[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14161]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        FAITH-BASED INITIATIVES

  (Ms. WATSON of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, one of the most fundamental 
guiding principles of our Nation is that individuals should be judged 
on their talents rather than on their heritage or their beliefs. It has 
been a long struggle for many Americans to secure the benefits of this 
principle. Even today, unfair discrimination prevents many Americans 
from achieving all they can. But most Americans can agree that our 
Federal Government should not sanction unfair discrimination but rather 
should fight it wherever it exists.
  Last week, Congress took a decision that compromised this principle. 
The passage of the Community Solutions Act last week by this House 
would permit groups to discriminate unfairly against certain Americans. 
Worse yet, the bill actually would take away the right of communities 
to establish their own antidiscrimination laws.
  Mr. Speaker, it is not too late for Congress to correct this House 
mistake. I encourage you to work with the Senate to see that any final 
version of this bill respects the rights of communities to enforce 
their own antidiscrimination laws and thereby protect one of our most 
cherished American principles.

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