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On April 13, 1937, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 281–108 to take up consideration, the following day, the Anti-Lynching Bill of 1937 sponsored by Gavagan which would designate federal offenses for officers who enable mobs to injure and/or kill prisoners.<ref>April 13, 1937. [https://www.nytimes.com/1937/04/13/archives/votes-out-lynching-bill-house-brings-gavagan-measure-to-floor-for.html VOTES OUT LYNCHING BILL; House Brings Gavagan Measure to Floor for Debate Today]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> Despite a solidly affirmative vote in the House for the legislation,<ref>April 15, 1937. [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/h27 TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.] ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> it was blocked in the Senate by Southern Democrats.
On April 13, 1937, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 281–108 to take up consideration, the following day, the Anti-Lynching Bill of 1937 sponsored by Gavagan which would designate federal offenses for officers who enable mobs to injure and/or kill prisoners.<ref>April 13, 1937. [https://www.nytimes.com/1937/04/13/archives/votes-out-lynching-bill-house-brings-gavagan-measure-to-floor-for.html VOTES OUT LYNCHING BILL; House Brings Gavagan Measure to Floor for Debate Today]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> Despite a solidly affirmative vote in the House for the legislation,<ref>April 15, 1937. [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/h27 TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.] ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> it was blocked in the Senate by Southern Democrats.
Gavagan later noted "very little support from the [[White House]]" for his sponsored [[anti-lynching bill]].<ref>Weiss Malkiel, Nancy Joan (1983). [https://archive.org/details/farewelltopartyo00weis Farewell to the Party of Lincoln: Black Politics in the Age of FDR], p. 243. ''Internet Archive''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> Roosevelt, prioritized with holding together the [[New Deal Coalition]] in appeasing Southern Democrats in return for their support of liberal initiatives, in practical terms consistently opposed the passage of a federal anti-lynching law.<ref>Magness, Phillip W. (July 31, 2020). [https://www.aier.org/article/how-fdr-killed-federal-anti-lynching-legislation/ How FDR Killed Federal Anti-Lynching Legislation]. ''American Institute for Economic Research''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref>
Gavagan later noted "very little support from the [[White House]]" for his sponsored [[anti-lynching bill]].<ref>Weiss Malkiel, Nancy Joan (1983). [https://archive.org/details/farewelltopartyo00weis Farewell to the Party of Lincoln: Black Politics in the Age of FDR], p. 243. ''Internet Archive''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref> Roosevelt, prioritized with holding together the [[New Deal Coalition]] in appeasing Southern Democrats in return for their support of liberal initiatives, in practical terms consistently opposed the passage of a federal anti-lynching law.<ref name=fdrkilledantilynching>Magness, Phillip W. (July 31, 2020). [https://www.aier.org/article/how-fdr-killed-federal-anti-lynching-legislation/ How FDR Killed Federal Anti-Lynching Legislation]. ''American Institute for Economic Research''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref>
===Anti-Lynching Bill of 1940===
A few years later in 1940, Gavagan, along with [[conservative]] Republican colleague [[Hamilton Fish, III]], sponsored another anti-lynching bill, the Gavagan–Fish Act.<ref name=fdrkilledantilynching/> It was placed on the congressional calendar to be taken up for consideration in the session following holidays, and lauded by civil rights groups such as the [[NAACP]]. Following a sound vote in the affirmative, the Act was taken up in the U.S. Senate.
Pending a Southern filibuster, Vice President [[John Nance Garner]] of [[Texas]] reversed his past opposition towards civil rights, expediently seeking Northern black support in the Democratic primary that year as he was preparing a presidential run against Roosevelt.<ref name=fdrkilledantilynching/> Although the press exposing Garner's true intents, civil rights forces welcomed the move as a potential deal-breaker to finally pass a federal anti-lynching law. Fish asserted that "[the American people] are entitled to know where President Roosevelt stands on the anti-lynching bill and what he proposes to do to help secure its passage in Congress," to which Roosevelt failed to respond to.<ref name=fdrkilledantilynching/> Amidst yet another Southern Democratic filibuster, the Act was subsequently tabled on October 8, 1940, by Democratic leader [[Alben Barkley]].
==Later life and death==
==Later life and death==