Date: 1993-07-29
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chairman. I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Califomia. Madam Chairman. I appreciate that the maJority of this Chamber has never really understood what It means to be denied opportunities on the basis of their skin color. I appreciate that some In this body find it difficult to conceive of the additional burdens race and gender place on Individuals who desire to compete on an even playing field. That Is why I would like to explain a few of the realities that this amendment Is trying to address. Most people In this Chamber. if pressed. will admit that they prefer to deal with people they know personally or types of people they know through experience. Its a matter of comfort levels. I think we all accept that commonalities of shared experiencesbe they through education. social circles. geographic location. military service. whateverform the foundation for the grounds on which business relationships. indeed all relationships. are built. Historically. AfricanAmericans. Hispanics and women have been excluded from many of these experiences and thus disadvantaged In accessing the opportunities which arise from these relationships. This amendment is very straightforward. it just says that 8 percent of contract awards be made to these individuals. There is no injustice here. no one is being deprived of anything. It is almost embarrassing -that this amendment Is controversial. My constituents pay 100 percent of their tax dollars. But what do they get back? Eight percent of the opportunities. Are there people in this body who will deny the 12 percent of the U.S. population that is AfricanAmerican. the 9 percent of the population that is Hispanic and the 7 percent of the population that is AsianAmerican 8 percent of NASA contracts? And then go further to call them quotas? According to the U.S. Commission on Minority Business Developments report to Congress on historically underutilized businesses. less than 4 percent of all Federal prime contracts and less than 4 percent of Federal prime subcontracts went to small disadvantaged businesses. Not just NASA. but all Federal procurement. What message does that send to the small disadvantaged business owner? What message sent to the children of that small disadvantaged business owner? These are the children who dont understand why they have to study math or physics or go to college when they see they have got to work everyday and pay their taxes and receive nothing back because they dont have the advantages of the relationships I described earlier. What message Is being sent when people In this body say to some groups that getting even less than a proportionate share of the pie is unfair because it Is going to deprive another group of what they have felt entitled to by birth? Eight percent Is a ridiculously low figure as a goal for all black-. hispanic-. and womenowned businesses. But it Is the language which has become standard throughout numerous Federal programs. Similar language is included in the fiscal year 1993 Defense Department appropriations bill. sailler VA/HUD appropriations bills and energy and water appropriations bills. This amendment would only place the language In the authorizing bill where it belongs. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and strike a small victory for equality and opportunity.