[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 11--ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEST BUSINESS 
     PRACTICES TO FULLY UTILIZE THE POTENTIAL OF THE UNITED STATES

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

                               S. Res. 11

       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 the 
     ``NFL''), requires each NFL team with a job opening for a 
     coach or general manager position to interview at least 1 
     minority candidate for that position;
       Whereas the Rooney Rule has been successful in increasing 
     minority representation in higher leadership positions in 
     professional football, as shown by the fact that, in the 80 
     years between the hiring of Fritz Pollard as coach of the 
     Akron Pros and the implementation of the Rooney Rule in 2003, 
     only 7 minority head coaches were hired but, since 2003, 15 
     minority head coaches have been hired;
       Whereas the Rooney Rule has demonstrated that once highly 
     qualified and highly skilled diversity candidates are given 
     exposure during the hiring process, the abilities of those 
     diversity candidates can be better utilized;
       Whereas the RLJ Rule, formulated by Robert L. Johnson, 
     founder of Black Entertainment Television (commonly known as 
     ``BET'') and 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--
       (1) not fewer than 2 qualified minority candidates for each 
     managerial opening at the director level and above; and
       (2) not fewer than 2 qualified minority-owned 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, less than 10 percent of 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 employment quotas nor Federal law but 
     rather voluntary initiatives 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 the 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 and 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 each corporate, 
     academic, and social entity, 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 rule described in 
     paragraph (1) to ensure that the entity will always consider 
     candidates from underrepresented populations before making a 
     final decision with respect to selecting a business vendor or 
     filling a leadership position.

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