House Passes Anti-Lynching Bill After 120 Years of Failure

Since at least 1900, members of the House and Senate have tried to pass a law making lynching a federal crime. The bills were consistently blocked, shelved or ignored, and the passage of time has rendered anti-lynching legislation increasingly symbolic.

But on Wednesday, a measure to add lynching to the United States Criminal Code passed in the House. The Senate passed a version of the bill last year.

Once the bills are formally reconciled, the legislation can be sent to the Oval Office, where President Trump is expected to sign it into law.

The House bill, called the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, was introduced by Representative Bobby Rush, a Democrat from Illinois. The Senate bill, which passed unanimously last year, was introduced by Kamala Harris, Democrat of California; Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey; and Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina.

“Today brings us one step closer to finally reconciling a dark chapter in our nation’s history,” Mr. Booker said in a statement about the passage of the House bill on Wednesday.