INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD A YOUNG LEADER WHO WOULD ONE DAY HAVE A
           NATIONAL HOLIDAY DECLARED IN HIS HONOR, THE REVEREND MARTIN
           LUTHER KING JR. AND THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR IS A
           FITTING TRIBUTE TO ROSA PARKS, THE GENTLE WARRIOR TO DECIDED
           THAT SHE WLD NO LONGER TOLERATE THE HUMILIATION AND THE
           DEMORALIZATION OF RACIAL SEGREGATION. VOSE IS A PARKS, AS MY

           FRIEND FROM MICHIGAN SAID, IS A RESIDENCE OF -- A RESIDENT OF
           MICHIGAN. AND WE'RE PROUD OF T AND WE HOPE THAT THAT IS
           ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE FINAL BILL THAT COMES OUT OF CONGRESS.
           WE'RE TRYING TO ADD THAT FACT TO THE FINAL BILL BECAUSE, AS IT
           HAPPENS, SINCE 1957, PROS IS A PARKS HAS BEEN A MICHIGANIAN.
           SHE AND HER HUSBAND MADE THE JOURNEY TO MICHIGAN IN 1957
           BECAUSE OF THREATS ON ON THEIR LIVES AND PERSISTENT HARASSMENT
           BY PHONE AND THAT IS WHAT PROMPTED HER MOVE TO DETROIT. WHERE

           ROSA PARKS' BROTHER RESIDED. SHE CONTINUES TO DEDICATE HER LIFE
           TO ADVANCING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND TO KEAGT OUR YOUTH ABOUT THE
           PAST STRUGGLES FOR FREEDOM, FROM SLAVERY UP TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS
           MOVEMENT OF THE 1960'S. IN 1987 ROSA PARKS AND ELAINE EASTON
           STEELE COFOUNDED AN INSTITUTE FOR SELF SELF-DEVELOPMENT. ITS
           PRIMARY FOCUS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN
           AND FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PART OF THE PATHWAYS TO FREEDOM
           PROGRAM. THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM TRACES HISTORY FROM THE DAYS OF

           THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE
           1960'S AND BEYOND. THROUGH THIS INSTITUTE, YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 11
           TO 17 MEET WITH NATIONAL LEADERS AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN A
           VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH PROJECTS. DURING THE SUMMER
           MONTHS IN PARTICULAR, MANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVEL
           ACROSS THE COUNTRY VISITING HISTORICAL SITES. IN RECENT YEARS
           THE ROSA AND RAYMOND PARKS INSTITUTE FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT HAS
           EXPANDED TO INCLUDE AN INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORING AND COMPUTER

           SKILLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. THIS INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TEAMS YOUNG
           PEOPLE WITH ELDERLY AMERICANS, GENERATIONAL AND AGE BARRIERS
           BREAK DOWN AS YOUNG PEOPLE HELP THE ELDERLY DEVELOP COMPUTER
           SKILLS WHILE THE ELDERLY PROVIDE THEIR UNIQUE AND PERSONALIZED
           RECOLLECTIONS OF THEIR LIVES IN AMERICAN HISTORY. EACH YEAR THE
           INSTITUTE MATCHES HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ELDERLY
           AMERICANS AND SINCE 1987 MORE THANK 7,000 YOUTH FROM AROUND THE
           WORLD HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM. BUT THE WORK OF HER

           INSTITUTE, WE CAN TRULY SAY, THAT IN ADDITION TO HAVING PLAYED
           A MAJOR ROLE IN SHAPING AMERICA'S PAST AND PRESENT, ROSA PARKS
           IS PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN SHAPING AMERICA'S FUTURE. WITH THE
           DAWN AFTER NEW MILLENNIUM AT HAND, AMERICA HUSBAND ENSURE THAT
           ALL OF OUR YOUTH ARE NOJSABLE, OF ONE OF THE GREAT NATIONAL
           STORIES OF OUR TIME, AND THE STRUGGLE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN
           INDIVIDUALS THAT FINALLY FORCED US TO HONOR THE PRINCIPLES
           WHICH FOUNDED THIS COUNTRY AND WHICH HAVE FOR SO LONG BEEN

           REJECTED IN THE REAL WORLD AND IN REALITY EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE
           PROMISED ON PAPER. THE ROSA PARKS INSTITUTE FOR
           SELF-DEVELOPMENT'S PATHWAY TO FREEDOM PROGRAMS PRESERVE THE
           MEMORIES OF SELF-SACRIFICE THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND SO MANY
           OTHERS HAVE MADE TO THIS COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT AS TRULY THE
           LAND OF THE FREE. SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, THIS IS GREAT WORK WHICH
           ROSA PARKS CONTINUES TO DO. SHE CONTINUES TO BLESS US, OUR
           NATION, OUR STATE WITH HER PRESENCE, WITH HER DIGNITY, WITH HER

           VERY DIRECT, SIMPLE STATEMENT ABOUT EQUALITY. AND SO, WE
           HOPEFULLY WILL NOT JUST AWARD HER A MEDAL ONE OF THESE DAYS,
           BUT WE WILL ALSO HOPEFULLY SUPPORT THE IMPORTANT WORK WHICH SHE
           CONTINUES TO DO IN HER INSTITUTE. WE'VE COME A LONG WAYS TO TRY
           TO ACHIEVE DR. KING'S DREAM AND ROSA PARKS' DREAM OF JUSTICE
           AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO. AND
           THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A CONSTANT REDEDICATION TO THESE GOALS AND

           TO THE WORK, THE LIFETIME WORK OF ROSA PARKS AND TO THE SPIRIT
           WHICH SHE SO EMBODIES, TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS WHICH THE NAME "ROSA
           PARKS" STANDS FOR AND I'M PROUD TO JOIN SENATOR ABRAHAM,
           OTHERS, SO MANY OTHERS IN THIS BODY AND IN THE OTHER BODY WHO
           HAVE INITIATEED THIS GOLD MEDAL FOR HER AND WE WILL AGAIN LOOK
           FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PRESENT TO ONE
           OF THE TRUE CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE A GOLD MEDAL WHICH SHE SO

           TRULY DESERVES. I YIELD THE FLOOR AND AGAIN I THANK MY FRIEND

           FROM MICHIGAN. MR. ABRAHAM: MADAM PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN.
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: MADAM PRESIDENT, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS
           WHO HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SPEAKING ON THIS ISSUE, SOME
           OF WHOM ARE -- WILL BE ARRIVING BACK IN WASHINGTON IF THEY
           HAVEN'T ALREADY GOTTEN HERE ON FLIGHTS THIS AFTERNOON
           AFTERNOON, SO WE WILL, I KNOW, BE HERE FOR SOMETIME WAITING TO
           GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE OUR VOTE ON THIS. BUT
           AT THIS POINT, SEEING NONE OF THEM ARE IN ARE ATEN DANCE, I
           WOULD NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
           
           
           
           
           QUORUM CALL:
           
           
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN.
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: KNOWING THAT THERE ARE SPEAKERS ON EACH SIDE WHO
           HOPE TO HAVEA KHANGS TO SPEAK --
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CHAIR WOULD INFORM THE SENATOR --
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: I'M SORRY. I SEEK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE
           QUORUM CALL BE LIFTED.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: NOTING THAT THERE ARE SPEAKERS ON BOTH SIDES SO WE
           DON'T RUN THE CLK COMPLETELY OFF EITHER SIDE DURING QUORUM
           CALLS, I WOULD AT THIS POINT NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM AND
           ASK THAT THE TIME OF THE QUORUM CALL BE EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN
           BOTH SIDES.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CLERK WILL CALL
           THE ROLL.
           
           
           
           
           QUORUM CALL:
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: MADAM PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN.
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: I SEEK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE QUORUM CALL BE
           LIFTED.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. ABRAHAM: NOW, MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD YIELD SUCH TIME AS

           HE MAY NEED TO THE SENATOR FROM ALABAMA. MR. SESSIONS: MADAM
           PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ALABAMA IS RECOGNIZED.
           

           MR. SESSIONS: TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR ME, AND I REMEMBER A
           NUMBER OF WEEKS AGO WHEN SENATOR ABRAHAM AND I DISCUSSED THE
           POSSIBILITY OF AWARDING A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO ROSA
           PARKS. IT WAS AN IDEA THAT WE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD ONE, AND MANY
           EA GLAD TO SEE IT MOVING RAPIDLY TO FRUITION. I CERTAINLY
           BELIEVE THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL IS A VERY
           DISTINGUISHED AWARD THAT OUGHT TO BE PRESERVED FOR THE MOST
           EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND PERSONS, AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE

           THE ONE TODAY THAT WE WILL HONOR MEETS ALL OF THE QUALITIES. SO
           I AM PLEASED TO HONOR A NATIVE ALABAMIAN WHO THROUGH HER LIFE
           AND EXAMPLE HAS TOUCHED BOTH THE HEART AND CONSCIENCE OF AN
           ENTIRE NATION. I SPEAK OF COURSE OF MRS. ROSA PARKS, A NATIVE
           OF TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA, AND A FORMER RESIDENT OF MONTH GOM RIRX
           WHOSE DIGNITY IN THE FACE OF DISCRIMINATION HELPED SPARK A
           MOVEMENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL CITIZENS WERE TREATED EQUALLY UNDER
           THE LAW. EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW IS A FUNDAMENTAL PILLAR

           UPON WHICH OUR REPUBLIC RESTS. IN FACT OVER THE FIRST TWO
           MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THIS SENATE WAS ENGAGED IN A
           CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE OVER THE SCOPE AND MEANING OF THIS VERY
           CONCEPT. AS LEGISLATORS, WE SHOULD WORK TO STRENGTHEN THE
           APPRECIATION FOR THIS IMPORTANT, FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNING
{END: 1999/04/19 TIME: 17-00 , Mon.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}