Steve Cohen

African Americans have had to struggle to obtain what for others has been unquestionably understood as a God-given right.

I mentioned seeing these movies that were Chadwick Boseman's movies.

It is patently unfair.

It was using Black people for the political power of southerners who wanted to have that power mostly to keep slavery legal.

Back in 2007, I introduced H. Res. 194--that was my first year in Congress--an apology by the House of Representatives for its role in perpetuating both slavery and its noxious offspring, Jim Crow.

H.R. 40 would create a commission to study the history of slavery in America, the role of the Federal and State governments in supporting slavery and racial discrimination.

An honest reckoning with the Federal Government's role in protecting the institution of slavery has been the leading priority of my congressional career.

Our colleague, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who is a member of the subcommittee, is the current lead sponsor of this legislation.

It is only fitting then that in the midst of a continued reckoning over police treatment of Black people and a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted Black Americans, that we should hold this hearing today on H.R. 40.

The enslavement of people of African-American descent in America was started before we were a country, in 1619, and it has gone on through the end of the Civil War.

The defendant in the case was treated the worst of all.

Slavery was our Nation's original sin.

I commend President Biden and our new administration for putting this mandate in place. It is necessary for the protection of the public.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. After President Trump was not impeached, Susan Collins said he has learned a pretty big lesson; he was impeached. Then he brought his ``It will be wild,'' riotous television show that he…

I ask us to pass this resolution, bring this country together, and get rid of this cancer.

It is clear why this administration has interest in suppressing the Census.

What we have seen with his administration is the targeting of the use of the enforcement to gain political advantage in the upcoming election and that has been just very, very disturbing to see.

I hope you will bring up the fact that African Americans are the most disproportionately hurt by the coronavirus...

Until May of this year, the Civil Rights Division under the Trump administration did not file, as I understand it, a single case enforcing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The final thing that this Congress can do to help this division do its job is to take steps to restore the independence of the Justice Department, which has been so undermined.

That dog won't hunt. Under our system of checks and balances, the Congress has the right and the obligation to conduct vigorous oversight.

They think the unitary president is not just the president who controls the entire executive but controls the entire government.

The Civil Rights Division has become a twisted shadow of its former self in Bill Barr's dystopian Justice Department.

The excuse that the department provided was about as mature and sophisticated as saying the dog ate my homework.

When the rights of African Americans can't be protected by the locals, then the Civil Rights Division should come in