Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 100) authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of House Concurrent Resolution 100, authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

It is certainly fitting that we take pause and recognize the passage of this historic landmark legislation that was passed into law and the events in our Nation that called upon its leaders to act all those years ago.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a major step forward for America that finally allowed our great Nation to truly live up to its creed found in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal.

188 years following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, 99 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, and after decades of struggle by great leaders like Martin Luther King and so many Americans who fought valiantly, broad bipartisan majorities of both Houses of Congress came together to ensure equality for every American.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a very proud moment for the House of Representatives because America faced a time of choosing in 1964, and together, our Congress rallied and voted to strengthen individual protections and rights, and voted to end discrimination and segregation 50 years ago.

The Civil Rights Act still remains one of the most important pieces of legislation that has ever been debated in our Chamber and instituted across our great Nation, not only for people of color or different nations of origin, but for each and every American, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status or their religious background.

Our Nation has a very vibrant and rich history, and that moment, 50 years ago, when many different people of various walks of life joined together and, in one voice, called for equality stands as one of the most monumental in our history.

Our Nation stood as a witness to those who led and participated in civil rights protests such as the March on Washington, sit-ins at lunch counters, and maintaining one's seat on a bus and refusing to move solely based on one's color of one's skin.

Fifty years ago, so many risked prison or worse to overcome huge odds and stand for what they truly believed must be changed. Their contributions reverberated across every State and every town and every home. Many took up roles as spokespersons, using their talents or what was available to them to make peaceful statements. Several have joined this Chamber as Members.

I see John Lewis has joined us today, and I am just very proud to be able to serve with a man of his historic background and distinguished service to our Nation, Mr. Speaker.

These people were pillars, absolutely pillars of strength. They used their courage to meet injustice head-on, and they are memorialized in the history that we carry forward. The actions of those individuals called on every citizen of our Nation to recognize and to listen to the struggles of others and to support the call for a change to our laws.

So many individuals from all walks of life rose up and lifted their voices to add to the call for change in our Nation, and they stood for all of those who were to come after them in the next generation and for the betterment of their lives.

They brought their concerns to the forefront of our political stage and they spoke for all of us, men, women, rich or poor.

In my home State of Michigan, Mr. Speaker, we were blessed to have so many great leaders in this movement, but one of those individuals was truly a civil rights icon who became a treasured member of our community. Rosa Parks inspired countless Americans with her grace, her dignity and strength, and through the simple yet profound act of refusing to give up her seat on a bus, she continued her advocacy for equality and freedom and inspired so many others who have carried the cause for individual rights forward to this very day.

She also has a connection to this House with another Member of Congress as well, a Michigan colleague of mine, John Conyers, who was also a recognized leader in the civil rights movement.

As we mark this 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, we remember the

efforts, the struggles, and the achievement of those who stood for equal rights. They saw to it that America will make good on its promise for every individual to obtain justice, freedom, and equality.

It is certainly fitting, Mr. Speaker, that the House and the Senate join together later this month to formally remember and pay tribute to our Nation's civil rights attaining this milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to say that the gentleman from Georgia, Representative Lewis, mentioned the term ``heroes.'' He truly is a hero, an American hero, a treasure.

In the 12 years I have been honored to be a Member of Congress, anytime I hear him come to the floor and talk about civil rights, someone who has actually lived it, I wish I could take him home and have him talk to groups of schoolchildren, and I know he does that in his own district and around the country.

Because every time the gentleman from Georgia, as well as Representative Clyburn and so many others come to this floor to talk about the civil rights movement, it really is very moving, and it makes us all think about, before we are anything, we are Americans first, and he truly is a hero.

I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly urge all of my colleagues, as well, to support this resolution, which will authorize the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 100, which authorizes the use of the Rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is fitting and proper that the Rotunda of the Capitol is the venue for the commemoration for one of the consequential governmental actions since the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

On July 2, 1964, fifty years ago next month, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act that profoundly changed our country and brought about the greatest reduction in economic and social inequality among Americans in history.

Mr. Speaker, today it is difficult to imagine there once was a time in our country when blacks and whites could not eat together in public restaurants, use the same public restrooms, stay at the same hotels, or attend the same schools. It is hard to believe today that just 50 years ago, discrimination on the ground of race was a legal and socially accepted practice.

But the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed that.

The Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination and segregation in employment, public accommodations, and education on the ground of race, gender, religion, or national origin. This act became the soil from which our country flourished; opportunities were bred and dreams were born.

This change did not happen overnight or by accident. It took hard work and courage and an unwavering faith that America could live up to the true meaning of its creed. Fortunately for our country, there were such men and women who had that faith and courage. People like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, Rosa Parks, and John Lewis are just a few of the many noble leaders who took a stand for freedom and risked their lives

to make real the promise of America for all Americans.

Today, 50 years later, we continue to preserve the rights and freedoms that so many fought for and could only dream of before the Civil Rights Act.

On the evening of June 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy addressed the Nation and uttered the words that would echo in history:

It ought to be possible for every American to enjoy the

privileges of being American without regard to his race or

his color. But this is not the case.

We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as

old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American

Constitution.

The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to

be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we

are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be

treated.

One hundred years of delay have passed since President

Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons,

are not fully free. They are not yet freed from the bonds of

injustice. They are not yet freed from social and economic

oppression. And this Nation, for all its hopes and all its

boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are

free.

Now the time has come for this Nation to fulfill its

promise.

And a better country, we have become.

Although we have come a long way, we must not become complacent on the issues of civil rights. Our Nation is a growing melting pot, and we must continue to make sure American citizens, regardless of their religion, race, or gender, are granted the right to freedom and equality.

This Nation prides itself on the abundance of individual freedom. Through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we have nurtured a land where every American citizen is born free, and with the opportunity to chase their own American dream.

Mr. Speaker, before signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson addressed the Nation on the significance of the bill he was about to sign:

We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are

denied equal treatment.

We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights.

Yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights.

We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of

liberty. Yet millions are being deprived of those blessings--

not because of their own failures, but because of the color

of their skin.

The reasons are deeply imbedded in history and tradition

and the nature of man. We can understand--without rancor or

hatred--how this all happened.

But it cannot continue.

Our Constitution, the foundation of our Republic, forbids

it. The principles of our freedom forbid it. Morality forbids

it.

And the law I will sign tonight forbids it.

It is most fitting that the Rotunda of the Capitol be venue of the ceremony commemorating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was passed by the Congress of the United States and has for 50 years ensured and protected the right of all Americans to live their dreams in a land where equal opportunity is the birthright of all.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Marcia Fudge, for yielding time to me on this important resolution. I also want to commend her for her leadership on this initiative to pay appropriate commemoration to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Prior to my first election to the House of Representatives, I served in the State government of my native State, South Carolina, in an office charged with administering this landmark legislative achievement.

We, in South Carolina, effectively used provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to enforce fair employment practices. That instrument has had tremendously positive impact on the working men and women of my State and across the country.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Law of 1968, and other initiatives embody the ideals upon which this Nation was founded.

I had the opportunity to expound on this notion at some length when I spoke in Dayton, Ohio, in 1985 as president of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies. At that time I spoke these words:

We are an experimental Nation toying with the idea of

individual rights as opposed to collective control and

tyranny. So far, the experiment has worked, no doubt to the

surprise of many who witnessed its birth over 200 years ago.

It is interesting to speculate why not only has the Nation

survived, but also its ideals and principals. Let me hazard a

few guesses as to why America and its ideals have worked over

all these years. First of all, I do not believe America is

perfect. Neither did the Founding Fathers of the Nation. No

sooner had our Constitution been written than the first ten

amendments were presented and adopted. They were called the

Bill of Rights, and we can all be thankful that they were

included in the package.

I continued on that day:

Americans have never tried to conceal or ignore their

imperfections. For the most part, they have tried to

recognize and correct them. When the enslavement of a race of

people created a conflict which threatened the very

foundation of our Constitution, the Nation went to war with

itself to resolve the conflict and ensure the integrity and

sovereignty of the Constitution. And, a century later, when

it was found that discrimination still prevented millions of

Americans from participating as full-fledged citizens, our

Nation moved to correct the flaw with wide-ranging civil

rights legislation.

This bill that we commemorate today was one of them:

Now, while it is common to say that no nation in the

history of the world has granted more individual freedom, it

is just as valid to say that no nation has ever tried harder

to correct the flaws and impediments in its system. We are

still imperfect, and we are still trying to live up to the

principles to which the Constitution has committed us. The

important message is that this Nation has never stopped

trying, and we would do well not to stop now.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, too many in this country hold the view that the flaws in the system are not worth fixing or no longer need attention. Too often, the view is advanced that the civil rights movement and all of its achievements are things of the past.

I strongly disagree with that view. The work of securing a more perfect Union is never completed. The struggle continues.

I want to thank Chair Fudge for her leadership on this resolution to commemorate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the rotunda of the Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairwoman for the support. It is very much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 100, which authorizes the use of the Capitol rotunda to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The passing of the bill that became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a critical turning point in the history of this Nation, prohibiting all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

This significant law also ensured that the promise of equal protection under the law would be true for all Americans.

Millions of Americans faced violent opposition to ensure that the Civil Rights Act was brought before Members of the House and the Senate for a vote.

During what was one of the most turbulent times in this Nation, a time when discrimination was commonplace and segregation was an accepted norm, passing this law was a true bipartisan effort, with Members of both parties overcoming their differences to do what was best for this Nation.

If passed, H. Con. Res. 100 would allow the use of the Capitol rotunda to recognize the courageous efforts made by former Members of this House to pass the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and will honor civil rights and community leaders who dedicated their lives to see this bill become a reality and be signed into law by the President of the United States, President Lyndon B. Johnson.

I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 100, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the assistant Democratic leader of the House.

(Mr. CLYBURN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I have been blessed and privileged to work with many great people in this House. You have just heard from one, the assistant leader who is our historian and has been an activist in many, many ways throughout his life.

I now want to yield to someone who all of us consider an icon, as was referenced by the chairwoman earlier. It is, indeed, an honor to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia, John Lewis, my good friend who is the face and voice for so many of the civil rights movement.

Mr. Speaker, there are just some things that are inherently American. They are truth and freedom and justice, doing what is best for our Nation.

I know that we have disagreements, we have differences, but today, we stand together as one House, and I thank the chairwoman for allowing that to happen again.

Again, I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 100, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge), the esteemed chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, for her hard work, for her leadership on this resolution, and for her kind words.

I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for her kind words and for her leadership. The two of them have never given up or given in and have kept the faith, and for that, I thank them so much.

I would also like to thank the Speaker and our friends on both sides of the aisle for helping to bring this resolution to the floor.

I am glad to be on the floor with the gentleman from South Carolina, Jim Clyburn, who I met more than 50 years ago at an organizer meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, when we both were very young, first for the sit-ins, when we both had all of our hair.

To be here with the gentleman from South Carolina today, if someone had told me then that the two of us would be sitting here in the Congress, I would say: you are crazy, you are out of your mind, you don't know what you are talking about.

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. This bipartisan effort outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The following year, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. It was a bipartisan effort.

Mr. Speaker, if you visit my office in the Cannon Building, you will see both Democrats and Republicans standing together. You will see me standing with Members of the Senate. One man I will never forget, the Republican leader Everett Dirksen, helped make it possible to get the bill passed.

Too many people I knew and loved lost their lives in the fight for civil rights and simple justice. Every single

day, each and every one of us must remember the heroes--average men, women, and children--who put their lives on the line in the fight for equality.

We cannot forget their sacrifice, and we must not ignore the lessons of history. When we come together across party lines, from different races, religions, and regions, we can achieve the greater good.

I hope and pray that we will come together again--Democrats and Republicans, of all faiths, colors, and regions--to pass laws that maintain, protect, and strengthen rights for which many gave their ultimate sacrifice.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan, the gentlewoman from Ohio, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their strong support of this resolution.