[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 676 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
June 24, 2004.
Whereas 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of congressional passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352);
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the result of decades of struggle and
sacrifice of many Americans who fought for equality and justice;
Whereas generations of Americans of every background supported Federal
legislation to eliminate discrimination against African Americans;
Whereas a civil rights movement developed to achieve the goal of equal rights
for all Americans;
Whereas President John F. Kennedy on June 11, 1963, in a nationally televised
address proposed that Congress pass a civil rights act to address the
problem of invidious discrimination;
Whereas a broad coalition of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations,
culminating in the 1963 march on Washington, created national support
for civil rights legislation;
Whereas during consideration of the bill a historic prohibition against
discrimination based on sex was added;
Whereas the Congress of the United States passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
and President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill into law on July 2, 1964;
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964, among other things, prohibited the use of
Federal funds in a discriminatory fashion, barred unequal application of
voter registration requirements, encouraged the desegregation of public
schools and authorized the United States Attorney General to file suits
to force desegregation, banned discrimination in hotels, motels,
restaurants, theaters, and all other places of public accommodations
engaged in interstate commerce, and established the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission;
Whereas title VII of the Act not only prohibited discrimination by employers on
the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion but sex as well,
thereby recognizing the national problem of sex discrimination in the
workplace;
Whereas the Congress of the United States has amended the Civil Rights Act of
1964 from time to time, with major changes that strengthened the Act;
Whereas the 1972 amendments, among other things, gave the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission litigation authority, thereby giving the EEOC the
right to sue nongovernment respondents, made State and local governments
subject to title VII of the Act, made educational institutions subject
to title VII of the Act, and made the Federal Government subject to
title VII, thereby prohibiting Federal executive agencies from
discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and national
origin;
Whereas the 1991 amendments to the Civil Rights Act overruled several Supreme
Court decisions rendered in the late 1980s and allowed for the recovery
of fees and costs in lawsuits where plaintiff prevailed, for jury
trials, and for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages in
intentional employment discrimination cases, and also expanded title VII
protections to include congressional and high level political
appointees;
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most comprehensive civil rights
legislation in our Nation's history; and
Whereas we applaud all those whose support and efforts lead to passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary of congressional
passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and
(2) encourages all Americans to recognize and celebrate the
important historical milestone of the congressional passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
Attest:
Clerk.