Tim Scott: “I rise in favor of H.R. 3117, the Civil Rights Commission Act of 1998. The United States Commission on Civil Rights was…”

“I rise in favor of H.R. 3117, the Civil Rights Commission Act of 1998. The United States Commission on Civil Rights was established in 1959 to provide the country with advice and counsel on how to best address our still complex and persevering problems in civil rights. Although the Commission was initially intended to last only 2 years, because of its importance and good work, it still serves as a valuable tool in our war against bigotry. In recent years the Commission has held hearings and released reports on issues such as church burnings, employment discrimination, police brutality and hate crimes. In addition, the Commission has made plans to study disability discrimination and the religious freedom in schools. The Commission's work on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act is particularly timely. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in federally-assisted programs. After extensive study of Justice Department's Title VI enforcement efforts, the Commission concluded that the Justice Department's enforcement efforts were inadequate. As a result of this report, the Justice Department has improved its Title VI enforcement program, and other Federal and State agencies have made significant improvements as well. The Department of Agriculture has relied heavily on this report in its response to the problem of discrimination against black farmers.”