Honoring 40th Anniversary of Passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964

HONORING 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PASSAGE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 -- (House of Representatives - June 23, 2004)

Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 676) recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution which honors the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the many civil rights advances since its enactment.

I want to first commend our colleague, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, for introducing the resolution. I also want the record to reflect her long efforts to make real the promise of our civil rights laws as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, working with the New York Human Rights Commission as a legal scholar, and a distinguished Member of this House.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Civil Rights Act. It is a monumental achievement, reflecting the best values of this Nation: equality, fairness, and respect for the dignity of all people. No one should forget how difficult it was to get this legislation through, how hard the forces of bigotry fought its passage, how strong the resistance was, and still is, to its enforcement.

Reflecting on these past achievements should be an occasion, most of all, for us to learn from the past and to remember that our society has changed for the better. We can be more inclusive. We can fight Big Industry. We can continue our progress as a Nation toward the promise that all people are created equal and that our Nation will treat every person in that spirit.

The resolution notes that the struggle did not end with this watershed legislation. Rather, it marks an important milestone in the fight against discrimination.

Today, as our Nation continues that fight, we should draw inspiration from this achievement to move forward and tackle the remaining threats to equality. This anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect and remember that true progress is possible, even against tremendous odds. That experience proves that we have no right to resign ourselves to the remaining injustices because we know what is possible.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I commend the gentlewoman from Washington, DC, for introducing it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington, DC, (Ms. Norton), the
sponsor of the legislation.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), a stalwart in the Civil Rights movement.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Bishop).

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I again want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her leadership. I urge Members to not only remember the need for the Civil Rights Act but also to commit to support its principles.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.