Bobby Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, we have just heard the suggestion that some programs might be better if only the program sponsors could discriminate in employment. We hadn't heard those arguments for over 40 years before this administration came in. Let's talk about when you say ``protect civil liberties,'' what liberties you are protecting? If you are protecting somebody's right to tell somebody they can't get a job because of their religion, if you can discriminate against someone because of their religion, racial discrimination laws essentially cannot be enforced. So who are you protecting? You are protecting the one trying to discriminate; the victim of discrimination loses all protection. The children of families of unpopular religions will ask their parents why they couldn't get a job in the Head Start program, and they will have to be told they are not hiring people of our religion. Just what kind of Head Start is that? Proponents are saying we lose opportunities. We have plenty of opportunities in Head Start. All we have to do is fund it more, and there will be plenty of opportunities for Head Start programs. There has also been a suggestion you may have to take icons off the wall. If icons have to be taken down, it is because of a violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution. Let me tell you, passing a motion to recommit will not solve a violation of the establishment clause. Forty years ago race and religious discrimination was found to be so reprehensible that we made it illegal even with your private funds. Now we have a plea to protect the people trying to discriminate and not the victims of discrimination. We need to leave the law the way it has been for the last 40 years. We can keep the antidiscrimination laws and those programs. Any program that can get funded with this faith-based initiative amendment could be funded anyway if you just comply with the antidiscrimination laws that have been in effect for the last 40 years. We ought not to have to tell our children why certain parents can't get a job in a program because we are failing to protect the civil rights of the victim of discrimination because all of a sudden we are interested in the civil rights of the person trying to discriminate.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Oliver White Hill, who dedicated his life and legal talents to making the City of Richmond, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and this entire country a place of promise and opportunity for all. Mr. Hill used his legal talents to bravely confront and help eradicate decades of racial inequality and injustice. Oliver White Hill was born Oliver White in Richmond, Virginia. After his mother remarried, the Hill family moved to Washington, DC, where Oliver White Hill graduated from the legendary Dunbar High School. Mr. Hill went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Howard University, and then attended Howard University's Law School, where, as destiny would have it, he was a classmate, rival in academic achievement, and close friend of Thurgood Marshall. Upon graduating in 1933, second in his class only to the future Supreme Court Justice, Mr. Hill spent his early years as a civil rights attorney in Richmond, Virginia. It was there that Mr. Hill grudgingly worked within the confines of the separate-but-equal framework of Plessy v. Ferguson, but he fought hard for better pay, full access to transportation, and better educational facilities for African American teachers and students. In fact, in 1940, working with civil rights legal stalwarts Thurgood Marshall, William H. Hastie, and Leon A. Ranson, Mr. Hill won his first of many landmark cases in Alston v. School Board of Norfolk, Va. In Alston, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered equal pay for black and white teachers within Norfolk's school system. Despite the decision, Mr. Hill was not completely satisfied as race barriers remained, and, as he once said, ``I went to law school so I could go out and fight segregation.'' That fight would have to wait. Oliver White Hill joined the Army in 1943 and admirably served his country in the European Theatre in World War II. After a distinguished military career, Mr. Hill immediately began to fight for democracy on a different front--back in the courts against racial discrimination. Soon after his return, Oliver White Hill won the right for equal transportation for Black school children in the Virginia Supreme Court. But once again, he was not satisfied with this ``separate-but-equal'' victory. The course of history was about to change, however, as Mr. Hill partnered with another civil rights legal legend, Spottswood Robinson III, in 1948. Together, Mr. Hill and Mr. Robinson brought dozens of civil rights lawsuits against school districts throughout the State of Virginia, with as many as seventy-five (75) cases pending at one time. By some estimates, Mr. Hill and Mr. Robinson brought more lawsuits than the total filed in all the other Southern States during this era. Despite the burning of a cross in his front yard and despite almost daily threatening telephone calls to his home, Mr. Hill persevered. In 1951, undeterred and emboldened, Oliver White Hill and Spottswood Robinson decided to move beyond ``separate-but-equal'' and attack segregation head-on. That year, Mr. Hill and Mr. Robinson shouldered the cause of the African American students at the all-black R.R. Morton High School in Farmville, VA, who had walked out of their leaking, poorly heated classroom building. The resulting desegregation lawsuit, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, was one of several cases decided collectively as Brown v. Board of Education by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. While Oliver White Hill is best known as the fierce, tireless civil rights litigator who helped bring to a close America's segregation-era, his involvement in the community went beyond the courtroom. In 1949, he became the first African American elected to the Richmond City Council since Reconstruction. In the early 1960s, Mr. Hill served as Federal Housing Commissioner in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to his local and Federal government posts, Mr. Hill served as an officer or member on the boards of many organizations, including the National Legal Committee of the NAACP, the National Bar Association, the Southern Conference for Human Welfare, the Virginia State Bar Bench/Bar Relations Committee, and the Old Dominion Bar Association, which he co-founded. For his decades of dedication to the law and accomplishments in the field of civil rights, Oliver White Hill has earned many accolades, including the ``Lawyer of the Year Award'' from the National Bar Association in 1959, the ``Simple Justice Award'' from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 1986, and the ``Justice Thurgood Marshall Award'' from the American Bar Association in 1993. In 1999, President Clinton awarded Mr. Hill the highest honor the nation can bestow, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A year later Mr. Hill received the American Bar Association Medal, the National Bar Association ``Hero of Law Award,'' and the ``Harvard Medal of Freedom'' for his role in the landmark Brown decision. Most recently, in 2005, Mr. Hill was awarded the NAACP's highest honor, the Springarn Medal. In 2000, several legal admirers founded the Oliver White Hill Foundation. The Foundation encourages young lawyers to become advocates in the field of individual rights and liberties and to carry on Mr. Hill's civil rights work. Lawyers inspired by the Foundation work with the hope that discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, sexual preference, and religion will ultimately be abolished, just as Mr. Hill has spent his life hoping for and working towards. Madam, Speaker, I offer my congratulations to Oliver White Hill and pay tribute to him for being one of history's most important civil rights legal pioneers.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bells for Peace, Inc., a non-profit, charitable organization founded within my district in Richmond, Virginia. Bells for Peace is dedicated to enriching the history of Virginia Union University by restoring the University's prominent cornerstone, the Belgian Friendship Building and its Vann Memorial Tower. Bells for Peace was founded on December 8, 2004 in Richmond, Virginia by Mrs. Diane Watkins, its current President. The organization was created in memory of the late Dr. John Malcus Ellison, Sr., the first African American President of Virginia Union University, and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Balfour Ellison. Dr. Ellison was dedicated to bringing peace and unity to the cultural divide within this country, and he believed a multi-cultural education could be used to achieve this. Bells for Peace is an effort to carry on Dr. Ellison's life's work. As part of this effort, Bells for Peace hopes to install a 35 bell carillon in the University's empty Vann Memorial Tower, which sits atop its Belgian Friendship Building. In 1939, the Belgian Government presented the Friendship Building and Tower to Virginia Union in a gesture of international goodwill. The Friendship Building had been the centerpiece of the Belgian Pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. However, prior to presenting the structure to Virginia Union, the Belgians removed the bell carillon and awarded it to President Herbert Hoover. President Hoover gave the carillon to his alma mater, Stanford University, where the bells now ring at the Hoover Institution of War and Peace. The Belgian Government selected Virginia Union for the gift from 27 colleges that desired the Friendship Building and Tower. Virginia Union was selected because of its location, history, and mission. Where better to place a symbol of peace, hope, and unity than in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederate states that nearly burned to the ground when the Southern troops fled the city. Where better than on a campus that was first located in a rented structure known as Lumpkin's Jail, a former slave holding pen. And where better than at a University that was born of several small colleges dedicated to the dignified education of African Americans, while struggling against post-Civil War prejudice. In 1899, these colleges joined together in a ``union'' that opened its doors as Virginia Union. The Belgian Government recognized this significant history and felt that its ``Friendship Building'' would be best served on the shores of the James River in Richmond. Following the Belgian Government's decision to give the structure to Virginia Union, Dr. John Malcus Ellison single-handedly raised $500,000 in donations to transport and re-construct the Friendship Building on the Richmond campus. Shortly thereafter, the Friendship Building was used by the U.S. Armed Forces as the Eastern Virginia induction site for soldiers going off to fight in WWII. It was within this building that thousands of African American soldiers were processed into the military. It was also through this building that the late Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely frequently passed. Vice Admiral Gravely, a Virginia Union graduate, was the first African American to achieve the rank of Admiral and command a Naval fleet. Because of its remarkable history, the Belgian Friendship Building has been designated a United States National Treasure and Virginia Historical Landmark, but its majestic tower, which can be seen from many vantage points in the Richmond community, remains empty and silent. Bells for Peace, in its quest to obtain a new carillon for the Vann Memorial Tower, hopes to change that. Bells for Peace is also working to restore the aged and worn Friendship Building, so that it may become a top-quality facility for students pursuing a multi- cultural education. Through its restoration efforts, the organization has brought much deserved attention to this historical landmark and highly respected Virginia Union University. Bells for Peace calls on people to recognize the importance of an international ``Friendship'' building and symbol of peace, hope, and unity erected at a historically black college; a college known for its multi-cultural studies and graduates who have made contributions to communities around the world. Bells for Peace calls on people to remember the legacy of Dr. John Malcus Ellison, who not only helped bring the Friendship Building to Virginia Union, but also helped established the University's reputation for excellence in education. Madam Speaker, today it is my privilege to recognize Bells for Peace and commend it for its admirable mission. I also wish the organization great success in restoring the Belgian Friendship Building and filling the belfry tower with a carillon of bells that can be enjoyed on the Virginia Union campus and in the Richmond community, and symbolically heard in communities around the world.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I wish to offer my sincerest condolences to the family of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. My thoughts and prayers go out to them in their time of mourning. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald amassed many firsts and accomplishments during her life as a public servant by breaking racial and gender barriers. She was the first African-American woman to serve as Ranking Member and Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Administration. She was also the first woman to serve on the Carson City Council; the first to chair two powerful California State Assembly committees--the Insurance Committee; and the Revenue & Taxation Committee in her first term as a state legislator. She was also the first African-American Democratic Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues and in that capacity she led the women on two groundbreaking meetings: One with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to talk about the plight of women globally and another with the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange to develop strategies for increasing women's investments and net worth. In recognition of women who served in our military, Congresswoman Millender-McDonald initiated the first annual Memorial Day Tribute to Women in the Military at the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and she led the fight to secure $15 million for the maintenance of the memorial. Most recently secured $50 million for counseling services for our returning men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. During her 6 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, her ability to reach across the aisle and effectively move bipartisan legislation was evident during her work on a range of issues, including ensuring equal rights for women and minorities, improving our education system, combating poverty, protecting voting rights, and stopping the genocide in Darfur. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald devoted her life to her family and to service on behalf of her constituents in the 37th District of California and to the Nation. Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald was truly a phenomenal woman. She is a friend and colleague who will be sorely missed.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from California for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), the author of this resolution.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H. Res. 119 recognizes this week as National Crime Victims' Rights Week in order to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States during this week and throughout the year. Obviously, we are very attuned to victims this week as we mourn the tragic deaths and injuries of the Virginia Tech shootings last week, though this resolution was scheduled for victims generally, without any reference to specific victims. In 2003, the last year for which we have compiled figures, there were 24.2 million criminal victimizations of people over the age of 12 in the United States. Of those, 5.4 million were violent victimizations and 18.6 were property victimizations. Unfortunately, there were many more crimes than those figures suggest. It is estimated that only 48 percent of violent crimes and only 38 percent of property crimes are reported to police in each year. We talked about the large group of victims in the resolution preceding this one involving sexual assault victims. Clearly we want to be aware of the need of victims of all crimes and do whatever we can, not only to address victimizations that occur but also to prevent the crimes occurring in the first place. Supporting the mission and goals of the National Crime Victims' Rights Week will increase the public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 119) supporting the mission and goals of National Crime Victims' Rights Week in order to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States during such week and throughout the year.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume just to thank my colleague from Virginia for introducing the resolution and to urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the resolution, my distinguished colleague from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H. Res. 289 recognizes April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The purpose of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month is to increase the public's awareness and understanding about sexual violence in our society in order to encourage and support prevention of sexual assault. The United States has the highest rate of any country publishing such statistics. A person is sexually assaulted in the United States every 2\1/2\ minutes. The National Institute of Justice estimates that over 300,000 women and 90,000 men are forcibly raped each year in the United States; but according to the American Medical Association, these numbers are lower than national incidents of rape or attempted rape. Approximately 17.7 million American women and 2.8 American men have been victims of rape or attempted rape at some point during their lives, according to the Bureau of Justice statistics. That equates to one in every six women and one in every 33 men. The National Center for Victims of Crime indicate that among women who have been raped, 39 percent have been raped more than once. Most victims are children or young adults. Some 44 percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18; 80 percent are under the age of 30. There are no significant differences in the rate of sexual assault among racial and ethnic groups, as sexual assault affects all populations roughly equally, though its impact is felt disproportionately by those least able to protect themselves. For example, persons with disabilities are estimated to be one and a half to five times more at risk of sexual assault than the general population. Between one-third and two-thirds of known sexual assault victims are age 15 or younger, according to a 2000 study by Population Reports, and women age 16 to 25 are three times more likely to be raped than those of higher age groups, according to the Bureau of Justice statistics. Also, the studies indicate that those in extreme poverty are twice as likely to be victimized as other women. Most sexual assaults are not committed by strangers. Studies show that 70 percent of victims know their attackers, and this contributes to the underreporting of sexual assault. At the same time, studies show that 90 percent of those who knew their attackers did not report the crime. The study also found that most sexual assaults occur in the victim's home or that of a friend, relative, or acquaintance. The consequences of sexual assault for victims are enormous and go well beyond physical effects. One-third of victims suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder, according to the National Victims Center; one-third seriously consider suicide; 13 percent actually attempt suicide. The roots of sexual assault violence are cultural. A 1991 study by the Jacqueline White and John Humphrey study found that 56 percent of high school girls and 76 percent of high school boys thought that forcible sex was acceptable under some circumstances. Some 51 percent of boys and 41 percent of girls thought that certain circumstances included when a boy ``spent a lot of money on the girl.'' Thirty-one percent of boys and 32 percent of girls thought that forced sex was acceptable when women had had past sexual experiences. Eighty-seven percent of boys and 79 percent of girls thought it was acceptable when a man and woman were married. Sixty-five percent of boys, 47 percent of girls thought it acceptable if a boy and a girl had been dating for more than 6 months. So, Madam Speaker, it is easy to see where there is need to focus much of our awareness and prevention efforts. Sexual assault is a threat to the public health and public safety. It demands a coordinated response in the form of awareness, prevention, aggressive prosecution and service provision. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, a project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, estimates that there are 1,400 community crisis centers providing services to victims of sexual assault across the country. Such efforts have made a difference. Over the past decade, we have reduced the rate of rapes and attempted rapes by half. Yet at half, our highest level, we are still the highest rate of sexual assault in the world. So much more needs to be done to further address the scourge in our society. So, Madam Speaker, as we observe National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, it is our hope that a month of intensified awareness efforts combined with a broad spectrum of sexual violence prevention work throughout the year will bring us closer to ending and eradicating sexual assault in our society. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 289) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, we would urge passage of the resolution. I want to thank my delegates from Virginia. The Virginia delegation came together on this. We were together yesterday, and we appreciate the support from across the country. We urge passage of the resolution.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to my colleague from the Eighth Congressional District of Virginia (Mr. Moran) 4 minutes.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I would just like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey who points out that this is a national incident with students from all over the country. And I would like to thank him for recognizing me as one of the sponsors of the resolution. The Virginia delegation came together to present this resolution under the leadership of Mr. Boucher, so we appreciate his leadership today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)