Neil Abercrombie: “I rise today to join in paying tribute to a great American. Former Congressman Augustus Hawkins was not only a pioneer…”

“I rise today to join in paying tribute to a great American. Former Congressman Augustus Hawkins was not only a pioneer in breaking a race barrier of the House of Representatives, he was also a pioneer in economic and unemployment reform. Congressman Hawkins was well respected by both sides of the aisle for his sincerity, dedication hard work, and commitment to helping those less fortunate. He sponsored numerous laws that created jobs and insured civil rights. He was a forceful advocate of Federal support of education. During his years in Congress, Mr. Hawkins' most notable accomplishments included the establishment of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in wishing Congressman Hawkins a happy 95th birthday, which he celebrated earlier this year. it is fitting that we name a postal facility after Congressman Hawkins so that Californians and Americans can long remember his legacy. Let us not only look back at his accomplishments and his patriotism, let us look forward and wish him many more healthy and happy years.”