[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 15, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  KING HOLIDAY AND SERVICE ACT OF 1994

  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1933) to authorize appropriations for the Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, to extend such Commission, and to 
support the planning and performance of national service opportunities 
in conjunction with the Federal legal holiday honoring the birthday of 
Martin Luther King, Jr., as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1933

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``King Holiday and Service Act 
     of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FEDERAL HOLIDAY COMMISSION.

       The Act entitled ``An Act to establish a commission to 
     assist in the first observance of the Federal legal holiday 
     honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.'', approved August 27, 1984 
     (36 U.S.C. 169j and following) is amended--
       (1) in section 3(1) by inserting ``(including service 
     opportunities)'' after ``activities'';
       (2) in section 4(a) by striking ``and'' at the end of 
     paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
     (6) and inserting ``; and'', and by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(7) the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for 
     National and Community Service, appointed under section 193 
     of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12651c).'';
       (3) in section 6(a) by striking ``maximum rate of pay 
     payable for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 
     5332'' and inserting ``rate of pay for level IV of the 
     Executive Schedule under section 5315'';
       (4) by amending section 7 to read as follows:
       ``Sec. 7. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
     out this Act--
       ``(1) $300,000 for fiscal year 1995;
       ``(2) $350,000 for fiscal year 1996;
       ``(2) $400,000 for fiscal year 1997;
       ``(2) $450,000 for fiscal year 1998; and
       ``(2) $500,000 for fiscal year 1999.'';
       (5) in section 8 by inserting after ``under this Act'' the 
     following: ``or under the National and Community Service Act 
     of 1990''; and
       (6) in section 9 by striking ``April 20, 1994'' and 
     inserting ``September 30, 1999''.

     SEC. 3. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., SERVICE DAY.

       (a) Additional Corporation Activity to Support National 
     Service.--Section 198 of the National and Community Service 
     Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following new subsection:
       ``(s) Martin Luther King, Jr., Service Day.--
       ``(1) Assistance.--The Corporation may make grants to 
     eligible entities described in paragraph (2) to pay for the 
     Federal share of the cost of planning and carrying out 
     service opportunities in conjunction with the Federal legal 
     holiday honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Such 
     service opportunities shall consist of activities reflecting 
     the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., such as 
     cooperation and understanding among racial and ethnic groups, 
     nonviolent conflict resolution, equal economic and 
     educational opportunities, and social justice.
       ``(2) Eligible entities.--Any entity otherwise eligible for 
     assistance under the national services laws shall be eligible 
     to receive a grant under this subsection.
       ``(3) Consultation.--In making grants under this 
     subsection, the Corporation shall consult with the Martin 
     Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission established under 
     section 2 of Public Law 98-399 (36 U.S.C. 169j-1).
       ``(4) Federal share.--Grants provided under this subsection 
     to an eligible entity to support the planning and carrying 
     out of a service opportunity in conjunction with the Federal 
     legal holiday honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King, 
     Jr., together with all other Federal funds used to plan or 
     carry out the service opportunity, may not exceed 30 percent 
     of the cost of planning and carrying out the service 
     opportunity.
       ``(5) Calculation of entity contributions.--In determining 
     the non-Federal share of the costs of planning and carrying 
     out a service opportunity supported by a grant under this 
     subsection, the Corporation shall consider in-kind 
     contributions (including facilities, equipment, and services) 
     made to plan or carry out the service opportunity.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Reference to repealed section.--Section 101(a)(3) of 
     the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public 
     Law 103-82; 107 Stat. 788) is amended by striking ``through 
     136'' and inserting ``through 135''.
       (2) Incorrect reference to act.--Section 203(a)(3) of the 
     National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 
     103-82; 107 Stat. 891) is amended by striking ``Act of 
     1993'' and inserting ``Act of 1990''.
       (3) Description of national service participants.--Section 
     137(c) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12591(c)), as added by section 101(b) of the National 
     and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-82; 
     107 Stat. 809), is amended by striking ``subsection 
     (a)(5)(A)'' and inserting ``subsection (a)(5)''.
       (4) Educational award eligibility requirements.--Section 
     146(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12602(a)), as added by section 102(a) of the National 
     and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-82; 
     107 Stat. 818), is amended by striking the second paragraph 
     (3).
       (5) Civilian community corps.--
       (A) Use of incorrect term.--Section 155(e) of the National 
     and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12615(e)), as 
     redesignated by section 104(b)(3) of the National and 
     Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-82; 107 
     Stat. 840), is amended by striking ``Corps'' and inserting 
     ``Camps''.
       (B) Reference to section.--Subsection (C)(2)(C)(i) of 
     section 159 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 
     (42 U.S.C. 12619), as amended by section 104(e)(2)(E)(ii) of 
     the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public 
     Law 103-82; 107 Stat. 847), is amended by striking ``section 
     section 162(a)(2)'' and inserting ``section 162(a)(2)''.
       (C) Cross reference.--Section 162(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the 
     National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     12622(a)(1)(B)(ii)), as redesignated by section 104(b)(3) of 
     the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public 
     Law 103-82; 107 Stat. 840), is amended by striking ``section 
     4462 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
     Year 1993'' and inserting ``section 1143a of title 10, United 
     States Code''.
       (6) Punctuation.--Section 198(q)(1) of the National and 
     Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653(q)(1)), as 
     added by section 104(c) of the National and Community Service 
     Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-82; 107 Stat. 840), is 
     amended by striking ``1995'' and inserting ``1995,''.
       (7) Redesignated paragraph.--Subsection (b)(6) of section 
     103 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 
     4953), as redesignated by section 323(b)(3) of the National 
     and Community Service Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-82; 107 
     Stat. 900), is amended by striking ``(6)'' and inserting 
     ``(5)''.
       (8) Subparagraph indentation.--Subsection (c)(1)(F) of 
     section 103 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 
     U.S.C. 4953), as amended by section 323(c)(1)(D) of the 
     National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (Public Law 
     103-82; 107 Stat. 900), is amended by moving the left margin 
     two ems to the left.
       (9) Correct execution of amendment.--Section 224 of the 
     Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5024) is 
     amended by striking ``volunteer projects for older 
     Americans'' and inserting ``National Senior Volunteer Corps 
     projects''.
       (10) Effective dates.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     the amendments made by this subsection shall take effect on 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (B) Retroactive effective date.--The amendments made by 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) shall take effect as of October 1, 
     1993.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio [Mr. Sawyer] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the gentleman 
from Wisconsin [Mr. Petri] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Sawyer].
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring the King Holiday and Service Act 
before the House. I want to commend the bill's chief sponsor, my good 
friend from Georgia, Congressman John Lewis, for his dedication to 
keeping Dr. King's dream alive.
  I also want to recognize the work of Congressman Ralph Regula, who is 
the Vice Chairman of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday 
Commission, and to thank him for his guidance and assistance.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Bill Clay, chairman 
of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, and Congressman Bill 
Ford, chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, for their 
efforts in getting this measure to the floor today.
  H.R. 1933 would extend the life of the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Federal Holiday Commission and authorize an annual appropriation for 
its operation. It also broadens the Commission's legislative mandate to 
make the promotion of community service opportunities an explicit part 
of the Commission's purpose.
  As a member of the Commission since 1989, I have firsthand knowledge 
of its worthwhile activities. I believe that all Americans will benefit 
enormously if the Commission's work continues.
  Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Commission, all 50 States 
recognized Dr. King's birthday with a paid holiday this year. Despite 
that work, however, many continue to perceive the King holiday as a 
holiday for black Americans alone.
  Only 18 percent of private sector employers observe the occasion. Dr. 
King did not represent one segment of our population. He worked to 
ensure equality of opportunity for all Americans. Clearly, more work is 
needed to ensure that this holiday is truly inclusive and meaningful, 
as it was intended to be.
  The Commission devotes considerable time and resources to promoting 
racial harmony and understanding through the holiday, at a time when 
our Nation is becoming more diverse. Equally important, with its 
limited resources, the Commission uses the holiday to focus attention 
on community involvement, and efforts to combat violence, crime, drugs, 
and illiteracy, as well as the importance of voter registration and 
urban economic development.
  While the Commission sponsors activities throughout the year, it is 
the Federal holiday that casts the necessary light on the continued 
importance of Dr. King's legacy to so many facets of our lives today. I 
believe that the Commission is a modest investment for the Federal 
Government to make in bridging the often wide gap between people of 
different races and cultures that threatens both social and economic 
progress in our country.
  Dr. King left our Nation, and the world, a legacy that is priceless. 
Surely, passage of H.R. 1933 is not too high a price to pay to hold on 
to that dream.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1933 has 3 major provisions.
  First, the bill extends the life of the Commission for 5 years, 
through fiscal year 1999. We all agree that the Commission has 
accomplished a great deal since its inception. However, there is still 
a lot of work ahead if we want the King holiday to be a point from 
which we can educate all Americans about Dr. King's philosophy and 
contributions to our progress as a nation. Extending the life of the 
Commission will allow it to accomplish that important goal.
  Second, the bill authorizes $300,000 for fiscal year 1995; and 
increases that amount by a modest $50,000 each year through fiscal year 
1999.
  Third, H.R. 1933 authorizes the Corporation for National and 
Community Service to make grants for planning and carrying out 
community service opportunities in conjunction with the King holiday. 
The bill limits the Federal share of any such grants to 30 percent of 
the funds used to plan and carry out those activities.
  I know that some of my colleagues are concerned that the extension of 
the King Commission represents a personal benefit to Mrs. King and her 
family. While I understand that concern, I think it is wrong and 
unfounded.
  Dr. King's legacy transcends his family. Neither Mrs. King nor any of 
her children are employees of the Commission. Their service on the 
Commission is borne out of a commitment to their country and its future 
well-being.
  The work of the King Commission provides us with an opportunity to 
renew our commitment to Dr. King's dream. Americans of all races and 
ethnic backgrounds are entitled to share in the challenge of economic 
recovery and social healing.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.

                              {time}  1220

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Regula].
  Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Vice Chairman of the 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission. It has been my real 
privilege to serve with many fine and dedicated individuals on this 
Commission and especially with my friend Coretta Scott King.
  One of the reasons that I support the King Holiday is that Dr. King 
was largely responsible for leading our society through the upheavals 
we faced in the 1960's with the doctrine of nonviolence as his banner. 
We are affirming that nonviolence is the honorable way to promote 
change in our society.
  I support the extension of this Commission because this is an unusual 
Federal holiday; this holiday is more than a day off. We honor Dr. King 
by setting aside this day to serve other people--to work on behalf of 
people who are less fortunate than ourselves.
  Thus, the legislation to reauthorize the King Holiday is designed to 
transform the observance of Dr. King's birthday into a national day of 
service. It is not enough to write laws that punish people for criminal 
behavior. It is not enough to prohibit certain actions and to criticize 
people for hurting others. We must act positively--help people find 
ways to work within the community, to support each other and to keep 
busy helping others.
  Mr. Speaker, I might add that historically the King Commission has 
worked on the education program, and now the focus has shifted to one 
of community service to encourage young people in the communities 
around the United States to work with each other and to work with the 
institutions to improve the quality of life, and that is the real way 
in which we will solve many of the problems of our urban society. 
According to Martin Luther King, Jr.:

       Peace is not merely the absence of some negative force, it 
     is the presence of a positive force. True peace is not merely 
     the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice and 
     brotherhood.

  Those are certainly words we should all live by. While we are engaged 
in a national debate on crime and safety--I hope that we can consider 
the value of encouraging positive forces and activities in our 
communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all the Members to join me in voting to 
reauthorize the King Holiday Commission and to continue its great work 
under the leadership of Coretta Scott King that has been accomplished 
thus far and that will take place likewise in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard], whose 1-minute speech preceded 
this debate.
  Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, Martin Luther King was truly an American. 
He was a loyal American. He took the difficult side. He took the dark 
side and brought light to it. He enlightened all of America on the 
evils. He enlightened all of America on the worst part of our system. 
But he also moved to correct the evil, to shed not only light but to 
bring those evils to the forefront and to terminate them and eradicate 
them from our society. During his lifetime he was only partially 
successful in doing this. It is up to the rest of us to continue his 
good work. To reauthorize this act means that we reaffirm what he had 
started. It means that we wish to continue what he has done. It means 
that we wish to continue to strengthen democracy. His legacy proves to 
us that it was needed. To remember him is to improve on that legacy. As 
we look at our society, all those things that are good and all those 
things that we wish to preserve, we often think of our heroes and what 
they have done to improve the past.
  Mr. Speaker, this is one hero whose legacy we must preserve. We must 
preserve what he started. We must continue to improve on it. And we do 
that when we reauthorize the act that set his date as a national 
holiday. It is not a day just to remember him but is a day to be joyful 
that a man of his caliber came along and set the record straight and 
changed America.
  It was his desire to do good. It ought to be our desire to continue 
goodness.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1933. While I by no means 
question the past important and successful work of the Commission, I 
feel its work is complete. We cannot and should not authorize the use 
of taxpayers' funds for the continuation of a commission that has done 
its job. All 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Federal 
Government now commemorate Dr. King's birthday and his legacy with a 
paid holiday.
  President's Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, and 
other public holidays, all of which serve as equally important 
reminders of our national heritage, do not have holiday commission. 
There is no precedent for a commission of this type, much less the 
appropriation of Federal funds for its operation. No other Federal 
holiday has ever had anything similar.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1933 completely changes the original legislative 
purpose of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission, which was 
charged only with assisting in the first observance of the Federal 
legal holiday honoring Dr. King and his legacy. It was to sunset in 2 
years and was not to receive any Federal funds. It was only after the 
second extension in 1989 that the Commission began receiving Federal 
dollars.
  H.R. 1933 would permit the Commission to become involved in a number 
of activities which are totally unrelated to its original mandate.
  Mr. Speaker, the Commission's justification in requesting an 
extension is that it believes there is a need to continue promoting Dr. 
King's ideals of community service, racial harmony and economic 
opportunity. While I in no way question the importance of these 
activities, they are not related to the original legislative mandate of 
the Commission. Many Members of Congress supported establishing the 
Commission because it was not to become a permanent structure and was 
to be funded only by private donations.
  Those who support H.R. 1933 to extend the life of the Commission and 
its appropriations contend that the Commission would be in a position 
to encourage and sponsor more activities aimed at combating violence, 
crime, drugs and illiteracy as well as promoting voter registration and 
urban economic development.
  I feel that our Federal, State and local governments, along with 
hundreds of private and professional organizations, presently have 
outreach programs similar to those programs and activities which the 
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission is now seeking to undertake.
  Mr. Speaker, rather than declaring victory and closing down, the 
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission is searching out new programs 
and activities to justify its existence.
  Martin Luther King, Jr. has a special honored place in our history 
and the heart of the Nation. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, 
the Federal Government, and many foreign countries now celebrate and 
honor Dr. King's legacy and ideals of nonviolence and social change. 
The Commission has successfully completed its congressional mandate. It 
is time we terminate the Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1230

  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Meek].
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1933, 
which will, among other things, extend the life of the Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to September 30, 1999. The 
Congress must not be silent on this extension.
  H.R. 1933, through its provisions, will bring focus and understanding 
on the life and the teachings of Dr. King. In doing so, it seeks to 
ensure the continuity and universal acceptance of one day of 
commemoration. That day commemorates one man who, more than any other, 
symbolizes the sometimes painful and frequently painfully slow 
embodiment of Judeo-Christian racial justice in 20th Century American 
society.
  There are many--many of all races--who feel that the freedoms dreamed 
and sought by the Reverend King are as significant to every American as 
were the freedoms sought by the American Revolution. The strength and 
acceptance of those freedoms--the freedoms that accompany equality--
will grow with each generation, unless we allow them to atrophy. If we 
do allow our commitment to those freedoms to diminish, we as a nation 
become equally diminished. The objectives sought by H.R. 1933 are those 
that will pass to our children the common hope, shared by all 
Americans, in the emergence of a society of harmony, equality, and 
peace.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that it will be the pleasure of each and every 
one of my colleagues to join me in passing this bill.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton].
  (Mrs. CLAYTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the continuation of 
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission. There are those who 
would say this commission is no longer necessary because we now 
celebrate the King holiday nationwide.
  But, one needs only listen to the daily news, and read the headlines 
to know that we need this commission, now more than ever.
  Our young people are dying in great numbers on the streets, in their 
classrooms, and in their homes, from violent acts, Mr. Speaker. That is 
a fact. And the most frightening thing about that fact is--our children 
are killing each other.
  The King Holiday Commission is dedicated to teaching the tenants of 
nonviolence, and the value of community service to our young people. 
Children who are taught to respect the sanctity of life and to serve 
their fellow human beings, do not commit acts of random violence.
  There was a time when the entire community accepted responsibility 
for teaching the young, that is no longer the case.
  We also have to acknowledge that there are many children who come 
from dysfunctional families, families that do not offer them the kind 
of support they need to become productive citizens.
  We should not abandon these young people, Mr. Speaker. We should 
empower them with the tools they need to grow up safe, well and happy.
  We need to teach them to hold high the banner of nonviolence. The 
King Holiday Commission will ensure that we make the teaching of 
nonviolence a national priority. It will reinforce the words of Dr. 
King, who said:

       Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon 
     unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles 
     the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.

  Let us empower our young people to save their own lives. Let us 
empower them with the tools of nonviolence and community service. Mr. 
Speaker, we have at our disposal the Martin Luther King Holiday 
Commission, an organization that is ready, willing and able to carry 
out this mission.
  Let us give them the financial resources they need to be successful. 
I can think of no better investment than the lives of our children.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Lewis], the chief 
sponsor of the measure before us.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my good friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Sawyer], for yielding. The 
gentleman from Ohio is more than a cosponsor, but a wholehearted 
sponsor and supporter of this piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of a very important piece of 
legislation which I have introduced in the House and which Senator 
Harris Wofford has introduced in the Senate, the King Holiday and 
Service Act of 1993.
  In 1963, Dr. King said that, ``violence is the voice of the 
unheard.'' These are still important words today.
  I ask my colleagues, how can we ask our children to call upon their 
inner strength if we do not teach them to recognize the value of their 
own souls? How will our children resolve conflicts if the greatest 
strength they know is a gun or a knife in their hand? How will we 
justify our negligence if we do not make an active effort to pass the 
teachings of Dr. King on to our children?
  We must use every resource to show our children that they can work 
together and that together they can achieve a common good, a higher 
good.
  The Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday Commission has made 
important inroads. When the Commission began its work, only 17 States 
celebrated the King holiday. Now, Dr. King's birthday is celebrated in 
all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and more than 100 nations.
  When the Commission began its work, many of the children now involved 
in Commission activities spent their free time in the streets. Now, the 
Commission has enlisted over 27,000 youth in ``Youth Against Violence 
Symposiums.'' The Commission has recruited 4 million young people to 
sign a pledge committing themselves to a life of nonviolence. And the 
Commission has brought together 1,000 youth leaders at youth assemblies 
that address major social problems such as drug abuse and illiteracy.
  I believe we can do more. We must.
  Today, some 100,000 students take guns to school every day. Another 
160,000 stay home out of fear of violence at school. We are still a 
society divided by race and class. Our cities and our schools have 
become centers of crime and violence. They have become places of 
despair.
  Dr. King's method was love. His weapon was truth. And his goal was 
the ``Beloved Community''--a community based on justice, a community at 
peace.
  Dr. King could speak and the masses understood from his words that 
they were somebody. He was a spokesman not only for one race, but for 
human beings of every kind.

                              {time}  1240

  We no longer hear his voice, but we still hear his words. We can no 
longer take part in his actions, but we can take actions of our own. We 
must not allow the King holiday to become a day of nothing in 
particular--a day of shopping, a day of recreating. We must make the 
holiday a day of action, for ourselves and for our children.
  One of the most important things I tell young people today is that 
you must believe in the possibility for positive change. I have always 
had a firm belief in the idea that people of good will can work 
together and bring about positive change. But, change takes effort. 
Change takes organization.
  The Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission is a 
tremendous and important source of this effort.
  It is a tremendous and important source of organization for the cause 
of peace, for the cause of nonviolence, for the cause of building a 
sense of family, a sense of community. I believe we can make a little 
sacrifice; we can afford a little effort to make the lives of our 
children better today and tomorrow. We can afford a little effort to 
involve our children in nonviolent activity and esteem-building 
activities such as a community service.
  We must allow the important work of the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Federal Holiday Commission to continue. I believe with the King Holiday 
Commission, we will witness in our country in the days to come a 
nonviolent revolution, a revolution of values, a revolution of ideas 
that we will create a sense of community. We will create a sense of 
family. We will create America's house.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague on the 
Committee on Education and Labor, the distinguished gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Owens].
  (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1933, the 
King Holiday Service Act of 1994. Ten years after the Martin Luther 
King, Jr., Federal Holiday Commission was established to 
institutionalize the holiday marking the birth of Dr. King and to 
encourage appropriate activities celebrating his life, all 50 States 
officially observe the King holiday. However, few private employers 
observe the holiday and many people continue to perceive the King 
holiday as an event for African-Americans alone.
  Clearly, more must be done to ensure that this holiday is as 
meaningful and inclusive as it is intended to be. One way in which the 
Commission continues to work toward this objective is advancing 
community service opportunities which promote nonviolence, racial 
cooperation and understanding, and social justice. H.R. 1933 authorizes 
the Corporation for National and Community Service to make grants for 
service activities which promote Dr. King's timeless ideals of 
community service and racial harmony, and are a fitting tribute to his 
life. In his own words delivered in a June 1961 commencement address 
entitled ``The American Dream'' Dr. King said:

       * * * We have made of this world a neighborhood; now * * * 
     we must make of it a brotherhood * * * we must all learn to 
     live together as brothers or we will perish together as 
     fools. We must come to see that no individual can live alone 
     * * * we must all live together; we must all be concerned 
     about one another.

  I would like to add that I am particularly proud of the Martin Luther 
King Commission in my district in Brooklyn. As our diverse Nation 
continues to struggle with acts of racism and violence, the Commission 
in Brooklyn sponsors activities to promote Dr. King's teachings. This 
Commission recognizes the achievements of talented and thoughtful young 
people who, through creative essays and artwork, reflect on Dr. King's 
life. It is only if every successive generation of youth fully embrace 
Dr. King's ideals that we will achieve his dream of a nation that will 
``rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--that all men are 
created equal,'' a nation where people are judged ``by the content of 
their character, not by the color of their skin.''
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I pause only to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for raising the 
kinds of questions which he has raised in so thoughtful a manner. They 
are the kinds of questions that ought to be raised by any measure of 
this kind as it comes before us.
  Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong 
support of the bill to extend the life of the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Federal Holiday Commission to September 30, 1999.
  Although it has been over two decades since Dr. King was laid to 
rest, his spirit is very much with us today. His challenge to people of 
all races to embrace justice, equality and nonviolence is more relevant 
today then ever.
  Our society still has a long way to go in overcoming obstacles and 
achieving the racial harmony envisioned by Dr. King.
  When we have a school principal in Alabama telling a child her birth 
was a mistake because her parents are of different races, we have 
really not come very far in heeding Dr. King's message of tolerance and 
acceptance.
  I feel privileged to have known Dr. King personally. About a week 
before his untimely death, Dr. King visited New Jersey to mobilize 
support for a cause that was important to him--the Poor People's 
Campaign. I spent some time with him that day as he spoke to students 
at a local high school and to a congregation at a local church.
  I am proud that in my hometown of Newark we have now dedicated the 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building in honor of this great leader.
  It is important that we as a nation keep Dr. King's dream alive. The 
bill we are considering today accomplished that goal in a number of 
ways. In addition to allowing the Commission to continue its work in 
addressing violence, crime, drug abuse and illiteracy, the measure also 
allows the Corporation on National and Community Service to make grants 
available to help with planning national service programs held in 
conjunction with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this extension to allow 
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to continue its 
important work.

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