[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 32 (Monday, February 29, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1005-H1006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4238) to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and 
the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 
to modernize terms relating to minorities.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4238

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

     SECTION 1. MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES.

       (a) Office of Minority Economic Impact.--Section 211(f)(1) 
     of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 
     7141(f)(1)) is amended by striking ``a Negro, Puerto Rican, 
     American Indian, Eskimo, Oriental, or Aleut or is a Spanish 
     speaking individual of Spanish descent'' and inserting 
     ``Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, 
     African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or 
     an Alaska Native''.
       (b) Minority Business Enterprises.--Section 106(f)(2) of 
     the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act 
     of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6705(f)(2)) is amended by striking 
     ``Negroes, Spanish-speaking, Orientals, Indians, Eskimos, and 
     Aleuts'' and inserting ``Asian American, Native Hawaiian, 
     Pacific Islanders, African American, Hispanic, Native 
     American, or Alaska Natives''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to consider H.R. 4238, a bill to amend the 
Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works 
Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms in 
the original legislation relating to minorities.
  This bill replaces offensive terms relating to minorities found in 
decades-old energy legislation. I want to thank Grace Meng for being 
the lead on this commonsense piece of legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my colleague from the great 
State of New York (Ms. Meng) for her work in bringing forth H.R. 4238, 
a bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local 
Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to 
modernize terms relating to minorities.
  Mr. Speaker, this commonsense bill received unanimous bipartisan 
support when it came before both the Energy and Power Subcommittee, on 
which I serve as the ranking member, and when it came before the full 
Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, words matter. This bill strikes outdated, offensive 
terms related to minorities out of the Federal statute that can be 
found in the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public 
Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward bill that helps bring these 
statutes up to modern times and into the 21st century, at least as far 
as getting rid of these offensive terms is concerned.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Meng).
  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that H.R. 4238 has made it 
to the House floor today.
  As you know, this bill will strike the term ``Oriental'' from Federal 
law in the last two places it is used to refer to a person. This 
legislation is long overdue, and I am thankful for your consideration 
and, I hope, passage of it.
  I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Representative Ed 
Royce, for being an original author of this bill with me, as well as 
every member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
  I would also like to thank Representative Butterfield and 
Representative Sanchez, chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus and 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus, respectively, for cosponsoring this 
legislation.
  I would also like to personally thank Chairman Upton and Ranking 
Member Pallone for shepherding this legislation through the Energy and 
Commerce Committee, as well as Representatives Whitfield and Rush, who 
moved it through the Energy and Power Subcommittee.
  We are all aware that there are chapters of American history that are 
not perfect. This very body, for example, once found it appropriate to 
pass laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Geary Act. But we 
also found it appropriate to repeal them. Times change, what is 
acceptable changes, and this Congress more often than not yields to 
that change.
  Toward that end, the time has come to repeal certain terms from 
Federal law that many in the Asian American community would find 
offensive. In the same way I would not want either of my children to be 
referred to as ``Orientals'' by their teachers at school, I hope we can 
agree that such terms no longer deserve a place in Federal law.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing this legislation to the 
floor for a vote today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
important measure.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank once again Ms. Grace

[[Page H1006]]

Meng for bringing this important issue to the attention of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee.
  I would urge all Members to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 
4238, which was introduced by my colleague, the gentlewoman from New 
York, Representative Meng.
  Racism and discrimination have no place in America today. We are a 
nation of immigrants that is proud of its diversity.
  Despite our society's progression and growth over the last 100 years, 
the Federal Code still contains language on ethnicity that is 
antiquated, and, quite frankly, inappropriate. For example, the term 
``Orientals'' is offensive, especially so when referring to the vibrant 
Asian American community. Using this term in federal law lends it a 
legitimacy it doesn't deserve.
  I strongly believe that when we get the chance, we should correct the 
mistakes of the past. This bill goes a long way towards correcting our 
mistakes.
  H.R. 4238 eliminates outdated, disrespectful terms from federal law 
and replaces them with terms, such as ``Asian American,'' ``Alaska 
Natives,'' and ``Hispanic,'' that are more appropriate for our times 
and in keeping with our values.
  Last year, Representative Meng and I successfully amended H.R. 8 to 
strike these derogatory terms, which did not move in the Senate. As an 
original cosponsor of this standalone bill, I'm very happy that she and 
I are closer to having this language signed into law and these terms 
removed for good.
  Deleting inappropriate terms from the U.S. Code is a simple, yet 
important, way of demonstrating respect for our Nation's diversity.
  I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues in the House to 
vote in support of it.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4238.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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