[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H214-H220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF SONG TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, 
                                  JR.

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1010) celebrating the life and work of Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 30th anniversary of the Stevie 
Wonder song tribute to Dr.

[[Page H215]]

King, ``Happy Birthday,'' and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1010

       Whereas the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
     was properly captured in Dr. King's most famed speech, ``I 
     Have A Dream'', on August 28, 1963, when he said, ``I have a 
     dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the 
     true meaning of its creed: `We hold these truths to be self-
     evident, that all men are created equal' '';
       Whereas beginning with the Montgomery Bus Boycott on 
     December 1, 1955, Dr. King led protests, demonstrations, 
     rallies, freedom rides, sit-ins, vigils, all in non-violent 
     fashion, to combat hate, inequality, and racial injustice in 
     the United States;
       Whereas following the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 
     1956, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others, including Dr. 
     Ralph Abernathy, formed the Southern Christian Leadership 
     Conference (SCLC) in 1957 to promote civil rights and to 
     bring an absolute and nonviolent end to segregation;
       Whereas the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and 
     those that joined him in the civil rights movement resulted 
     in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting 
     Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968;
       Whereas several U.S. Supreme Court cases decided during the 
     era of the civil rights movement, like Browder v. Gayle (352 
     U.S. 903 (1956)), Boynton v. Virginia (364 U.S. 454 (1960)), 
     and Heart of Atlanta Motel Inc. v. United States (379 U.S. 
     241 (1964)) were consistent with the work of Dr. King and 
     others to eradicate segregation and discrimination and deem 
     such practices unconstitutional;
       Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Spingarn 
     Medal in 1957 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, distinctions 
     that were given to him at the young ages of 28 and 35, 
     respectively, for the selflessness and dedication he 
     exhibited in advancing civil rights;
       Whereas the life and work of Dr. King, to advance justice, 
     equality, and peace for the entire human race, ended 
     prematurely, when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in 
     Memphis, Tennessee, while challenging the inequitable wages 
     and treatment of Memphis sanitation workers;
       Whereas Martin Luther King, Jr., was survived by Coretta 
     Scott King, an activist in her own right, and 4 children, 2 
     sons and 2 daughters, who would also continue the fight for 
     civil rights and equality;
       Whereas 4 days after the assassination of Dr. King, on 
     April 8, 1968, Representative John Conyers, Jr. introduced 
     legislation to recognize Dr. King with a Federal holiday that 
     coincided with the great civil rights leader's birthday, 
     January 15, 1929;
       Whereas the campaign to secure a Federal holiday in honor 
     of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lasted 15 years, with the 1980 
     Stevie Wonder song tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday'', 
     solidifying the campaign's success;
       Whereas Stevie Wonder dedicated his album sleeve for 
     ``Hotter Than July'', an album released on September 29, 
     1980, and upon which ``Happy Birthday'' is recorded, to Dr. 
     King, with an inscription that read, ``[Martin Luther King, 
     Jr.] showed us, non-violently, a better way of life, a way of 
     mutual respect, helping us to avoid much bitter confrontation 
     and inevitable bloodshed'';
       Whereas Mr. Wonder also wrote on his album sleeve for 
     ``Hotter Than July'' the following, ``We still have a long 
     road to travel until we reach the world that was [Dr. King's] 
     dream. We in the United States must not forget either his 
     supreme sacrifice or that dream'';
       Whereas Stevie Wonder encouraged the establishment of a 
     Federal holiday in recognition of Dr. King on his album 
     sleeve for ``Hotter Than July'' by expressing that, ``I and a 
     growing number of people believe that it is time for our 
     country to adopt legislation that will make January 15, 
     Martin Luther King's birthday, a national holiday, both in 
     recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder of the 
     distance which still has to be traveled'';
       Whereas the song, ``Happy Birthday'', became a rallying 
     cry, which led to the collection of 6,000,000 signatures in 
     support of a Federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther 
     King, Jr., which Stevie Wonder and Coretta Scott King 
     presented to Congressional Leadership in 1982;
       Whereas ultimate enactment of legislation designating the 
     third Monday of January as a Federal holiday in observance of 
     Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. was realized on November 3, 1983, 
     when such legislation was signed into law;
       Whereas the first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal 
     holiday was observed on January 20, 1986, and celebrated with 
     a concert headlined by Stevie Wonder, who has, in the years 
     since, continued his commitment to promoting peace and 
     equality, for which he has been recognized with a Lifetime 
     Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in 
     Memphis, Tennessee;
       Whereas the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is 
     continued today, as evidenced by the work of organizations 
     like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
     People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership 
     Conference, which is currently led by Dr. King's daughter, 
     Bernice King, and was at one time led by Dr. King's son, 
     Martin Luther King, III;
       Whereas today, the very mission of the Southern Christian 
     Leadership Conference states, ``In the spirit of Dr. Martin 
     Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership 
     Conference (SCLC) is renewing its commitment to bring about 
     the promise of `one nation, under God, indivisible' together 
     with the commitment to activate the `strength to love' within 
     the community of humankind''; and
       Whereas in addition to organizations, the legacy of Dr. 
     King continues on today with people in the United States and 
     throughout the world, with individual acts of compassion, 
     courage, and peace: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, 
     Jr. during the 30th anniversary of the Stevie Wonder song 
     tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday'';
       (2) recognizes that the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, 
     Jr. continues on with commitments to freedom, equality, and 
     justice, as exhibited by Stevie Wonder and so many others; 
     and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to 
     commemorate the legacy of Dr. King by renewing pledges to 
     advance those principles and actions that are consistent with 
     Dr. King's belief that ``all men are created equal''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker and Members, I have been doing this for quite a number 
of years now, and I asked my chief of staff how many years specifically 
it's been. But we're here again with the ranking member, Lamar Smith; 
with John Lewis, the last remaining King disciple that worked with Dr. 
King longer than any of us. Today, we rise to salute not only Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., but also recalling those days when we were 
marching for a King holiday. We salute Dr. King and Stevie Wonder for 
the wonderful inspiration he gave us all with his musical tribute to 
Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday.''
  On Monday, we observed for the 25th year the Federal Martin Luther 
King, Jr., holiday bill that started off 3 days after his assassination 
when I made this proposal. It also coincides with the 30th anniversary 
of Stevie Wonder's 1980 song tribute to Dr. King. Stevie's song became 
the rallying cry for those fighting for a holiday for Martin Luther 
King, Jr. He was one of our greatest advocates.
  I just wanted to recall--I don't know if John Lewis remembers--the 
day at that march we got a call from the White House and they wanted 
Stevie Wonder to come to the White House. Stevie Wonder said, Well, how 
come they haven't invited you to come to the White House instead of me? 
I said, Stevie, that doesn't matter. They want you, and this is what we 
have been marching for. So you come to the White House. He said, No, 
I'm not going. And we went back and forth. Finally, he didn't come.
  But later, shortly thereafter, we began the negotiations with Jack 
Kemp of New York, with the Republicans in the White House, and this 
agreement was struck: That if the House and the Senate could pass a 
King holiday bill, the President would sign it into law. We felt we 
could get it through the House, but the other body was another story 
entirely. Finally, it did happen.
  I don't know if you remember the day that Coretta Scott King and all 
the kids, and Abernathy, Lowery, Julian Bond, we were all over in the 
other body and the speeches went on and on. Everybody was acclaiming 
King. You'd have thought he was a native son of all the speakers. It 
finally ended. They had far more time to consume than we did. A 
reporter asked me, What took you so long? Everybody seemed to have been 
for this bill all the time. Of course, I resisted losing my nonviolent 
disposition to respond to him, because

[[Page H216]]

it took 15 years before that bill was finally taken up by the body. But 
it was because of the people, it was because of the spirit of the 
people in the public schools and the city councils, the counties. And 
the States even passed resolutions for us to do that.

                              {time}  1245

  Finally, the pressure built up so much throughout the country that we 
finally had the bill passed in the other body. The President then, true 
to his word, signed the bill. It was a great moment in history. I am 
still proud to say that we seriously honor King with this third Monday 
of every January. I will put the rest of my remarks in the Record.
  House Resolution 1010 celebrates the work of Dr. Martin Luther King 
Jr., and salutes Stevie Wonder for his song tribute to Dr. King, 
``Happy Birthday.''
  On Monday, we observed, for the 27th year, the Federal Martin Luther 
King Jr. Holiday. This particular commemoration of the King holiday 
coincides with the 30th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's 1980 song 
tribute to Dr. King.
  Stevie Wonder's song became the rallying cry for those fighting for a 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal holiday, and he proved to be one of the 
holiday's greatest advocates.
  And so, 30 years later, it is fitting that we consider a resolution 
both honoring Dr. King and saluting Stevie Wonder.
  Today, I would like to touch on three significant points. First, 
having just observed the King Holiday, we are reminded of the more 
equal and just society that we live in today as a result of Dr. King's 
life work.
  Dr. King's struggle led to the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights 
Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. From 
buses to motels, his work brought an end to state-sanctioned 
segregation and discrimination in public accommodations that were the 
hallmark of the Jim Crow system.
  Personally, and I'm sure like many, I pursue my own life's work in 
the spirit of Dr. King.
  When I first ran to represent the 14th Congressional District of 
Michigan in 1963, it was with the endorsement of Dr. King that I won.
  It was through Dr. King that I got to know Rosa Parks, the mother of 
the Civil Rights Movement, who would work in my Detroit office for over 
20 years.
  On my second point, despite the great contributions Dr. King made, 
the pursuit of a Federal holiday in Dr. King's honor was long fought.
  Significantly, it was Stevie Wonder's song tribute to Dr. King, 
``Happy Birthday,'' that played a large role in galvanizing public 
support for a Federal holiday.
  Just four days after the assassination of Dr. King, on April 8, 1968, 
I introduced legislation to observe the life and work of Dr. King with 
a Federal holiday. Until it became law in 1983, there was a persistent 
legislative drive for the King Holiday.
  Stevie Wonder was one of the leading advocates at the helm during 
this fight. On September 29, 1980, he released the album, ``Hotter than 
July,'' containing a song he wrote in honor of Dr. King ``Happy 
Birthday.''
  Mr. Wonder dedicated the album sleeve for ``Hotter than July'' to Dr. 
King with an inscription, and also encouraged the establishment of a 
Federal holiday in recognition of Dr. King.
  Right on the album cover, he wrote, ``I and a growing number of 
people believe that it is time for our country to adopt King Holiday 
legislation, both in recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder 
of the distance which still has to be traveled.''
  That growing number of people equated to 6 million signatures in 
support of the King Holiday, which Stevie Wonder and Coretta Scott King 
presented to Congress in 1982.
  On the 15th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, and the 20th 
anniversary of the March on Washington, Congress passed King Holiday 
legislation in 1983, with a vote of 338 to 90 in the House and a vote 
of 78 to 22 in the Senate. That November, it was signed into law.
  At the first King Holiday observance, on January 20, 1986, Stevie 
Wonder headlined a concert in honor of Dr. King. And his commitment to 
advance the King legacy did not stop there.
  Stevie Wonder has gone on to address such social and racial ills as 
apartheid in South Africa, hunger in Africa, and HIV/AIDS. In fact, his 
musical and social contributions are so significant that I feel Stevie 
Wonder is deserving of a Congressional Gold Medal.
  Finally, we must continue the legacy of Dr. King--not just on the 
third Monday in January each year, but every day. It is each and every 
day that we should work to advance the ``Beloved Community'' that Dr. 
King envisioned.
  Dr. King said, ``Life's most urgent and persistent question is: What 
are you doing for others?'' Let us ask ourselves this question, and 
act; and not just today, but every day.
  I would like to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia, 
John Lewis, for joining me in introducing this bipartisan resolution.
  I would also like to acknowledge the many Members of the Judiciary 
Committee that join us in supporting this resolution--in particular, 
the gentleman from Texas, our Ranking Member, Lamar Smith.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I support House Resolution 1010. This resolution celebrates the life 
and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also celebrates the 30th 
anniversary of the release of Stevie Wonder's song tribute to Dr. King 
entitled ``Happy Birthday.'' Dr. King was the leading champion of a 
historic nonviolent revolution in the United States. Throughout his 
life, he fought for racial harmony and equal justice. While advancing 
this historic movement, Dr. King endured many forms of hatred and even 
suffered physical abuse. Despite this violence, Dr. King peacefully 
continued to pursue justice and equality for all.
  As a pastor, Dr. King's religious beliefs were essential to the 
success of his nonviolent efforts. It is doubtful that such a long and 
enduring movement could have survived without the power of religious 
inspiration and conviction behind it. From 1957 to 1968, Dr. King 
traveled over 6 million miles and spoke thousands of times about 
justice and equal freedom under the law. During those years, he led 
large protests that drew the attention of the world.
  On August 28, 1963, Dr. King led a peaceful march of 250,000 people 
through the streets of Washington, D.C.; and it is here in this city 
where he delivered a speech that spoke for all Americans, regardless of 
the color of their skin. ``I have a dream,'' he said, ``that my four 
little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be 
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their 
character.''
  Dr. King opened the door of opportunity for millions of Americans. In 
his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, Dr. King called the march the ``greatest 
demonstration for freedom in the history of our Nation.'' Four days 
after the assassination of Dr. King, Representative John Conyers, now 
our Judiciary Committee chairman and the cosponsor of the resolution we 
are now considering, introduced legislation to recognize Dr. King's 
life's work with a Federal holiday that coincided with Dr. King's 
birthday, January 15.
  Madam Speaker, I just want to say today that I think Chairman Conyers 
has been too modest about his significant role in establishing that 
holiday. In 1980, Stevie Wonder released his song tribute to Dr. King 
called ``Happy Birthday'' to bring attention to the movement to enact a 
Federal holiday in honor of Dr. King. Stevie Wonder sang that Dr. 
King's vision of peace should be celebrated throughout the world and 
that a holiday would help achieve Dr. King's dreams of integration and 
love and unity for all of God's children. On November 3, 1983, 
legislation was signed into law, designating the third Monday of 
January as a Federal holiday in observance of Dr. King.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend Lamar Smith for his 
significant contribution and his work as a co-leader on the Judiciary 
Committee for all the other things that we work on as well.
  I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Lewis), a gentleman whom I knew before he was a Member of 
Congress, and he knew me before I was a Member of Congress as well.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to celebrate the 30th 
anniversary of Stevie Wonder's song ``Happy Birthday.'' That song was 
such a fitting tribute to Dr. King and a rallying cry to create the Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday that we celebrated last weekend and on 
Monday.
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was my friend. He was my big brother. He 
was a prophet, and he was my hero. And above all, he was a simple human 
being filled with love, peace, and compassion for all humankind. Madam 
Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to thank my colleague, the 
chairman, Mr. Conyers, for the great and unbelievable role that you 
have played in making

[[Page H217]]

this holiday possible. When the historians pick up that pen and write 
about this period, they would have to write that you, John Conyers, 
paved the way to make it possible for people all over America and 
around the world to stop and celebrate the work of Martin Luther King, 
Jr.
  We, as a Congress, as a Nation, and as a people are deeply indebted 
to you; and we will never, ever forget the role that you played. Stevie 
Wonder's song reminds us that there is a better way: the way of love, 
the way of nonviolence. Mr. Chairman, John Conyers, you never gave up. 
You never gave in. You and Stevie Wonder kept the faith, and you kept 
your eyes on the prize. Out of Detroit, out of that unbelievable city, 
you had the right stuff, the good stuff.
  The King holiday is a day of reflection. We all took time to reflect 
on the legacy of this man who, through his love and his leadership, 
made our country a better place. It also becomes a day of service. Dr. 
King preached a doctrine of nonviolence and civil disobedience to 
combat segregation, discrimination, and racial injustice. Stevie 
Wonder's song 30 years later still reminds us that we have come a 
distance, but we still have a long road to travel until we reach the 
world that was Dr. King's dream.
  So it is fitting and appropriate that we pause as a Nation and as a 
people to remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And through 
the music, through the song, ``Happy Birthday'' by Stevie Wonder, we 
all continue to be inspired, as Dr. King inspired a Nation and changed 
America forever.
  Madam Speaker, we all spent some time in reflection this weekend and 
on Monday, but today we encourage all citizens to try to live the 
teachings of Dr. King. Our Nation will move us closer to Dr. King's 
dream of creating the beloved community, a community of justice based 
on human dignity and at peace with itself.
  Again, I thank Chairman Conyers for his work and for bringing this 
piece of legislation before us today.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).
  Mr. WAMP. Madam Speaker, I did not prepare or plan to speak on this 
resolution, but I saw my friend John Lewis on the floor. I went 2 days 
ago, on this year's M.L. King Day, and I was moved beyond measure to 
stand on the very spot where Dr. King lost his life, the National Civil 
Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, at the Lorraine Motel, to tour 
there and spend a couple of hours. It is an extraordinary museum, an 
extraordinary place. I would encourage all Americans to go see that, to 
experience it much more than I had ever dreamed. I had not been there. 
Even though I'm a Tennessean, even though I feel like, as an American 
who believes in equality and justice, I feel like a sojourner with my 
friend John Lewis, as the cosponsor with Lacy Clay of the Civil Rights 
Trail legislation which is pending before this House; cosponsor with 
Jesse Jackson Jr. of the naming of Emancipation Hall; cosponsor with 
John Lewis of the Green McAdoo legislation in Tennessee, recognizing 
the Clinton 12 and the bravery on the road that we're on.
  But to me, Martin Luther King Day is all about equality and justice, 
the traits of our great Nation that we hold so dear. That process and 
that journey is not complete. It is not over. We all know it. But great 
strides have been made, including the election of our President, a 
crowning achievement in this movement. But I was so moved by how a 
single bullet from across the street, and I went there as well, changed 
history but also how at that moment so many things began to happen.
  Now Dr. King even knew somehow in his heart, heading into that 
moment, that it was going to happen. I never realized the depth of that 
until I went there for 2 hours. A powerful, powerful way to celebrate 
this progress, this man and this part of our history is to go there. 
And of course John Lewis is all over it. You thank Chairman Conyers. 
Man, do I ever want to thank you, brother, for your life, for your 
courage, for the youth movement, for the freedom rides, for all that 
you have been involved in, for your book, for your legacy, for your 
service. John Lewis, a great American.
  Obviously, I don't always agree with you, but I respect you 
immensely. Thank you for how far you have brought us and for all the 
people who invested their lives in the civil rights movement. Thank you 
from all of us, from everywhere for the progress that has been made. 
It's so very important that we continue to fight for equality and 
justice for all. That's what people from around the world look to our 
country in amazement about. Our national character is not born out of 
our greatness and our power and our tall buildings and our military 
might. It's born out of our character which comes from lessons learned 
and wrongs made right. That's this journey that we're on. And to all 
that have given blood and have sacrificed mightily, the United States 
of America honors you in honoring Dr. King in his legacy.
  In many ways, he may have had to give his life to see these things 
happen, and that's why we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I just want to tell our colleague from 
Tennessee, Mr. Zach Wamp, that that was the most amazing recapitulation 
of what happens to people when they go and trace these incredible 
moments in history that many of us have lived through. I particularly 
appreciate his recollection and his feelings and how they have impacted 
on his work here in the Congress. I just wanted to thank him for that 
myself.
  And for all of our colleagues, many of whom are submitting 
statements, I'm going to put into the Record the remarks of President 
Obama on January 17 as he recalled that day of celebrating the life and 
legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the article in Politico that 
also recapitulated the history of the struggle that King led, which is 
not over.
  And although the raw violence that accompanied that struggle in those 
days--remember, the men, women and children who were in the struggle 
were risking their lives. This wasn't a philosophical discussion or a 
theoretical examination of where they were in history. This was an 
unbelievably brutal period of our history.

                              {time}  1300

  We recall that not in bitterness, but in honest reflection. I 
remember the trilogy written on King. Taylor Branch wrote three volumes 
on King, and I recommend it strongly to anybody who wants to read it. 
There have been many, many other records of this part of our history, 
but to John Lewis and me, Taylor Branch seemed to capture it with the 
detail and passion that few others were able to summon up.

                 [From the White House, Jan. 17, 2010]

 Remarks by the President in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

       THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Praise be to God. Let me begin 
     by thanking the entire Vermont Avenue Baptist Church family 
     for welcoming our family here today. It feels like a family. 
     Thank you for making us feel that way. (Applause.) To Pastor 
     Wheeler, first lady Wheeler, thank you so much for welcoming 
     us here today. Congratulations on Jordan Denice--aka 
     Cornelia. (Laughter.)
       Michelle and I have been blessed with a new nephew this 
     year as well--Austin Lucas Robinson. (Applause.) So maybe at 
     the appropriate time we can make introductions. (Laughter.) 
     Now, if Jordan's father is like me, then that will be in 
     about 30 years. (Laughter.) That is a great blessing.
       Michelle and Malia and Sasha and I are thrilled to be here 
     today. And I know that sometimes you have to go through a 
     little fuss to have me as a guest speaker. (Laughter.) So let 
     me apologize in advance for all the fuss.
       We gather here, on a Sabbath, during a time of profound 
     difficulty for our nation and for our world. In such a time, 
     it soothes the soul to seek out the Divine in a spirit of 
     prayer; to seek solace among a community of believers. But we 
     are not here just to ask the Lord for His blessing. We aren't 
     here just to interpret His Scripture. We're also here to call 
     on the memory of one of His noble servants, the Reverend Dr. 
     Martin Luther King, Jr.
       Now, it's fitting that we do so here, within the four walls 
     of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church--here, in a church that rose 
     like the phoenix from the ashes of the civil war; here in a 
     church formed by freed slaves, whose founding pastor had worn 
     the union blue; here in a church from whose pews congregants 
     set out for marches and from whom choir anthems of freedom 
     were heard; from whose sanctuary King himself would sermonize 
     from time to time.
       One of those times was Thursday, December 6, 1956. Pastor, 
     you said you were a little older than me, so were you around 
     at that point? (Laughter.) You were three years old--okay. 
     (Laughter.) I wasn't born yet. (Laughter.)

[[Page H218]]

       On Thursday, December 6, 1956. And before Dr. King had 
     pointed us to the mountaintop, before he told us about his 
     dream in front of the Lincoln Memorial, King came here, as a 
     27-year-old preacher, to speak on what he called ``The 
     Challenge of a New Age.'' ``The Challenge of a New Age.'' It 
     was a period of triumph, but also uncertainty, for Dr. King 
     and his followers--because just weeks earlier, the Supreme 
     Court had ordered the desegregation of Montgomery's buses, a 
     hard-wrought, hard-fought victory that would put an end to 
     the 381-day historic boycott down in Montgomery, Alabama.
       And yet, as Dr. King rose to take that pulpit, the future 
     still seemed daunting. It wasn't clear what would come next 
     for the movement that Dr. King led. It wasn't clear how we 
     were going to reach the Promised Land. Because segregation 
     was still rife; lynchings still a fact. Yes, the Supreme 
     Court had ruled not only on the Montgomery buses, but also on 
     Brown v. Board of Education. And yet that ruling was defied 
     throughout the South--by schools and by States; they ignored 
     it with impunity. And here in the Nation's capital, the 
     Federal Government had yet to fully align itself with the 
     laws on its books and the ideals of its founding.
       So it's not hard for us, then, to imagine that moment. We 
     can imagine folks coming to this church, happy about the 
     boycott being over. We can also imagine them, though, coming 
     here concerned about their future, sometimes second-guessing 
     strategy, maybe fighting off some creeping doubts, perhaps 
     despairing about whether the movement in which they had 
     placed so many of their hopes--a movement in which they 
     believed so deeply--could actually deliver on its promise.
       So here we are, more than half a century later, once again 
     facing the challenges of a new age. Here we are, once more 
     marching toward an unknown future, what I call the Joshua 
     generation to their Moses generation--the great inheritors of 
     progress paid for with sweat and blood, and sometimes life 
     itself.
       We've inherited the progress of unjust laws that are now 
     overturned. We take for granted the progress of a ballot 
     being available to anybody who wants to take the time to 
     actually vote. We enjoy the fruits of prejudice and bigotry 
     being lifted--slowly, sometimes in fits and starts, but 
     irrevocably--from human hearts. It's that progress that made 
     it possible for me to be here today; for the good people of 
     this country to elect an African American the 44th President 
     of the United States of America.
       Reverend Wheeler mentioned the inauguration, last year's 
     election. You know, on the heels of that victory over a year 
     ago, there were some who suggested that somehow we had 
     entered into a post-racial America, all those problems would 
     be solved. There were those who argued that because I had 
     spoke of a need for unity in this country that our nation was 
     somehow entering into a period of post partisanship. That 
     didn't work out so well. There was a hope shared by many that 
     life would be better from the moment that I swore that oath.
       Of course, as we meet here today, one year later, we know 
     the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled. 
     Because of an era of greed and irresponsibility that sowed 
     the seeds of its own demise, because of persistent economic 
     troubles unaddressed through the generations, because of a 
     banking crisis that brought the financial system to the brink 
     of catastrophe, we are being tested--in our own lives and as 
     a nation--as few have been tested before.
       Unemployment is at its highest level in more than a quarter 
     of a century. Nowhere is it higher than the African American 
     community. Poverty is on the rise. Home ownership is 
     slipping. Beyond our shores, our sons and daughters are 
     fighting two wars. Closer to home, our Haitian brothers and 
     sisters are in desperate need. Bruised, battered, many people 
     are legitimately feeling doubt, even despair, about the 
     future. Like those who came to this church on that Thursday 
     in 1956, folks are wondering, where do we go from here?
       I understand those feelings. I understand the frustration 
     and sometimes anger that so many folks feel as they struggle 
     to stay afloat. I get letters from folks around the country 
     every day; I read 10 a night out of the 40,000 that we 
     receive. And there are stories of hardship and desperation, 
     in some cases, pleading for help: I need a job. I'm about 
     to lose my home. I don't have health care--it's about to 
     cause my family to be bankrupt. Sometimes you get letters 
     from children: My mama or my daddy have lost their jobs, 
     is there something you can do to help? Ten letters like 
     that a day we read.
       So, yes, we're passing through a hard winter. It's the 
     hardest in some time. But let's always remember that, as a 
     people, the American people, we've weathered some hard 
     winters before. This country was founded during some harsh 
     winters. The fishermen, the laborers, the craftsmen who made 
     camp at Valley Forge--they weathered a hard winter. The 
     slaves and the freedmen who rode an underground railroad, 
     seeking the light of justice under the cover of night--they 
     weathered a hard winter. The seamstress whose feet were 
     tired, the pastor whose voice echoes through the ages--they 
     weathered some hard winters. It was for them, as it is for 
     us, difficult, in the dead of winter, to sometimes see spring 
     coming. They, too, sometimes felt their hopes deflate. And 
     yet, each season, the frost melts, the cold recedes, the sun 
     reappears. So it was for earlier generations and so it will 
     be for us.
       What we need to do is to just ask what lessons we can learn 
     from those earlier generations about how they sustained 
     themselves during those hard winters, how they persevered and 
     prevailed. Let us in this Joshua generation learn how that 
     Moses generation overcame.
       Let me offer a few thoughts on this. First and foremost, 
     they did so by remaining firm in their resolve. Despite being 
     threatened by sniper fire or planted bombs, by shoving and 
     punching and spitting and angry stares, they adhered to that 
     sweet spirit of resistance, the principles of nonviolence 
     that had accounted for their success.
       Second, they understood that as much as our Government and 
     our political parties had betrayed them in the past--as much 
     as our nation itself had betrayed its own ideals--Government, 
     if aligned with the interests of its people, can be--and must 
     be--a force for good. So they stayed on the Justice 
     Department. They went into the courts. They pressured 
     Congress, they pressured their President. They didn't give up 
     on this country. They didn't give up on Government. They 
     didn't somehow say Government was the problem; they said, 
     we're going to change Government, we're going to make it 
     better. Imperfect as it was, they continued to believe in the 
     promise of democracy; in America's constant ability to remake 
     itself, to perfect this union.
       Third, our predecessors were never so consumed with 
     theoretical debates that they couldn't see progress when it 
     came. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when folks just 
     don't want to see that even if we don't get everything, we're 
     getting something. (Applause.) King understood that the 
     desegregation of the Armed Forces didn't end the civil rights 
     movement, because black and white soldiers still couldn't sit 
     together at the same lunch counter when they came home. But 
     he still insisted on the rightness of desegregating the Armed 
     Forces. That was a good first step--even as he called for 
     more. He didn't suggest that somehow by the signing of the 
     Civil Rights that somehow all discrimination would end. But 
     he also didn't think that we shouldn't sign the Civil Rights 
     Act because it hasn't solved every problem. Let's take a 
     victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps, 
     large and small, were recognized for what they were--which 
     was progress.
       Fourth, at the core of King's success was an appeal to 
     conscience that touched hearts and opened minds, a commitment 
     to universal ideals--of freedom, of justice, of equality--
     that spoke to all people, not just some people. For King 
     understood that without broad support, any movement for civil 
     rights could not be sustained. That's why he marched with the 
     white auto worker in Detroit. That's why he linked arm with 
     the Mexican farm worker in California, and united people of 
     all colors in the noble quest for freedom.
       Of course, King overcame in other ways as well. He remained 
     strategically focused on gaining ground--his eyes on the 
     prize constantly--understanding that change would not be 
     easy, understand that change wouldn't come overnight, 
     understanding that there would be setbacks and false starts 
     along the way, but understanding, as he said in 1956, that 
     ``we can walk and never get weary, because we know there is a 
     great camp meeting in the promised land of freedom and 
     justice.''
       And it's because the Moses generation overcame that the 
     trials we face today are very different from the ones that 
     tested us in previous generations. Even after the worst 
     recession in generations, life in America is not even close 
     to being as brutal as it was back then for so many. That's 
     the legacy of Dr. King and his movement. That's our 
     inheritance. Having said that, let there be no doubt the 
     challenges of our new age are serious in their own right, and 
     we must face them as squarely as they faced the challenges 
     they saw.
       I know it's been a hard road we've traveled this year to 
     rescue the economy, but the economy is growing again. The job 
     losses have finally slowed, and around the country, there's 
     signs that businesses and families are beginning to rebound. 
     We are making progress.
       I know it's been a hard road that we've traveled to reach 
     this point on health reform. I promise you I know. 
     (Laughter.) But under the legislation I will sign into law, 
     insurance companies won't be able to drop you when you get 
     sick, and more than 30 million people--(applause)--our fellow 
     Americans will finally have insurance. More than 30 million 
     men and women and children, mothers and fathers, won't be 
     worried about what might happen to them if they get sick. 
     This will be a victory not for Democrats; this will be a 
     victory for dignity and decency, for our common humanity. 
     This will be a victory for the United States of America.
       Let's work to change the political system, as imperfect as 
     it is. I know people can feel down about the way things are 
     going sometimes here in Washington. I know it's tempting to 
     give up on the political process. But we've put in place 
     tougher rules on lobbying and ethics and transparency--
     tougher rules than any administration in history. It's not 
     enough, but it's progress. Progress is possible. Don't give 
     up on voting. Don't give up on advocacy. Don't give up on 
     activism. There are too many needs to be met, too much work 
     to be done. Like Dr. King said, ``We must accept finite 
     disappointment but never lose infinite hope.''

[[Page H219]]

       Let us broaden our coalition, building a confederation not 
     of liberals or conservatives, not of red states or blue 
     states, but of all Americans who are hurting today, and 
     searching for a better tomorrow. The urgency of the hour 
     demands that we make common cause with all of America's 
     workers--white, black, brown--all of whom are being hammered 
     by this recession, all of whom are yearning for that spring 
     to come. It demands that we reach out to those who've been 
     left out in the cold even when the economy is good, even when 
     we're not in recession--the youth in the inner cities, the 
     youth here in Washington, D.C., people in rural 
     communities who haven't seen prosperity reach them for a 
     very long time. It demands that we fight discrimination, 
     whatever form it may come. That means we fight 
     discrimination against gays and lesbians, and we make 
     common cause to reform our immigration system.
       And finally, we have to recognize, as Dr. King did, that 
     progress can't just come from without--it also has to come 
     from within. And over the past year, for example, we've made 
     meaningful improvements in the field of education. I've got a 
     terrific Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. He's been 
     working hard with states and working hard with the D.C. 
     school district, and we've insisted on reform, and we've 
     insisted on accountability. We we're putting in more money 
     and we've provided more Pell Grants and more tuition tax 
     credits and simpler financial aid forms. We've done all that, 
     but parents still need to parent. (Applause.) Kids still need 
     to own up to their responsibilities. We still have to set 
     high expectations for our young people. Folks can't simply 
     look to government for all the answers without also looking 
     inside themselves, inside their own homes, for some of the 
     answers.
       Progress will only come if we're willing to promote that 
     ethic of hard work, a sense of responsibility, in our own 
     lives. I'm not talking, by the way, just to the African 
     American community. Sometimes when I say these things people 
     assume, well, he's just talking to black people about working 
     hard. No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the American community. 
     Because somewhere along the way, we, as a nation, began to 
     lose touch with some of our core values. You know what I'm 
     talking about. We became enraptured with the false prophets 
     who prophesized an easy path to success, paved with credit 
     cards and home equity loans and get-rich-quick schemes, and 
     the most important thing was to be a celebrity; it doesn't 
     matter what you do, as long as you get on TV. That's 
     everybody.
       We forgot what made the bus boycott a success; what made 
     the civil rights movement a success; what made the United 
     States of America a success--that, in this country, there's 
     no substitute for hard work, no substitute for a job well 
     done, no substitute for being responsible stewards of God's 
     blessings.
       What we're called to do, then, is rebuild America from its 
     foundation on up. To reinvest in the essentials that we've 
     neglected for too long--like health care, like education, 
     like a better energy policy, like basic infrastructure, like 
     scientific research. Our generation is called to buckle down 
     and get back to basics.
       We must do so not only for ourselves, but also for our 
     children, and their children. For Jordan and for Austin. 
     That's a sacrifice that falls on us to make. It's a much 
     smaller sacrifice than the Moses generation had to make, but 
     it's still a sacrifice.
       Yes, it's hard to transition to a clean energy economy. 
     Sometimes it may be inconvenient, but it's a sacrifice that 
     we have to make. It's hard to be fiscally responsible when we 
     have all these human needs, and we're inheriting enormous 
     deficits and debt, but that's a sacrifice that we're going to 
     have to make. You know, it's easy, after a hard day's work, 
     to just put your kid in front of the TV set--you're tired, 
     don't want to fuss with them--instead of reading to them, but 
     that's a sacrifice we must joyfully accept.
       Sometimes it's hard to be a good father and good mother. 
     Sometimes it's hard to be a good neighbor, or a good citizen, 
     to give up time in service of others, to give something of 
     ourselves to a cause that's greater than ourselves--as 
     Michelle and I are urging folks to do tomorrow to honor and 
     celebrate Dr. King. But these are sacrifices that we are 
     called to make. These are sacrifices that our faith calls us 
     to make. Our faith in the future. Our faith in America. Our 
     faith in God.
       And on his sermon all those years ago, Dr. King quoted a 
     poet's verse:

     Truth forever on the scaffold
     Wrong forever on the throne . . .
     And behind the dim unknown stands God
     Within the shadows keeping watch above his own.

       Even as Dr. King stood in this church, a victory in the 
     past and uncertainty in the future, he trusted God. He 
     trusted that God would make a way. A way for prayers to be 
     answered. A way for our union to be perfected. A way for the 
     arc of the moral universe, no matter how long, to slowly bend 
     towards truth and bend towards freedom, to bend towards 
     justice. He had faith that God would make a way out of no 
     way.
       You know, folks ask me sometimes why I look so calm. 
     (Laughter.) They say, all this stuff coming at you, how come 
     you just seem calm? And I have a confession to make here. 
     There are times where I'm not so calm. (Laughter.) Reggie 
     Love knows. My wife knows. There are times when progress 
     seems too slow. There are times when the words that are 
     spoken about me hurt. There are times when the barbs sting. 
     There are times when it feels like all these efforts are for 
     naught, and change is so painfully slow in coming, and I have 
     to confront my own doubts.
       But let me tell you--during those times it's faith that 
     keeps me calm. (Applause.) It's faith that gives me peace. 
     The same faith that leads a single mother to work two jobs to 
     put a roof over her head when she has doubts. The same faith 
     that keeps an unemployed father to keep on submitting job 
     applications even after he's been rejected a hundred times. 
     The same faith that says to a teacher even if the first nine 
     children she's teaching she can't reach, that that 10th one 
     she's going to be able to reach. The same faith that breaks 
     the silence of an earthquake's wake with the sound of prayers 
     and hymns sung by a Haitian community. A faith in things not 
     seen, in better days ahead, in Him who holds the future in 
     the hollow of His hand. A faith that lets us mount up on 
     wings like eagles; lets us run and not be weary; lets us walk 
     and not faint.
       So let us hold fast to that faith, as Joshua held fast to 
     the faith of his fathers, and together, we shall overcome the 
     challenges of a new age. (Applause.) Together, we shall seize 
     the promise of this moment. Together, we shall make a way 
     through winter, and we're going to welcome the spring. 
     Through God all things are possible. (Applause.)
       May the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King continue to 
     inspire us and ennoble our world and all who inhabit it. And 
     may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very 
     much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.)
                                  ____


                     [From POLITICO, Jan. 15, 2010]

                     Heed King: Cut Poverty for All

                  (By Wade Henderson and John Podesta)

       The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Southern Christian 
     Leadership Conference decided in November 1967--less than 
     five months before he was assassinated--to take their civil 
     rights movement in a new direction. King set sail on a voyage 
     to ``lead waves of the nation's poor and disinherited to 
     Washington, D.C., in the spring of 1968 to demand redress of 
     their grievances by the United States government and to 
     secure at least jobs or income for all.''
       As early as 1966, King conveyed his concern, in speeches 
     and private conversations, about the link between poverty and 
     social instability and was readying an effort to expand his 
     movement to include poverty reduction among all races. King 
     had come to understand a reality that continues to plague 
     American society more than 40 years after his death: that 
     entrenched poverty and joblessness damage our country's 
     social fabric.
       These same issues remain an ugly stain on our nation, 
     despite considerable racial progress in many areas over the 
     past 40 years. In 2008, almost 40 million Americans lived 
     beneath the poverty line, and nearly one in four children 
     lived in a household struggling against hunger.
       Poverty reduction across all races is critically important, 
     but we must also be brutally honest about the racial 
     disparities that continue to separate black and Hispanic 
     Americans from white Americans. While the poverty rate among 
     whites was 8.6 percent in 2008, 24.7 percent of blacks and 
     23.2 percent of Latinos lived in poverty.
       Unemployment rates are also stubbornly divergent based on 
     race. The unemployment rate for white men over 20 was an 
     unhealthy 9.3 percent in December 2009, but for Latino men it 
     was 12.8 percent, and for black men it was an unconscionable 
     16.6 percent.
       And while some educational achievement gaps have narrowed 
     slightly over time, there remain massive racial disparities, 
     representing a threat to our long-term economic growth. In 
     eighth-grade math, for instance, black students are roughly 
     three grade levels behind their white peers.
       Such disparities demand serious, committed and prompt 
     action, starting with a strategy to create good jobs that 
     provide decent wages, benefits and pathways out of poverty in 
     the hardest-hit communities.
       Last year's recovery legislation played a critical role in 
     averting disaster and curbing job loss, but we now know that 
     there is a longer-term need than was originally imagined. As 
     Congress moves to address the unemployment crisis, any jobs 
     bill that aims to secure our economy from the bottom up must 
     include three key elements: direct job creation, assistance 
     for struggling families and aid to states and localities.
       A plan to directly create jobs must balance the need to put 
     people to work right away with a long-term strategy to create 
     living-wage jobs for low-income and minority communities. The 
     former can be accomplished through strategies such as funding 
     for temporary jobs that meet needs in distressed communities, 
     summer jobs and national service opportunities for unemployed 
     youth. The latter will require investments in job training 
     for high-growth fields and programs that combine work and 
     learning.
       In addition, economists tell us that the best way to spur 
     economic growth is to help struggling families through 
     extended unemployment benefits, refundable tax credits and 
     food stamps. Not only do such investments help sustain the 
     most vulnerable workers and families, but those workers' 
     increased spending also ripples through the

[[Page H220]]

     economy to help all Americans by increasing business income 
     and creating more jobs.
       We must also avert additional job losses and service cuts 
     stemming from state and local government deficits. Without 
     federal aid, approximately 900,000 more jobs will be lost in 
     a sector that offers employment opportunities and critical 
     public services to low-income and minority communities.
       Finally, we need a commitment from the federal government 
     to cut poverty in half between 2010 and 2020. Our 
     organizations collaborate on the Half in Ten Campaign because 
     we believe that a goal of cutting the poverty rate in half 
     over the next decade provides focus and accountability in the 
     fight to rebuild this country's middle class and ensure that 
     low-income and minority communities are not left behind 
     during economic recovery. By setting a target, our government 
     can also create a vision for shared prosperity that breaks 
     down silos across government agencies, engages the private 
     sector and inspires innovative solutions.
       Any plan to halve poverty must also aim to reduce racial 
     and ethnic economic disparities. America will be a majority-
     minority country by 2050. We must be vigilant about 
     addressing disparities now, not only because it is the right 
     thing to do but because the fate of communities of color is 
     intertwined with our future as a nation.
       King wrote in 1967, ``The time has come for us to civilize 
     ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of 
     poverty.'' Just as King came to advocate, Congress must 
     promptly act to alleviate poverty, create jobs, and eliminate 
     racial disparities.

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the 
resolve to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 30th 
anniversary of the Stevie Wonder tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy 
Birthday''. This resolve was introduced by chairman of the House 
Judiciary Committee, John Conyers. Like myself, Chairman Conyers is a 
longtime musician and music aficionado.
  Dr. King worked his entire life to make the world a better place, and 
to create equality for those who did not have it. We have come a very 
long way since he began his work. However, we still have a long way to 
go before we make his ``dream'' become a reality. It is always 
important to recognize and remember those who have done great things 
for our great country, and recognizing Dr. King's accomplishments and 
dreams during the 30th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's tribute to him 
would be very fitting. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, and as a 
musician, I find this resolution to be of special significance, and I 
urge all of my colleagues to support it.
  Although Dr. King's life ended in Memphis Tennessee, it began in 
Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He spent his life working to end 
racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience 
and non-violent protests. On April 28, 1963, he gave one of the most 
famous civil rights speeches of all time in his ``I Have a Dream'' 
speech. The speech painted a picture of a future that we are still 
trying to achieve where people will be ``not judged by the color of 
their skin, but the content of their character''. Dr. King was 
assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis Tennessee. Dr. King was one 
of many significant people from Georgia that are remembered in history. 
It is important that we take time to remember the contributions he made 
to our society. His contributions have already brought him many 
accolades. In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest 
person to have been awarded this honor, and in 1965 he was awarded the 
American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Community. In 1963, 
he was named Time Person of the Year. The list of awards and 
recognitions he has received is very long and prestigious, and it is 
only fitting for us to recognize his achievements as well.
  Stevie Wonder wrote, produced and performed the song ``Happy 
Birthday'' in 1981. It was performed to let the world know how 
important it was to him that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday be 
celebrated as a national holiday. It is for this reason that the timing 
of this commemoration of Dr. King is so significant. As a member of the 
Judiciary and a long time musician, I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolve.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1010.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________