Debate on H.R. 1: Civil Rights Act of 1991

Members of the House of Representatives debated H.R. 1, the Civil Rights and Women’s Equity in Employment Act of 1991. H.R. 1 was written and introduced by Democrats wishing to overturn several 1989 Supreme Court decisions that made it harder for minorities and women to sue and recover damages for discrimination in the workplace. Opponents of the bill, including the Bush administration, maintain the bill mandates quotas in employment of minorities, despite language in the bill explicitly prohibiting the use of quotas in hiring practices. Other issues involved in the debate on H.R. 1 include race-norming, in which separate criteria for competency are used between races and genders, and limitations on recoverable damages in cases of discrimination: the Bush administration advocates a limit of $150,000, while the Democratic bill contains no limit on recoverable damages. Debate centered around two amendments to the main Democratic leadership bill. The first, introduced by Rep. Michel, cont close