The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H1005-H1006 on Feb. 29, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4238) to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms relating to minorities.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4238
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES.
(a) Office of Minority Economic Impact.--Section 211(f)(1) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7141(f)(1)) is amended by striking ``a Negro, Puerto Rican, American Indian, Eskimo, Oriental, or Aleut or is a Spanish speaking individual of Spanish descent'' and inserting
``Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or an Alaska Native''.
(b) Minority Business Enterprises.--Section 106(f)(2) of the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6705(f)(2)) is amended by striking
``Negroes, Spanish-speaking, Orientals, Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts'' and inserting ``Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Alaska Natives''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to consider H.R. 4238, a bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms in the original legislation relating to minorities.
This bill replaces offensive terms relating to minorities found in decades-old energy legislation. I want to thank Grace Meng for being the lead on this commonsense piece of legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my colleague from the great State of New York (Ms. Meng) for her work in bringing forth H.R. 4238, a bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms relating to minorities.
Mr. Speaker, this commonsense bill received unanimous bipartisan support when it came before both the Energy and Power Subcommittee, on which I serve as the ranking member, and when it came before the full Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Speaker, words matter. This bill strikes outdated, offensive terms related to minorities out of the Federal statute that can be found in the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976.
Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward bill that helps bring these statutes up to modern times and into the 21st century, at least as far as getting rid of these offensive terms is concerned.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng).
Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that H.R. 4238 has made it to the House floor today.
As you know, this bill will strike the term ``Oriental'' from Federal law in the last two places it is used to refer to a person. This legislation is long overdue, and I am thankful for your consideration and, I hope, passage of it.
I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Representative Ed Royce, for being an original author of this bill with me, as well as every member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
I would also like to thank Representative Butterfield and Representative Sanchez, chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, respectively, for cosponsoring this legislation.
I would also like to personally thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone for shepherding this legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as Representatives Whitfield and Rush, who moved it through the Energy and Power Subcommittee.
We are all aware that there are chapters of American history that are not perfect. This very body, for example, once found it appropriate to pass laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Geary Act. But we also found it appropriate to repeal them. Times change, what is acceptable changes, and this Congress more often than not yields to that change.
Toward that end, the time has come to repeal certain terms from Federal law that many in the Asian American community would find offensive. In the same way I would not want either of my children to be referred to as ``Orientals'' by their teachers at school, I hope we can agree that such terms no longer deserve a place in Federal law.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing this legislation to the floor for a vote today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important measure.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank once again Ms. Grace Meng for bringing this important issue to the attention of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
I would urge all Members to support this legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 4238, which was introduced by my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York, Representative Meng.
Racism and discrimination have no place in America today. We are a nation of immigrants that is proud of its diversity.
Despite our society's progression and growth over the last 100 years, the Federal Code still contains language on ethnicity that is antiquated, and, quite frankly, inappropriate. For example, the term
``Orientals'' is offensive, especially so when referring to the vibrant Asian American community. Using this term in federal law lends it a legitimacy it doesn't deserve.
I strongly believe that when we get the chance, we should correct the mistakes of the past. This bill goes a long way towards correcting our mistakes.
H.R. 4238 eliminates outdated, disrespectful terms from federal law and replaces them with terms, such as ``Asian American,'' ``Alaska Natives,'' and ``Hispanic,'' that are more appropriate for our times and in keeping with our values.
Last year, Representative Meng and I successfully amended H.R. 8 to strike these derogatory terms, which did not move in the Senate. As an original cosponsor of this standalone bill, I'm very happy that she and I are closer to having this language signed into law and these terms removed for good.
Deleting inappropriate terms from the U.S. Code is a simple, yet important, way of demonstrating respect for our Nation's diversity.
I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues in the House to vote in support of it.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4238.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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