Congressional Record—House H6187

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Congressional Record—House H6187 June 11, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6187 Today, Lake Lanier provides power When completed, the total cost of Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I production, flood control, water sup- construction, including land acquisi- urge passage of the resolution, and I ply, navigation, fish and wildlife man- tion, was almost $45 million. When the yield back the balance of my time. agement, and recreational activities to gates of the dam were closed in 1956, it The SPEAKER pro tempore. The members of the surrounding commu- took more than 3 years for the lake to question is on the motion offered by nities and businesses. This week in reach its normal elevation of 1,070 feet the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. June is a suitable time to recognize above sea level. ALTMIRE) that the House suspend the Lake Lanier’s contributions to the The lake is named for one of the Na- rules and agree to the resolution, H. area and accomplishments. As summer tion’s most famous poets, Sidney La- Res. 354. heat begins to spread across the Na- nier. Born in Georgia in 1842, Mr. La- The question was taken; and (two- tion, both water supply and cooling nier entered Oglethorpe College at 14 thirds being in the affirmative) the water recreational activities are on years of age, graduating at the top of rules were suspended and the resolu- many minds. his class in 1860. tion was agreed to. More than 60 percent of the popu- While serving on the blockade runner A motion to reconsider was laid on lation of the State of Georgia relies on ‘‘Lucy’’ during the Civil War, Mr. La- the table. water stored in Lake Lanier or down nier was captured and contracted tu- f the Chattahoochee River. Similarly, berculosis while imprisoned in Mary- properties around the lake and down land. Following the Civil War, Mr. La- RECOGNIZING 40TH ANNIVERSARY the river rely on its banks and dam for nier played the flute for the Peabody OF LOVING V. VIRGINIA LEGAL- flood control. Symphony and lectured at Johns Hop- IZING INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE Nearly 8 million visitors come annu- kins University. Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I move ally to appreciate the scenery and lei- While he is known for works like to suspend the rules and agree to the sure opportunities provided by the ‘‘The Harlequin of Dreams,’’ ‘‘In Ab- resolution (H. Res. 431) recognizing the lake. In fact, Lake Lanier holds the sence,’’ ‘‘Acknowledgement,’’ and 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia title of the most-visited Army Corps ‘‘Sunrise,’’ he is best remembered for legalizing interracial marriage within lake in the entire country. Facilities ‘‘The Song of the Chattahoochee,’’ an the United States. include 10 marinas and 57 parks for enduring legacy for the native Geor- The Clerk read the title of the resolu- swimming, boating, fishing and pic- gian. tion. nicking. In 1996, Lake Lanier hosted I urge all of our Members to support The text of the resolution is as fol- the paddling and rowing competitions this legislation. lows: for the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in H. RES. 431 And several years ago, the Marine support of H. Res. 354, recognizing the year Trade Association of Metro Atlanta Whereas the first anti-miscegenation law 2007 as the official 50th anniversary celebra- in the United States was enacted in Mary- found that Lake Lanier has an eco- tion of the beginnings of marinas, power pro- nomic impact of $5.5 billion. land in 1661; duction, recreation, and boating on Lake Sid- I urge my colleagues to join with me Whereas miscegenation was typically a fel- ney Lanier, Georgia. ony under State laws prohibiting interracial and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lake Lanier is named after Sidney Clopton marriage punishable by imprisonment or DEAL) in supporting House Resolution Lanier, a poet and musician who was born in hard labor; 354 to honor the impacts, accomplish- Macon, Georgia, in 1842. After participating in Whereas in 1883, the Supreme Court held in ments and continuing success of Lake battle during the Civil War, and being captured Pace v. Alabama that anti-miscegenation Lanier on its 50th anniversary. laws were consistent with the equal protec- Madam Speaker, I reserve the bal- and imprisoned in Point Lookout, Maryland, tion clause of the 14th Amendment as long as ance of my time. Mr. Lanier contracted tuberculosis, which the punishments given to both white and Mr. LATOURETTE. Madam Speaker, would affect him for the rest of his life. black violators are the same; I yield myself such time as I may con- Mr. Lanier’s life was one of practicality and Whereas in 1912, a constitutional amend- sume. beauty: while he practiced law to support his ment was proposed in the House of Rep- Madam Speaker, today we recognize wife and four children, he was also the first resentatives prohibiting interracial marriage ‘‘between negroes or persons of color and the 50th anniversary of Lake Sidney flutist in the Peabody Orchestra in Baltimore, Maryland, and an accomplished poet. The Caucasians’’; Lanier, an Army Corps of Engineers fa- Whereas in 1923, the Supreme Court held in cility located in the State of Georgia. Lake was named after Mr. Lanier because of Meyer v. Nebraska that the due process Lake Lanier is one of 464 lakes in 43 the way he positively portrayed the Chattahoo- clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees States constructed and operated by the chee River in his poetry. the right of an individual ‘‘to marry, estab- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In fact, Lake Lanier itself is a symbol of both lish a home and bring up children’’; Our Nation is blessed with consider- practicality and beauty. It provides crucial Whereas in 1924, Virginia enacted the Ra- able water resources that support our flood control, protecting approximately $2 bil- cial Integrity Act of 1924, which required Nation’s economy and quality of life. lion worth of property in the surrounding area. that a racial description of every person be We need water for our homes, farms Similarly, on June 16, 1957—50 years ago recorded at birth and prevented marriage be- tween ‘‘white persons’’ and non-white per- and factories. Water also supports this week—Buford Dam began producing sons; navigation, generates power and sus- power for the first time. Hydropower continues Whereas in 1948, the California Supreme tains our environment. to flow from these waters to this day. Court overturned the State’s anti-miscege- Congress authorized the Buford Dam Although the lake is one of 464 lakes con- nation statutes, thereby becoming the first Project in 1946 just after the end of the structed and operated by the U.S. Army Corps State high court to declare a ban on inter- Second World War. Groundbreaking for of Engineers, it has won the annual award for racial marriage unconstitutional and mak- the project began in 1950. Constructed ‘‘best operated lake’’ for three separate years: ing California the first State to do so in the by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1990, 1997, and 2002. 20th century; Lake Lanier is a multipurpose, 38,000- While the flood control, water supply, and Whereas the California Supreme Court stated in Perez v. Sharp that ‘‘a member of acre lake that provides flood protec- power production role of Lake Lanier may be any of these races may find himself barred tion, power production, water supply, critical to the continuing livelihood of the com- from marrying the person of his choice and navigation, recreation, and fish and munities in the surrounding area, the lake also that person to him may be irreplaceable. wildlife management. provides beautiful scenery and recreational Human beings are bereft of worth and dig- Nestled in the foothills of the Geor- opportunities that local citizens and visiting nity by a doctrine that would make them as gia Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake Sidney tourists enjoy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi- interchangeable as trains’’; Lanier is one of America’s favorite neers estimates that more than 7.5 million Whereas by 1948, 38 States still forbade lakes. Over 7.5 million people a year people visit the 692 miles of lake shoreline interracial marriage, and 6 did so by State choose to visit Lake Lanier. With over constitutional provision; each year. Whereas in June of 1958, 2 residents of the 692 miles of shoreline, the lake is well I urge my colleagues to join with me in rec- Commonwealth of Virginia—Mildred Jeter, a known for its aqua-blue colored water, ognizing the 50th anniversary of Lake Lanier. black/Native American woman, and Richard spectacular scenery and variety of rec- Mr. LATOURETTE. Madam Speaker, Perry Loving, a Caucasian man—were mar- reational activities. I yield back the balance of my time. ried in Washington, DC; VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:34 Jun 12, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K11JN7.004 H11JNPT1 bajohnson on PRODPC60 with HOUSE H6188 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 11, 2007 Whereas upon their return to Virginia, nizing that marriage is one of the ‘‘basic of another race resides with the indi- Richard Perry Loving and Mildred Jeter civil rights of man’’ at the heart of the 14th vidual and cannot be infringed by the Loving were charged with violating Vir- Amendment protections. State.’’ ginia’s anti-miscegenation statutes, a felo- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. nious crime; The Loving decision marked a crit- ALTMIRE). Pursuant to the rule, the Whereas the Lovings subsequently pleaded ical step forward in our Nation’s strug- guilty and were sentenced to 1 year in pris- gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms.
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