WASHINGTON — Members of Congress put politics on hold to remember their former colleague John Lewis, who passed away Friday after battling pancreatic cancer at 80.

The House of Representatives honored the civil rights icon with a moment of silence Monday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on “all who loved John Lewis" to "rise in a moment of silence in remembrance of the conscience of the Congress” as she brought the House to order.

Some lawmakers also paid tribute with their words. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer spoke of the legacy that the Georgia representative leaves behind.

“He was our inspiration. He was our guide. He was our friend. He was our colleague," Hoyer said. "There is a hole in the heart of America.”

“Our nation has indeed lost a giant,” said Georgia Rep. Tom Graves, a Republican.

The son of sharecroppers, Lewis survived a brutal police beating during a 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama which came to be known as "Bloody Sunday." He represented Georgia in the House of Representatives since 1987.

Speaker Pelosi says the arrangements for Lewis are still pending and may be affected by the coronavirus.​

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.