Congressional Record, Volume 160 Issue 88 (Monday, June 9, 2014)

[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 88 (Monday, June 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5134-H5136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

{time} 1730
AUTHORIZING USE OF ROTUNDA FOR CEREMONY COMMEMORATING 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ENACTMENT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 100) authorizing the
use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the
50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

H. Con. Res. 100

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),

SECTION 1. USE OF THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL FOR CEREMONY TO
COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ENACTMENT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.

The rotunda of the United States Capitol is authorized to
be used on June 24, 2014, for a ceremony to commemorate the
50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and the significant impact the Act had on the Civil
Rights movement. Physical preparations for the conduct of the
ceremony shall be carried out in accordance with such
conditions as may be prescribed by the Architect of the
Capitol.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.

General Leave

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks on the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of
House Concurrent Resolution 100, authorizing the use of the rotunda of
the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
It is certainly fitting that we take pause and recognize the passage
of this historic landmark legislation that was passed into law and the
events in our Nation that called upon its leaders to act all those
years ago.
The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a major step forward for
America that finally allowed our great Nation to truly live up to its
creed found in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created
equal.
188 years following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence,
99 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, and after decades of
struggle by great leaders like Martin Luther King and so many Americans
who fought valiantly, broad bipartisan majorities of both Houses of
Congress came together to ensure equality for every American.
The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a very proud moment for the
House of Representatives because America faced a time of choosing in
1964, and together, our Congress rallied and voted to strengthen
individual protections and rights, and voted to end discrimination and
segregation 50 years ago.
The Civil Rights Act still remains one of the most important pieces
of legislation that has ever been debated in our Chamber and instituted
across our great Nation, not only for people of color or different
nations of origin, but for each and every American, regardless of
gender or socioeconomic status or their religious background.
Our Nation has a very vibrant and rich history, and that moment, 50
years ago, when many different people of various walks of life joined
together and, in one voice, called for equality stands as one of the
most monumental in our history.
Our Nation stood as a witness to those who led and participated in
civil rights protests such as the March on Washington, sit-ins at lunch
counters, and maintaining one's seat on a bus and refusing to move
solely based on one's color of one's skin.
Fifty years ago, so many risked prison or worse to overcome huge odds
and stand for what they truly believed must be changed. Their
contributions reverberated across every State and every town and every
home. Many took up roles as spokespersons, using their talents or what
was available to them to make peaceful statements. Several have joined
this Chamber as Members.
I see John Lewis has joined us today, and I am just very proud to be
able to serve with a man of his historic background and distinguished
service to our Nation, Mr. Speaker.
These people were pillars, absolutely pillars of strength. They used
their courage to meet injustice head-on, and they are memorialized in
the history that we carry forward. The actions of those individuals
called on every citizen of our Nation to recognize and to listen to the
struggles of others and to support the call for a change to our laws.
So many individuals from all walks of life rose up and lifted their
voices to add to the call for change in our Nation, and they stood for
all of those who were to come after them in the next generation and for
the betterment of their lives.
They brought their concerns to the forefront of our political stage
and they spoke for all of us, men, women, rich or poor.
In my home State of Michigan, Mr. Speaker, we were blessed to have so
many great leaders in this movement, but one of those individuals was
truly a civil rights icon who became a treasured member of our
community. Rosa Parks inspired countless Americans with her grace, her
dignity and strength, and through the simple yet profound act of
refusing to give up her seat on a bus, she continued her advocacy for
equality and freedom and inspired so many others who have carried the
cause for individual rights forward to this very day.
She also has a connection to this House with another Member of
Congress as well, a Michigan colleague of mine, John Conyers, who was
also a recognized leader in the civil rights movement.
As we mark this 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, we remember
the

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efforts, the struggles, and the achievement of those who stood for
equal rights. They saw to it that America will make good on its promise
for every individual to obtain justice, freedom, and equality.
It is certainly fitting, Mr. Speaker, that the House and the Senate
join together later this month to formally remember and pay tribute to
our Nation's civil rights attaining this milestone.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairwoman for the
support. It is very much appreciated.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 100, which authorizes
the use of the Capitol rotunda to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The passing of the bill that became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was
a critical turning point in the history of this Nation, prohibiting all
forms of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or
national origin.
This significant law also ensured that the promise of equal
protection under the law would be true for all Americans.
Millions of Americans faced violent opposition to ensure that the
Civil Rights Act was brought before Members of the House and the Senate
for a vote.
During what was one of the most turbulent times in this Nation, a
time when discrimination was commonplace and segregation was an
accepted norm, passing this law was a true bipartisan effort, with
Members of both parties overcoming their differences to do what was
best for this Nation.
If passed, H. Con. Res. 100 would allow the use of the Capitol
rotunda to recognize the courageous efforts made by former Members of
this House to pass the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and will
honor civil rights and community leaders who dedicated their lives to
see this bill become a reality and be signed into law by the President
of the United States, President Lyndon B. Johnson.
I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 100, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield as much time
as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn),
the assistant Democratic leader of the House.
(Mr. CLYBURN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Marcia Fudge, for yielding
time to me on this important resolution. I also want to commend her for
her leadership on this initiative to pay appropriate commemoration to
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Prior to my first election to the House of Representatives, I served
in the State government of my native State, South Carolina, in an
office charged with administering this landmark legislative
achievement.
We, in South Carolina, effectively used provisions of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 to enforce fair employment practices. That
instrument has had tremendously positive impact on the working men and
women of my State and across the country.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with the Voting Rights Act of
1965, the Fair Housing Law of 1968, and other initiatives embody the
ideals upon which this Nation was founded.
I had the opportunity to expound on this notion at some length when I
spoke in Dayton, Ohio, in 1985 as president of the International
Association of Official Human Rights Agencies. At that time I spoke
these words:

We are an experimental Nation toying with the idea of
individual rights as opposed to collective control and
tyranny. So far, the experiment has worked, no doubt to the
surprise of many who witnessed its birth over 200 years ago.
It is interesting to speculate why not only has the Nation
survived, but also its ideals and principals. Let me hazard a
few guesses as to why America and its ideals have worked over
all these years. First of all, I do not believe America is
perfect. Neither did the Founding Fathers of the Nation. No
sooner had our Constitution been written than the first ten
amendments were presented and adopted. They were called the
Bill of Rights, and we can all be thankful that they were
included in the package.

I continued on that day:

Americans have never tried to conceal or ignore their
imperfections. For the most part, they have tried to
recognize and correct them. When the enslavement of a race of
people created a conflict which threatened the very
foundation of our Constitution, the Nation went to war with
itself to resolve the conflict and ensure the integrity and
sovereignty of the Constitution. And, a century later, when
it was found that discrimination still prevented millions of
Americans from participating as full-fledged citizens, our
Nation moved to correct the flaw with wide-ranging civil
rights legislation.

This bill that we commemorate today was one of them:

Now, while it is common to say that no nation in the
history of the world has granted more individual freedom, it
is just as valid to say that no nation has ever tried harder
to correct the flaws and impediments in its system. We are
still imperfect, and we are still trying to live up to the
principles to which the Constitution has committed us. The
important message is that this Nation has never stopped
trying, and we would do well not to stop now.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, too many in this country hold the view
that the flaws in the system are not worth fixing or no longer need
attention. Too often, the view is advanced that the civil rights
movement and all of its achievements are things of the past.
I strongly disagree with that view. The work of securing a more
perfect Union is never completed. The struggle continues.
I want to thank Chair Fudge for her leadership on this resolution to
commemorate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the rotunda of the Capitol.

{time} 1745

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I have been blessed and privileged to work
with many great people in this House. You have just heard from one, the
assistant leader who is our historian and has been an activist in many,
many ways throughout his life.
I now want to yield to someone who all of us consider an icon, as was
referenced by the chairwoman earlier. It is, indeed, an honor to yield
such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia, John Lewis,
my good friend who is the face and voice for so many of the civil
rights movement.
Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio
(Ms. Fudge), the esteemed chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus,
for her hard work, for her leadership on this resolution, and for her
kind words.
I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for her kind
words and for her leadership. The two of them have never given up or
given in and have kept the faith, and for that, I thank them so much.
I would also like to thank the Speaker and our friends on both sides
of the aisle for helping to bring this resolution to the floor.
I am glad to be on the floor with the gentleman from South Carolina,
Jim Clyburn, who I met more than 50 years ago at an organizer meeting
of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, when we both were
very young, first for the sit-ins, when we both had all of our hair.
To be here with the gentleman from South Carolina today, if someone
had told me then that the two of us would be sitting here in the
Congress, I would say: you are crazy, you are out of your mind, you
don't know what you are talking about.
Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 into law. This bipartisan effort outlawed discrimination
based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The following
year, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. It was a
bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, if you visit my office in the Cannon Building, you will
see both Democrats and Republicans standing together. You will see me
standing with Members of the Senate. One man I will never forget, the
Republican leader Everett Dirksen, helped make it possible to get the
bill passed.
Too many people I knew and loved lost their lives in the fight for
civil rights and simple justice. Every single

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day, each and every one of us must remember the heroes--average men,
women, and children--who put their lives on the line in the fight for
equality.
We cannot forget their sacrifice, and we must not ignore the lessons
of history. When we come together across party lines, from different
races, religions, and regions, we can achieve the greater good.
I hope and pray that we will come together again--Democrats and
Republicans, of all faiths, colors, and regions--to pass laws that
maintain, protect, and strengthen rights for which many gave their
ultimate sacrifice.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan, the
gentlewoman from Ohio, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for
their strong support of this resolution.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to say
that the gentleman from Georgia, Representative Lewis, mentioned the
term ``heroes.'' He truly is a hero, an American hero, a treasure.
In the 12 years I have been honored to be a Member of Congress,
anytime I hear him come to the floor and talk about civil rights,
someone who has actually lived it, I wish I could take him home and
have him talk to groups of schoolchildren, and I know he does that in
his own district and around the country.
Because every time the gentleman from Georgia, as well as
Representative Clyburn and so many others come to this floor to talk
about the civil rights movement, it really is very moving, and it makes
us all think about, before we are anything, we are Americans first, and
he truly is a hero.
I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, there are just some things that are
inherently American. They are truth and freedom and justice, doing what
is best for our Nation.
I know that we have disagreements, we have differences, but today, we
stand together as one House, and I thank the chairwoman for allowing
that to happen again.
Again, I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 100, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly urge all of
my colleagues, as well, to support this resolution, which will
authorize the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building
for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 100.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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