Following the death of legendary civil rights activist and lawmaker John Lewis late last week, the House observed a moment of silence on the chamber floor Monday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to hold back tears after the silence ended, and the House Reading Clerk Susan Cole briefly got choked up while reading a resolution in Lewis’ honor.

[ Colleagues and leaders remember John Lewis as a humble mentor, in addition to an icon ]

Lewis enjoyed near-universal respect on Capitol Hill as a hero of the movement that put in him the national spotlight at a young age. As a lawmaker, he was willing to wield that clout and made his arguments in the stark moral tones of the civil rights era, championing federal programs that advanced his notions of economic and social justice and earning him the moniker, the “conscience of Congress.” Read more about his life here.

Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.