[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12243-12244]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       IT'S TIME FOR CONGRESS TO OPEN ITS DOORS TO MORE DIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 21, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Congressional 
Record a column in the Stirring the Pot segment of the June 20, 2006 
edition of the Rollcall periodical newspaper and an article from the 
June 2006 edition of DiversityInc.
  The column, entitled ``It's Time for Congress To Open Its Doors to 
More Diversity'' is authored by Donna Brazile, political strategist, 
former congressional chief-of-staff, and Chair of the Democratic 
National Committee's Voting Rights Institute (VRI). The article, 
entitled, ``Who Is Worst for Diversity? The United States Senate'', is 
authored by C. Stone Brown and Mark Lowery.
  Donna Brazile captures your attention by stating that ``one of the 
hottest and most illuminating stories to hit the newsstands last week 
discussed the lack of diversity in the Senate.'' She goes on to address 
the content of that news story written by C. Stone Brown and Mark 
Lowery of DiversityInc. Brown and Lowery reported that equal 
opportunity is sorely missing in action in the Senate.
  The articles point out that there is one black, three Hispanic, two 
Asian Americans and fourteen women Senators. This membership does not 
represent a good cross-section of the Country.
  While Ms. Brazile's article encourages the Senate to establish a 
process to open doors to qualified candidates of colors and women it 
does not exclude the House of Representatives. Take a look at the 
number of minority chiefs-of-staff and legislative directors for 
members outside of the Congressional Black Caucus or the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus.
  Brown, Lowery and Brazile reveal thought provoking data and 
information that relates to the issue of diversity in staffing in the 
Senate and the House. They cleverly summarize the issue by quoting a 
leading diversity consultant who states if change is to come to 
diversity in placement of key Congressional positions . . . ``It has to 
start at the top, with the CEO (Senator), and be made a priority with 
some accountability.''
  Mr. Speaker, I enter this article with the hope that it will impress 
upon the legislative body the need for sensitivity in including people 
of color and women in the ``pool'' from which future personnel is 
chosen.

                   [From the Rollcall, June 20, 2006]

       It's Time for Congress To Open Its Doors to More Diversity

                           (By Donna Brazile)

       One of the hottest and most illuminating stories to hit the 
     newsstands last week discussed the lack of diversity in the 
     Senate. In their cover story, DiversityInc writers C. Stone 
     Brown and Mark Lowery discovered that when it comes to 
     ``equal opportunity,'' the Senate is sorely missing in 
     action.
       With only one black, three Hispanic, two Asian Americans 
     and 14 women Senators, the chamber's membership isn't exactly 
     a good cross-section of the Nation. And furthering that 
     problem, the reporters write, their review of ``people of 
     color'' serving in Senate offices and committees found that 
     senior positions such as chief of staff, legislative 
     director, counsel and even communications director are 
     ``practically reserves for white men and women.''
       As a former chief of staff and press secretary for Del. 
     Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), I believe it's time the 
     Senate makes diversity in its ranks a major priority.

[[Page 12244]]

       This investigative report is worth reading because it takes 
     on both major political parties for their lack of significant 
     progress in bringing more diversity to one of the most 
     powerful institutions in America. According to Diversitylnc's 
     investigation, of the 1,000 senior-level staffers, about 
     ``7.6 percent are people of color.'' The report then breaks 
     that down even further: ``2.9 percent are Black, 2.8 percent 
     are Asian American and 1.9 percent are Latino.'' Given the 
     multitude of issues and concerns the Senate addresses each 
     year, it's time every Member take a look inside his or her 
     own office to see if any changes should be made and to figure 
     out a process to open the doors to qualified candidates.
       (And the House of Representatives should do so, as well. 
     How many minorities are chiefs of staff or legislative 
     directors for Members outside of the Congressional Black 
     Caucus or the Congressional Hispanic Caucus?)
       When the reporters tried to obtain this important data from 
     some Senate offices, they were greeted with no responses. 
     (The report indicated that repeated calls were made to the 
     Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-
     Tenn.) and even Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), but to 
     no avail.) Since most Senators refuse to acknowledge or even 
     discuss this matter, I am sure out of embarrassment, let me 
     do what any former Congressional staffer would do and offer 
     some useful advice in correcting this problem and perception.
       First, I would take Paul Thornell's advice to urge Senators 
     to ``widen their networks.'' Thornell, a one-time colleague 
     from my days working with Al Gore and a former Senate 
     staffer, said he believes Senators ``can start by committing 
     to interview at least one qualified minority candidate 
     anytime there is an opening at mid and senior level.'' He 
     stated that ``this is the same approach used by the National 
     Football League to hiring head coaches. If they aren't 
     interviewing qualified minority candidates, that guarantees 
     they won't hire them.''
       Bottom line, as a leading diversity consultant who works 
     with Fortune 500 companies explained to me: It has to start 
     at the top, with the CEO (Senator), and be made a priority 
     with some accountability.
       Thornell also suggests that the Senate should hire a 
     diversity consultant to advise them on how best to remedy 
     this problem. When Texaco, Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Denny's or 
     any of the countless other companies that have had problems 
     with diversity issues tried to solve them, did their CEOs 
     just call their peers and ask what to do? No, they hired 
     someone with expertise to give them counsel based on their 
     experience to help them improve on issues surrounding 
     diversity.
       When I first came to Capitol Hill right out of college, I 
     started as an intern in the office of the late Rep. Gillis 
     Long (D-La.). I so enjoyed being on the Hill and didn't mind 
     sitting at the front desk or running errands (delivering 
     ``Dear Colleague'' letters, etc.) for months because I knew 
     once I was in the door, I could move up the ladder. Today, 
     there is such a gap in the Senate between entry-level 
     positions and senior-level slots (legislative assistant up to 
     chief of staff) that even a strong and competent person who 
     starts as a staff assistant realistically is not going to be 
     considered for a LA position for years and rarely, if ever, 
     for chief of staff.
       Such evidence suggests that promoting internships as the 
     sole solution is not going to attack the problem. The 
     difference in the House is you can begin as a staff assistant 
     right out of college, the offices are smaller and there are 
     more opportunities in the House. So, you can get on a track 
     that accelerates your career path. Some Senate offices will 
     tell their entry-level staff right away that they won't get 
     promoted to LA from the position of staff assistant.
       Senators, it's time for some introspection and a deep look 
     at the picture you're sending to others you tell to ``clean 
     up their act.'' It's time for a little bit of humility and 
     some sensitivity to make sure that people of color and women 
     are included in the ``pool'' from which future personnel are 
     chosen. Just remember: We, too, are Americans. We bring a 
     different, and often unique, perspective to the debate, 
     whether it's on privatizing Social Security or predatory 
     lending practices and their impact on communities of color. 
     And many of us would like to have a seat--or even a folding 
     chair--at the table when policies that impact our 
     communities, as well as our Nation, are being brought up on 
     the floor.
       Just remember, like that of former President Bill Clinton, 
     President Bush's Cabinet looks like America. Why should 
     Senate offices look or behave differently?

                          ____________________