[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 8 (Thursday, January 16, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S1064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                    HONORING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I want to say a few words to commemorate 
the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Yesterday was Dr. King's 
birthday, and on Monday we celebrate the National Holiday of Dr. King.
  He had a dream: Equal opportunity for all Americans. That dream is 
unfulfilled today. In the 1960s, Dr. King spoke out against segregation 
and dehumanization. He stood up for workers' rights and voting rights. 
He won a Nobel Prize.
  I often think what Dr. King would call for today. He would say there 
is still injustice in America; there is still more work to be done. As 
we look at what we need to do, we need to know that we need an 
independent judiciary. In order to protect our civil rights, we need to 
make sure we have judges who respect the 14th amendment and the civil 
rights laws. When someone walks in the courthouse door, they must be 
able to count on everyone being treated fairly. They must be able to 
trust that the law on the books will be enforced and that their 
constitutional rights will be respected. Let's make sure we have an 
independent judiciary. America needs judges on the bench who will 
enforce the laws on the books, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights 
Act. Courtrooms across the country need to protect against redlining 
and discrimination. The courts must not undo, rewrite, or reinvent the 
spirit of our laws protecting America's civil rights.
  Dr. King fought not only for equality under law but for economic 
justice. When he came for his famous Walk on Washington, it was about 
jobs and freedom. In 1968, Dr. King marched with 1,300 sanitation 
workers in Memphis. Let me tell you what he said that day on that 
march. He said he was fighting for decent wages, fair working 
conditions, livable housing. He said that old-age Social Security, 
health and welfare measures should be at the top of our national agenda 
and that education for the children and respect for the community 
should be No. 1.
  I say to my colleagues, if we choose to honor Dr. King, let's fight 
for economic justice. I am so pleased we passed the unemployment 
insurance. Now we need to raise the minimum wage. The minimum wage is 
$10,700 a year. That means a full-time job still leaves you in full-
time poverty. Let's keep the dream alive and raise the minimum wage.
  The first civil rights battles were over education. At that time, 
education was separate and unequal. Today, we are still fighting to 
make sure our children go to good schools with properly trained 
teachers and up-to-date books and technology. We need to make sure we 
back our educational system. This can mean technology training at a 
community college, Ph.D.s or MBAs, but at the same time, while we look 
at higher education, make sure we focus on that elementary and 
secondary level. Let's leave no child behind but make sure no child is 
left out of the budget.
  Dr. King's legacy for America must be a living legacy. We in the 
Senate must continue to fight for the values Dr. King stood for and 
make sure the American dream is a reality for others.

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