[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2115-S2116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REVISION TO THE SHORT TITLE OF THE FANNIE LOU HAMER, ROSA PARKS, AND 
CORETTA SCOTT KING VOTING RIGHTS ACT REAUTHORIZATION AND AMENDMENTS ACT 
                                OF 2006

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask consent that the Senate proceed to 
Calendar No. 23, S. 188.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 188) to revise the short title of the Fannie Lou 
     Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act 
     Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on the Judiciary, with 
amendments, as follows:
  (The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface 
brackets and the parts intended to be inserted are shown in italic.)

                                 S. 188

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       Section 1 of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta 
     Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments 
     Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-246) is amended by striking ``and 
     Coretta Scott King'' and inserting ``Coretta Scott King, [and 
     Cesar E. Chavez] Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, and 
     William C. Velasquez''.

     SEC. 2. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       Paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 4(a), and section 
     13(a)(1), of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
     1973b(a), 1973k(a)(1)) are each amended by striking ``and 
     Coretta Scott King'' and inserting ``Coretta Scott King, [and 
     Cesar E. Chavez] Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, and 
     William C. Velasquez''.

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION.

       Title I of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et 
     seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``Sec. 20.  A reference in this title to the effective date 
     of the amendments made by, or the date of the enactment of, 
     the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, [and 
     Cesar E. Chavez] Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, and 
     William C. Velasquez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and 
     Amendments Act of 2006 shall be considered to refer to, 
     respectively, the effective date of the amendments made by, 
     or the date of the enactment of, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa

[[Page S2116]]

     Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act 
     Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.''.

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in January, I joined Senator Salazar in 
introducing a bill to include Cesar E. Chavez among the names of the 
great civil rights leaders we honor in the title of last year's Voting 
Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, VRARA. We 
reported this bill out of committee last week, and I am pleased the 
Senate was able to take it up and pass it so quickly.
  I supported taking this action last year during the Senate Judiciary 
Committee's consideration of the VRARA when I offered an amendment on 
behalf of Senator Salazar to add the Hispanic civil rights leader to 
those for whom the law is named. As Senator Salazar reminded us, Cesar 
Chavez is an American hero who sacrificed his life to empower the most 
vulnerable in America. Like Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta 
Scott King, for whom the VRARA is named, he believed strongly in the 
right to vote as a cornerstone of American democracy. I offered the 
amendment in the Judiciary Committee last year and it was adopted 
without dissent.
  In order not to complicate final passage of the Voting Rights Act, 
the Senate proceeded to adopt the House-passed bill without amendment. 
This was done so that the bill could be signed into law without having 
to be reconsidered by the House. At that time, I committed to work with 
Senator Salazar to conform the law to include recognition of the 
contribution to our civil rights, voting rights and American society by 
Cesar Chavez.
  I have supported adding Cesar Chavez's name to the law as an 
important recognition of the broad landscape of political inclusion 
made possible by the Voting Rights Act. This bill would not alter the 
bill's vital remedies for continuing discrimination in voting but is 
overdue recognition of the importance of the Voting Rights Act to 
Hispanic-Americans. Prior to the VRA, Hispanics, like minorities of all 
races, faced major barriers to participation in the political process, 
through the use of such devices as poll taxes, exclusionary primaries, 
intimidation by voting officials, language barriers, and systematic 
vote dilution.
  We amended the bill in committee to add the names of two more great 
American leaders, Barbara Jordan and William C. Velasquez. 
Congresswoman Jordan was not only a pioneer as the first African 
American woman from a southern State to serve in the House of 
Representatives but also a great leader with an impressive career in 
public service as a Texas state legislator, a Member of Congress, and a 
professor at the University of Texas. She received the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom from President Clinton in 1994. Her work on the House 
Judiciary Committee in 1975 was instrumental in renewing the Voting 
Rights Act and adding the vital minority language provisions to the 
VRA. Barbara Jordan's life and career, not to mention her powerful 
speeches, have been an inspiration to so many that I am pleased to 
support adding her name to the bill.
  On behalf of Senator Salazar, I offered an amendment to add the name 
of another Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree from Texas, William C. 
Velasquez. In 1974, Willie Velasquez founded the Southwest Voter 
Registration and Education Project, the Nation's largest voter 
registration project aimed at the Hispanic community. Under his 
leadership, the SVREP launched hundreds of successful get-out-the-vote 
and voter registration drives throughout the Southwest, greatly 
expanding the number of registered Latino voters and increasing 
Hispanic participation in the political process. Mr. Velasquez, who was 
also a leader with the United Farm Workers and helped found the Mexican 
American Youth Organization, MAYO, and la Raza Unida, helped others 
believe as he did that ``Su voto es su voz'', your vote is your voice. 
When President Clinton posthumously awarded Mr. Velasquez the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995, he was only the second Latino to 
receive the Nation's highest civilian honor. We should honor him now by 
adding his name to the title of the VRARA. I offer this additional 
amendment on behalf of Senator Salazar.
  Of course, there are many great leaders we could add to honor their 
great contributions to the expansion of voting rights to all Americans. 
Without leaders like Congressman John Lewis and House Judiciary 
Chairman John Conyers, we would not have the Voting Rights Act today. 
We are indebted to them as we are to so many others for the strides 
that we have made. Taking up and passing this bill today is a sign of 
our commitment to ensuring that the great promises of the 14th and 15th 
amendments are kept for all Americans and that the Voting Rights Act 
Reauthorization and Amendments Act is fully implemented to protect the 
rights of all Americans.
  Mr. REID. I ask consent that the committee-reported amendments be 
considered and agreed to, the amendment at the desk be considered and 
agreed to and the bill, as amended, be read three times, passed, the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendments were agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 267) was agreed to, as follows:


                           amendment no. 267

  (Purpose: To add the name of Dr. Hector P. Garcia to a short title)

       On page 2, line 3, strike ``and William C. Velasquez'' and 
     insert ``William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia''.
       On page 2, line 10, strike ``and William C. Velasquez'' and 
     insert ``William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia''.

       On page 2, line 19, strike ``and William C. Velasquez'' and 
     insert ``William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia''.

  The bill (S. 188) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 188

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       Section 1 of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta 
     Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments 
     Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-246) is amended by striking ``and 
     Coretta Scott King'' and inserting ``Coretta Scott King, 
     Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and 
     Dr. Hector P. Garcia''.

     SEC. 2. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       Paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 4(a), and section 
     13(a)(1), of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
     1973b(a), 1973k(a)(1)) are each amended by striking ``and 
     Coretta Scott King'' and inserting ``Coretta Scott King, 
     Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and 
     Dr. Hector P. Garcia''.

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION.

       Title I of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et 
     seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``Sec. 20.  A reference in this title to the effective date 
     of the amendments made by, or the date of the enactment of, 
     the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Cesar 
     E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and Dr. 
     Hector P. Garcia Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and 
     Amendments Act of 2006 shall be considered to refer to, 
     respectively, the effective date of the amendments made by, 
     or the date of the enactment of, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa 
     Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act 
     Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.''.

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