[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 22, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S4714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 511--ESTABLISHING BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES TO FULLY 
               UTILIZE THE POTENTIAL OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. SCOTT (for himself, Mr. Paul, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Portman, Mr. 
Pryor, and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 511

       Whereas the Rooney Rule, formulated by Daniel Rooney, 
     chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the 
     National Football League (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``NFL''), requires every NFL team with a coach or general 
     manager opening to interview at least 1 minority candidate;
       Whereas the Rooney Rule has been successful in increasing 
     minority representation among the higher leadership positions 
     in professional football, as shown by the fact that in the 80 
     years between the hiring of Fritz Pollard as coach by the 
     Akron Pros and the implementation of the Rooney Rule in 2003 
     there were only 7 minority head coaches but since 2003 there 
     have been 13 minority head coaches;
       Whereas the Rooney Rule has shown that once highly 
     qualified and highly skilled diversity candidates are given 
     exposure during the hiring process their abilities can be 
     better utilized;
       Whereas the RLJ Rule, formulated by Robert L. Johnson, 
     founder of Black Entertainment Television (commonly known as 
     ``BET'') and of The RLJ Companies, and based on the Rooney 
     Rule from the NFL, similarly encourages companies to 
     voluntarily establish a best practices policy to identify 
     minority candidates and minority vendors by implementing a 
     plan to interview a minimum of 2 qualified minority 
     candidates for managerial openings at the director level and 
     above and to interview at least 2 qualified minority 
     businesses before approving a vendor contract;
       Whereas, according to Crist-Kolder Associates as cited in 
     the Wall Street Journal, at the top 668 companies in the 
     United States, only 27 Chief Financial Officers are African-
     American, Hispanic, or of Asian descent;
       Whereas underrepresented groups contain members with the 
     necessary abilities, experience, and qualifications for any 
     position available;
       Whereas business practices such as the Rooney Rule or the 
     RLJ Rule are neither an employment quota nor Federal law but 
     rather a voluntary initiative instituted by willing entities 
     to provide the human resources necessary to ensure success;
       Whereas experience has shown that people of all genders, 
     colors, and physical abilities can achieve excellence;
       Whereas increased involvement of underrepresented workers 
     would improve the economy of the United States and the 
     experience of the people of the United States; and
       Whereas ensuring the increased exposure and resulting 
     increased advancement of diverse qualified candidates would 
     result in gains by all people of the United States through 
     stronger economic opportunities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate encourages corporate, academic, 
     and social entities, regardless of size or field of 
     operation, to--
       (1) develop an internal rule modeled after a successful 
     business practice such as the Rooney Rule or RLJ Rule and, in 
     accordance with title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
     U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), adapt that rule to specifications that 
     will best fit the procedures of the individual entity; and
       (2) institute the individualized Rooney Rule or RLJ Rule to 
     ensure that the entity will always consider candidates from 
     underrepresented populations before making a final decision 
     when searching for a business vendor or filling leadership 
     position.

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