Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, in listening to my friends from the other side of the aisle talk in support of this very important and…”

“Mr. Speaker, in listening to my friends from the other side of the aisle talk in support of this very important and meritorious resolution, they seem to have forgotten that the advances of civil rights that were passed in Congress in the 1960s were only made possible due to the fact that civil rights was a bipartisan project. Republicans and Democrats joined together to pass not only the civil rights bill of 1964 but the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. When we talk about civil rights in the 21st century, it seems to me that we ought to hearken back on repeating what worked in the 20th century. I did not hear very much praise for the Republican efforts to get the civil rights acts passed. I would remind my friends on the Democratic side of the aisle that we are just as much for civil rights as you are; and when we work on this on a bipartisan basis, we can accomplish a lot more while each side maybe strikes a few fewer political points. I urge the adoption of this resolution.”