September 10, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5745 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time. 

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. 

Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 

New York (Mr. SERRANO) for as much 

time as he may consume. 

Mr. SERRANO. First of all, I want to 

thank the chairman and the ranking 

member for bringing this bill to the 

floor. 

In 2001, I sponsored the original resolution which created the ‘‘Hispanic 

Americans in Congress’’ book. And to 

some folks watching this debate, that 

may not be the most important bill we 

will debate in the next couple of days— 

or it may be, for that matter—but on 

the other hand, when you really think 

of the historic nature of this resolution 

and what happened in 2001, where this 

book became a very big item in libraries and communities throughout the 

Nation—in fact, Members of Congress 

received a lot of mail and phone calls 

at that time asking for copies, and of 

course it was a very limited amount. 

Now, this resolution would allow for 

a growth in that number, but most importantly, dealing with the world we 

deal in today, this resolution allows for 

a digital copy to be made available. 

Now, I don’t know the specific language of the bill, but I would imagine 

that any American then can take that 

digital copy and make their own copy, 

and so libraries and schools and individuals will be able to make that number grow. And it’s important to know 

why that is an important thing to do. 

‘‘Women in Congress,’’ ‘‘African 

Americans in Congress,’’ ‘‘Hispanics in 

Congress’’ was simply a way for people 

to say we have a lot of information 

about these particular communities in 

terms of what they’ve done in sports, 

in show business, in business, but 

there’s little information—very little— 

as to what has happened in Congress 

since the beginning of time of our Republic. So this book, when it first came 

out, was really something that incurred a lot of research and brought 

about a lot of discussion because people 

just did not know how long back there 

had been Hispanic Americans in Congress. 

Finally, with the growth of the 

Latino leadership community, with the 

fact that when this book first came 

out, to be honest, it was really a book 

about this side of the aisle, now the 

next book will be about a wide side of 

the aisle, both sides, because it has 

grown dramatically, and we suspect 

after the next election the number will 

even grow more dramatically. 

So I thank you both for bringing this 

resolution up. I hope all Members vote 

for it unanimously and we can get the 

book printed as soon as possible. 

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. 

Speaker, I yield back the balance of 

my time. 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the 

balance of my time. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

question is on the motion offered by 

the gentleman from California (Mr. 

DANIEL E. LUNGREN) that the House 

suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 132. 

The question was taken; and (twothirds being in the affirmative) the 

rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on 

the table. 

f 

ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF 

FREDERICK DOUGLASS FOR 

PLACEMENT IN EMANCIPATION 

HALL 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend 

the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6336) to 

direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting 

Frederick Douglass from the District 

of Columbia and to provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor 

Center. 

The Clerk read the title of the bill. 

The text of the bill is as follows: 

H.R. 6336 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of 

Representatives of the United States of America 

in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Maryland in 

1818, escaped from slavery and became a 

leading writer, orator, and publisher, and 

one of the Nation’s most influential advocates for abolitionism, women’s suffrage, and 

the equality of all people. 

(2) The contributions of Frederick Douglass over many decades were crucial to the 

abolition of slavery, the passage of the 13th, 

14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, the support for 

women’s suffrage, and the advancement of 

African-Americans after the Civil War. 

(3) After living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Frederick Douglass resided for 25 years 

in Rochester, New York, where he published 

and edited ‘‘The North Star’’, the leading African-American newspaper in the United 

States, and other publications. 

(4) Self-educated, Frederick Douglass 

wrote several influential books, including 

his best-selling first autobiography, ‘‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an 

American Slave’’, published in 1845. 

(5) Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly 

for the emancipation of African-American 

slaves, was a pivotal figure in Underground 

Railroad activities, and was an inspiration 

to enslaved Americans who aspired to freedom. 

(6) As a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick Douglass traveled widely, 

visiting countries such as England and Ireland, to spread the message of emancipation 

and equal rights. 

(7) Frederick Douglass was the only African-American to attend the Seneca Falls 

Convention, a women’s rights convention 

held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. 

(8) During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited African-Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union Army, including 2 of his sons, who served nobly in the 

Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment. 

(9) In 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to 

Washington, DC, after a fire destroyed his 

home in Rochester, New York. 

(10) Frederick Douglass was appointed as a 

United States Marshal in 1877 and was named 

Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia in 1881. 

(11) Frederick Douglass became the first 

African-American to receive a vote for nomination as President of the United States at a 

major party convention for the 1888 Republican National Convention. 

(12) From 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass 

served as minister-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti. 

(13) Frederick Douglass was recognized 

around the world as one of the most important political activists in the history of the 

United States. 

(14) Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in 

Washington, DC and is buried in Rochester, 

New York. 

(15) Frederick Douglass’s achievements and 

influence on the history of the United States 

merit recognition in the United States Capitol. 

SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF FREDERICK 

DOUGLASS FOR PLACEMENT IN 

EMANCIPATION HALL. 

(a) ACCEPTANCE.—Not later than 2 years 

after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

the Joint Committee on the Library shall accept from the District of Columbia the donation of a statue depicting Frederick Douglass, subject to the terms and conditions 

that the Joint Committee considers appropriate. 

(b) PLACEMENT.—The Joint Committee 

shall place the statue accepted under subsection (a) in a suitable permanent location 

in Emancipation Hall of the United States 

Capitol. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to 

accept a statue depicting Frederick Douglass 

from the District of Columbia and to provide 

for the permanent display of the statue in 

Emancipation Hall of the United States Capitol.’’. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 

California (Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN) 

and the gentleman from Pennsylvania 

(Mr. BRADY) each will control 20 minutes. 

The Chair recognizes the gentleman 

from California. 

GENERAL LEAVE

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 

consent that all Members may have 5 

legislative days to revise and extend 

their remarks. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentleman from California? 

There was no objection. 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 

time as I may consume. 

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support 

of H.R. 6336, a bill that I had the privilege to introduce with my esteemed 

colleague, the representative from the 

District of Columbia (Ms. NORTON). 

This bill appropriately places a statue 

of Frederick Douglass into Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Congress. 

Frederick Douglass is a pivotal figure 

in American history who had an 

unyielding dedication to equal rights, 


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H5746 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 10, 2012 

the abolition of slavery, and the advancement of women’s suffrage. In addition to a gripping personal saga detailing his flight from slavery to freedom, Frederick Douglass inspired a nation through both his compelling antislavery writings and his rhetoric. 

Published in 1845, his eloquent autobiography ‘‘Narrative of the Life of 

Frederick Douglass, an American 

Slave’’ undercut pro-slavery arguments. He challenged enslavement, and 

he inspired individuals seeking their 

freedom. 

After the Civil War, he served in a 

number of government positions and 

became the first African American to 

receive a vote for nomination as President of the United States at the 1888 

Republican National Convention—yes, 

I would repeat, the Republican National Convention. He was a proud Republican. 

Mr. Speaker, September 22 marks the 

150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the preliminary 

proclamation that paved the way for 

the Emancipation Proclamation to be 

signed on January 1, 1863. How fitting 

that a statue honoring Frederick Douglass, a man who brought freedom to so 

many, will be on display in Emancipation Hall. 

In considering the remarkable 

achievements of Frederick Douglass 

and his contributions to our rich history, his presence within the U.S. Capitol will honor this institution and 

serve as an endearing testimony to the 

struggle for freedom and equality. 

I would like to thank again my colleague, the Congresswoman from the 

District of Columbia (Ms. NORTON). I 

know she, unfortunately, couldn’t be 

here today because I know she has a requirement to teach a class; otherwise, 

she would be here. But I wanted to 

thank her for her tireless work to bring 

this statue to the Capitol, as well as 

our counterparts in the Senate, the 

Senate Rules Committee. As many 

know, Senator SCHUMER introduced the 

companion legislation in the Senate. I 

thank my ranking member for his support in this effort. 

I urge my colleagues to support this 

measure, and I look forward to welcoming the statue of Frederick Douglass to Emancipation Hall very soon. 

With that, I reserve the balance of 

my time. 

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. 

Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 

may consume. 

Mr. Speaker, I also urge support for 

H.R. 6336, to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the 

statue of Frederick Douglass and provide for its permanent display in 

Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center. 

Often considered the father of the 

civil rights movement, Frederick 

Douglass’ place in history was earned 

with deep-seated courage and an 

unshakable belief in the equality of all 

human beings. A former slave, Douglass went on to become one of the most 

prominent figures of the movement to 

free the slaves. His statue should serve 

as a reminder to millions of visitors to 

this great place of both how far we’ve 

come and how far we still have to go. 

Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to thank 

my chairman, Mr. LUNGREN, for his patience—this was a long time coming— 

and his negotiations and for his respect, and also for his unyielding cooperation. 

With that, I yield back the balance of 

my time. 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 

time as I may consume. 

One of the great things about Frederick Douglass is that he inspired a nation not only by the example of his 

lifetime in releasing the bonds of slavery and becoming a free man, but he 

was self-educated. He was a great orator, a great writer, a great inspiration 

to this country. 

There’s not too many people that you 

can talk about that actually can take 

credit, tremendous credit, for the passage of three amendments to the U.S. 

Constitution—13th, 14th, and 15th. 

There’s not many people who were on 

the right side of history in such a tremendous way, someone who not only 

worked to encourage African Americans to fight in the Civil War on the 

side of freedom, but also later on to 

work to ensure that the message of 

freedom that was the promise of both 

our Declaration of Independence and 

our Constitution was embodied specifically in the Constitution by these 

amendments. 

He was a powerful man who was very 

proud of his history and proud of his 

place in history in terms of leading a 

political movement and showing that 

African Americans were not just freed 

slaves that somehow got their freedom 

at the suffrage of the other members of 

society, but that they fought for it, 

they struggled for it, and they had both 

physical courage and intellectual 

power that inspired the Nation to recognize the fact that we had fallen so 

far short of the promise of our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. 

b 1720 

I’m afraid that too many young people today don’t know the story of Frederick Douglass. In a small way, this 

may help to rekindle the interest in 

Frederick Douglass so that when the 

young people come here to this Capitol, 

as they often do, and they look at the 

statues and they ask who is that and 

what did he do or what did she do, people can now look proudly to the statue 

of Frederick Douglass and explain what 

it is he did and why his powerful legacy 

is still an inspiration to all of us today. 

So I would hope that our Members 

would unanimously support this legislation and that we would soon see 

Frederick Douglass return to the 

United States Capitol in this way. 

With that, I yield back the balance of 

my time. 

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong 

support of H.R. 6336, and to express my deep 

gratitude to Chairman DAN LUNGREN for introducing the bill, for consulting with me on it, 

and for bringing it to the House floor. I would 

also like to thank Senator DICK DURBIN for including a provision in the Senate Appropriations Committee-passed fiscal year 2013 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill to place the Frederick Douglass statue in the U.S. Capitol and Senator 

CHARLES SCHUMER for introducing the Senate 

companion to H.R. 6336. 

The District of Columbia government commissioned the Douglass statue, with the intention of giving it to the American people as a 

gift to be displayed in the Capitol. Douglass, 

an iconic leader for equal rights for African 

Americans and women and an internationally 

celebrated human rights advocate, spent 

much of his life as a D.C. resident and served 

as a local public official. His home in Southeast D.C., which is now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, sits only a few 

miles from the Capitol. Since the statue was 

completed in 2007, I have been pursuing legislation to have Congress accept the District’s 

gift. When Congress built the Capitol Visitor 

Center, it named the main room ‘‘Emancipation Hall’’ in honor of the slaves who helped 

to build the Capitol. Nevertheless, the Capitol 

still has a long way to go in telling the nation’s 

story, including the role of African Americans 

in U.S. history. Currently, there are 180 statues and busts in the Capitol, and the Douglass statue would only be the third portraying 

an African American. 

The time has come for the Congress to accept the District of Columbia’s gift. I urge the 

House to pass the bill. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

question is on the motion offered by 

the gentleman from California (Mr. 

DANIEL E. LUNGREN) that the House 

suspend the rules and pass the bill, 

H.R. 6331, as amended. 

The question was taken; and (twothirds being in the affirmative) the 

rules were suspended and the bill, as 

amended, was passed. 

The title was amended so as to read: 

‘‘A bill to direct the Joint Committee 

on the Library to accept a statue depicting Frederick Douglass from the 

District of Columbia and to provide for 

the permanent display of the statue in 

Emancipation Hall of the United 

States Capitol.’’ 

A motion to reconsider was laid on 

the table. 

f 

RECESS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair 

declares the House in recess until 6:30 

p.m. today. 

Accordingly (at 5 o’clock and 21 minutes p.m.), the House stood in recess. 

f 

b 1830 

AFTER RECESS 

The recess having expired, the House 

was called to order by the Speaker pro 

tempore (Mr. NUNES) at 6 o’clock and 30 

minutes p.m. 


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