Civil Rights Bill Debate

Last week, Senator Danforth (R-MO), along with Senate leadership and Bush Administration officials, worked on a new version of the proposed Civil Rights Act of 1991. The bill, authored by Senator Danforth, would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act, to make it easier for victims of employment discrimination to sue and collect damages. Initially, President Bush was opposed to Senator Danforth’s measure, citing his view that the bill would encourage employers to use quota systems in the hiring of women and minorities. On Friday, however, after a full day of negotiations, President Bush announced that he would support the compromise version of the bill. In an excerpt, the Senate considered the Danforth civil rights bill. Senator McConnell (R-KY) offered an additional amendment to the civil rights bill that would place a cap on the amount of money lawyers could receive when representing plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases. A portion of the debate on the McConnell proposal is shown. close