[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H4319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               POWER SHARING NEEDS BIPARTISAN ASSISTANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, power sharing and the Voting Rights Act will 
be on the agenda tomorrow. The United States Voting Rights Act, 
launched and guided by President Lyndon Johnson, was a front line 
cutting-edge innovation in constitutional democratic government. The 
turmoil and conflict of the civil rights struggle was brought to a high 
level, successful, peaceful conclusion with the passage of the Voting 
Rights Act.

                              {time}  2240

  We could hold up to the world a new refinement in democratic 
governance. That was in 1967. Today in 2006 we should take note of the 
fact that the Government of Norway has established a new frontline for 
democratic inclusiveness. Last January Norway passed a law mandating 
that 40 percent of the board members of all major corporations, private 
and public, must be women. This is a far-reaching and bold action; 
however, it reflects a mushrooming trend toward the goal of a fair and 
productive inclusiveness of all citizens in vital decision-making 
processes. Norway is at one extreme, but there is a great deal between 
Norway and our Voting Rights Act.
  As we consider reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, we should 
look beyond our borders. A serious examination of the struggle for 
democracy across the globe reveals that our American constitutional 
democracy is not the final realization of the most perfect governance 
structure that can be achieved. In fact, it may be that our American 
democracy is now being eclipsed by more a sophisticated set of 
mutations of constitutional democracy. Our way, born in 1776, may 
within a few decades appear to be a crude, outdated approach to the 
rule of law with justice for all.
  As of this date, one-third of the world's democratic governments have 
some form of mandates or incentives for promoting ethnic minority or 
gender representation. Norway, with its 40 percent mandate for female 
board representation on private company boards, may be way out there 
ahead of other governments; nevertheless, many others recognize the 
need to move out beyond the slow processes of tradition and the 
prevailing power arrangements.
  Denmark and Germany elect minorities in their respective countries 
into regional and national Parliaments. In Iran ethnic minorities such 
as Armenians and Jews have seats allocated for them in Parliament. The 
Pakistan Government has provided for special representation for 
minorities and women in Parliament. Burundi guarantees 40 percent of 
the Parliament and Cabinet positions to the Tutsi minority and half the 
positions in the army.
  Advised by the United Nations, the Kosovo Parliament will be chosen 
by direct elections with special arrangements for Serb and other 
minority groups to be represented. Billions of United States dollars 
have been spent in Kosovo to achieve this outcome.
  In Iraq the United States advisers are insisting on an all-inclusive 
government with the dominant majority Shiites sharing power with the 
minority groups such as the Sunnis and the Kurds.
  Our Voting Rights Act, which we are about to renew and extend, is 
very much in harmony with an escalating international consensus which 
emphasizes the fact that power sharing promotes good government and 
peace. Shortsighted efforts to dilute the provisions of the Voting 
Rights Act must be defeated. This act goes as far as our Constitution 
will allow us in order to create opportunities for minority 
representation. However, beyond the law the time has come for each of 
the political parties to adopt platforms and positions which further 
enhance the highly desirable goal of power sharing. Beyond opportunity 
for minority representation, the Republican Party and the Democratic 
Party should assume positions and take actions to discourage and remove 
any roadblocks to the greatest possible amounts of power sharing at all 
levels of government.
  There is bipartisan agreement that Kosovo, Rwanda, and Iraq must have 
power sharing. At home we can offer no less to our minorities. The 
Voting Rights Act is our successful weapon of mass construction, mass 
democratic construction. We must support the renewal of the Voting 
Rights Act.

                          ____________________