[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4276, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, 
JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
                              ACT, FY 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 1998

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the rule 
which will govern how we proceed on H.R. 4276, the Commerce, Justice, 
State Appropriations bill. I am grateful to the Rules Committee for 
allowing the Mollohan amendment to be considered which would restore 
full funding for a fair and accurate census. The subject of the Census 
was addressed in Article I Section 2 of the Constitution of the United 
States as it states, ``The actual Enumeration shall be made within 
three years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United 
States, and within every subsequent Term of Ten Years.'' With that goal 
in mind the Bureau of the Census conducted the first National Census in 
1790. The census also places our population in a particular location as 
of census day so Congress can be reapportioned and the state and local 
governments redistricted while federal monies can be apportioned.
  The ability to use sampling during the 2000 Census will insure that 
any undercounting which may occur in this census because of sparsely 
populated regions of states like Texas or hard to count urban populated 
areas like Houston, can be held to a minimum. Undercounting the results 
of the 2000 Census would negatively impact Texas' share of federal 
funds for block grants, housing, education, health, transportation and 
numerous other federally funded programs.
  In 1990, the City of Houston was undercounted by 3.9 percent in that 
year's Census using the current ``head count'' method which only 
recorded 1,630,553 residents. Based on the sampling that was prepared 
for that Census, but never used it is estimated that over 66,000 
Houstonians were missed by the 1990 Census.
  African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians were 
missed at a much greater rate than whites. The 1990 Census undercounted 
approximately 4 Million people, about the same number who were counted 
all together in the first census 200 years ago. Even more troubling, 
this last census was, for the first time in history, less accurate than 
its predecessor. The undercount was 33 percent greater than the 
undercount in the 1980 census.
  Mr. Chairman, I will be offering some amendments to this bill.
  One of these amendments will increase funding to the Community 
Relations Service of The Department of Justice. As many of you may be 
aware, CRS is a Federal agency under the Department of Justice that 
helps local communities prevent and assuage community racial conflict 
and violence. CRS worked hard in my homestate of Texas during the 
aftermath of the recent tragic and brutal murder of Mr. James Byrd, Jr. 
in Jasper, and CRS was crucial in helping the community to begin 
healing during the Jasper aftermath and CRS has also been with us 
during recent rallies opposing the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, when racial 
conflict threatens peaceful community relations, CRS services are 
sought by mayors, police chiefs, school superintendents and civic 
leaders throughout our country.

  During 1996 and 1997, more than 500 churches in 13 Southern States 
were burned or desecrated. CRS has been an integral partner in working 
with state and local officials in more than 190 communities throughout 
Texas and the south.
  Unfortunately, due to the rise of racial conflict and hate crimes in 
our country, CRS was forced to decline more than 40% of the requests 
for assistance made during this year. Because of CRS' lack of adequate 
resources, CRS cannot respond to some communities who face even the 
most serious racial conflict and violence.
  Currently, CRS operates its entire program with just 41 staff and a 
budget of just 5.3 million. Between 1992 and 1997, CRS' budget declined 
more than 80% and its staffing by two thirds, an all time low. My 
amendment will increase funding to CRS by 2.2 million dollars and will 
allow CRS to further assist all of our communities in working towards 
eliminating racial intolerance and conflict throughout America.
  The other amendment, that I may offer, is to protect our children 
from the dangers of handguns by requiring every handgun purchased in 
this country to have a child protective lock device.
  It is a great tragedy that children are accidentally hurt and killed 
across our country, simply because their parents guns are accessible to 
their curious hands.
  The addition of a handgun lock will allow responsible citizens to 
obtain guns, however it will not allow those guns to be accidentally 
fired by a family or neighborhood child who discovers the weapon.

                          ____________________