[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 24279-24280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11477]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 5, 1999 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 24279]]


                Proclamation 7191 of April 30, 1999

                
Law Day, U.S.A., 1999

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's founders recognized that the rule of law is 
                the greatest guarantor of freedom and justice, the 
                crucial barricade protecting civilization from chaos, 
                democracy from tyranny. Among the chief grievances they 
                enumerated in the Declaration of Independence were that 
                ``the present King of Great Britain . . . has refused 
                his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary 
                for the public Good. . . . He has made Judges dependent 
                on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and 
                the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.''

                The Constitution and Bill of Rights reflect our 
                founders' reverence for and faith in the rule of law, 
                and they stand as an enduring charter of freedom and 
                equality that continues to protect our fundamental 
                rights today. But only the passage of additional laws 
                over time has fulfilled the promise of justice 
                enshrined in that charter. Amendments abolishing 
                slavery and guaranteeing due process and equal 
                protection to everyone came only after the Civil War--
                nearly 80 years after the ratification of the 
                Constitution. It took almost another century, and the 
                courageous and persistent efforts of lawyers such as 
                Thurgood Marshall, to establish that the equal 
                protection clause prohibits governments from enforcing 
                segregation in schools and other public arenas. Women 
                did not gain the right to vote until the ratification 
                of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

                During the past 4 decades, our Nation has continued to 
                pursue the ideals of justice and equality. President 
                Kennedy and President Johnson fought to enact what 
                would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 
                Voting Rights Act of 1965, laws that safeguard the 
                rights of citizens to vote, to work, to use public 
                accommodations, and to attend school free from illegal 
                discrimination. In 1967, President Johnson signed the 
                Age Discrimination in Employment Act to protect older 
                Americans against discriminatory treatment in their 
                jobs.

                In 1990, President Bush signed into law the Americans 
                with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that 
                recognizes the right of people with disabilities to 
                have equal opportunity for employment and equal access 
                to public services. Building on the Americans with 
                Disabilities Act, I announced a new initiative in 
                January of this year to remove significant barriers 
                that prevent people with disabilities from joining the 
                work force. We will invest more than two billion 
                dollars over the next 5 years to provide tax credits to 
                offset critical and expensive transportation costs, 
                increased funding for assistive technology research, 
                and greater access to health care for people with 
                disabilities.

                In May of 1998, I was proud to sign Executive Order 
                13087, which amends Federal equal employment 
                opportunity policy to prohibit discrimination based on 
                sexual orientation in the Federal civilian work force. 
                My Administration is working with congressional leaders 
                to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), 
                which would prohibit most private employers from firing 
                good workers solely because they are gay or lesbian. 
                And we must secure equal pay legislation to ensure that 
                women and minority employees receive fair compensation 
                for their work.

[[Page 24280]]

                America's trust in the rule of law and our continuing 
                quest for equality under the law have defined our 
                history for more than 200 years. Now, as we look 
                forward to a new century, we must renew our commitment 
                to the spirit of our Constitution and the strong 
                foundation of civil rights laws that guarantee both our 
                freedom and our security. We must reaffirm our goal of 
                building an America where all people have an equal 
                opportunity to reach their full potential and where no 
                American is denied his or her rights because of race, 
                national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religious 
                beliefs, or disability. By doing so, we will fulfill 
                our founders' vision of a Nation where all citizens 
                share equally in the blessings and protections of the 
                law.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 
                87-20 of April 7, 1961, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1999, 
                as Law Day. I urge the people of the United States to 
                consider anew how our laws protect our freedoms and 
                contribute to our national well-being. I call upon 
                members of the legal profession, civic associations, 
                educators, librarians, public officials, and the media 
                to promote the observance of this day with appropriate 
                programs and activities. I also call upon public 
                officials to display the flag of the United States on 
                all government buildings throughout the day.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-third.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 99-11477
Filed 5-4-99; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P