[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 111 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1200
 
                  IN SUPPORT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

  (Ms. BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
importance of the Voting Rights Act signed by President Lyndon B. 
Johnson almost 30 years ago. Unfortunately, we are still fighting the 
same battles all over again--whether Congress looks like all Americans 
or just a few. Accomplishments in diversifying Congress have been 
attacked in court. History, if we are not careful, threatens to repeat 
itself. Districts created to remedy violations of the Voting Rights Act 
should not be stricken down by the courts.
  As President Clinton recently stated, ``Inclusion of all Americans in 
the political process is not a luxury; it is central to our future as 
the world's strongest democracy.'' The Department of Justice must be 
strong in its leadership for civil rights, and vigilant in its 
enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, especially in defending districts 
created to remedy blatant violations and abuses of voting rights for 
people of color in this country.
  It is especially fitting today as we take up the crime bill that 
Congress is well-represented by diverse Members who can fully debate 
the root causes of crime which have been ignored in the past, such as 
failure in education, job training, and crime prevention. Diversity in 
Congress is more important now than ever.

                          ____________________