Douglas Alexander: “today the U.S. Civil Rights Commission announced its opposition to S. 147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization…”

“today the U.S. Civil Rights Commission announced its opposition to S. 147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, which the Commission found to ``discriminate on the basis of race.'' It is possible that the Senate will be asked in the next few weeks to consider this legislation. I hope my colleagues will agree with the Civil Rights Commission and oppose this legislation. Here is what the Commission had to say: The Commission recommends against passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, or any other legislation that would discriminate on the basis of race or national origin and further subdivide the American people into discrete subgroups accorded varying degrees of privilege. S. 147, the act to which the Commission refers, would create a separate, independent, race-based government for native Hawaiians. It would undermine our unity in this country. It would undermine our history of being a nation based not on race but upon common values of liberty, equal opportunity, and democracy. The question the bill poses is thus one that is fundamental to the very existence of our country. It creates a new government based on race. Our Constitution guarantees just the opposite--equal opportunity without regard to race. Hawaiians are Americans. They became United States citizens in 1900. They have saluted the American flag, paid American taxes, fought in American wars.…”