Representatives officially recognizes James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls as former Members of the House.
The resolution highlights that these individuals were wrongly denied the right to take their seats after winning elections.
An oil painting honoring these four men will be created and displayed in the House of Representatives.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_HRES_817
Sponsor: Rep. Carter, Troy [D-LA-2]
Process start date: 2023-10-26
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

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.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_HRES_817.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2023-10-26.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • The House of Representatives officially recognizes James Lewis, John Willis Menard, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls as former Members of the House.
  • The resolution highlights that these individuals were wrongly denied the right to take their seats after winning elections.
  • An oil painting honoring these four men will be created and displayed in the House of Representatives.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Carter, Troy [D-LA-2].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-24.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

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