EXTENSIONS of REMARKS 35431 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS TRIBUTE to the HONORABLE Highly Seasoned Foods
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December 11, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 35431 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE highly seasoned foods. I don't recall ever erupted in his own district and other black AUGUSTUS HAWKINS missing a day of work." communities around the country, Hawkins Hawkins is at the peak of his political declared, "We need clearer thinking and power. Elected to Congress in 1962 when he fewer exhibitionists in the civil rights move HON. MEL LEVINE became the first black elected to the House ment." OF CALIFORNIA from a state west of the Mississippi, he has Another Republican colleague, Rep. Bill IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES now amassed important seniority. Since Goodling of Pennsylvania, says the con 1984 he has been chairman of the House gressman reflects such views in running the Friday, December 11, 1987 Education and Labor committee. Education and Labor Committee. He de Mr. LEVINE of California. Mr. Speaker, I He was a political success, for that matter, scribed Hawkins as "an outstanding leader would like to share with my colleagues an arti even before going to Congress. During an in a very quiet sort of way. Not a wheeler cle which recently appeared in the Los Ange era far less congenial to minority politicians, and dealer. He's not a shouter. He lets us he spent 28 years in the state Assembly, be know in committee that we'll do our fight les Times regarding our colleague AUGUSTUS coming chairman of the influential Rules HAWKINS. GUS HAWKINS' 53 year career in ing there and there'll be nothing said on the Committee, and in 1959, he missed becom [Housel floor." government has included 28 years in the Cali ing Speaker by two votes. Hawkins in last week's interview said he fornia State Legislature and membership in Although black lawmakers are shown con decided early in his career that "there's no this body for the last 25 years. During his long siderable deference these days, Hawkins point in going around with a chip on one's tenure as a legislator, Gus HAWKINS has contends that, for the nation's black popula shoulder, saying no one can be converted. tion in general, conditions have not changed earned the respect of Members on both sides as much as many think. Often, they can be converted.... " of the aisle. In both of these highly partisan "I feel the changes have been to a large "In Congress, you soon find out that there legislative bodies, Gus HAWKINS demonstrat extent somewhat artificial," he said in an are others that know something too,'' he ed an outstanding ability to bring both sides interview last week. "In terms of employ said. "You try to get things accomplished together in a bipartisan consensus. As this ar ment and education, the gap [between the through negotiations. When seniority and leadership bring certain responsibilities, ticle repeatedly points out, it has been his races] is still very wide. That worries me. While we have made progress and changes you're at the top and not trying to establish quiet persistence and his reputation for fair any sensational new records. ness that have been the keys to his remarka have occurred, there's too wide a gap still remaining.... "I try to get bipartisan support.... I ble record of achievement. I recommend to "I find some of the same problems, in a could make a lot more noise as a Democrat, my colleagues the following Los Angeles more subtle way, as I found 50 years ago." but I wouldn't be successful in getting things through and getting them signed." Times article on the career of this outstanding 'NOT RACIALLY ORIENTED' leader. One result is that Hawkins has had an im That pessimistic assessment, coming from pressive record of accomplishment, even [From the Los Angeles Times, Nov. 30, Hawkins, probably means more than if it though his name identification with the 1987] came from most minority spokesmen in or public has not been that high. AT 80, REPRESENTATIVE HAWKINS FINDS out of government, for the congressman In the Legislature, he authored bills estab CHALLENGES KEEP HIM ACTIVE long ago won a Statehouse and U.S. Capitol lishing a low-cost housing program in the (By Kenneth Reich) reputation for being soft-spoken and cir state, putting domestic employees under the When Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins, dean of cumspect and not particularly racial in his workmen's compensation system and, in the nation's black elected officials, was political approach. 1959, he sponsored the California Fair Em voted into the state Assembly 53 years ago The ranking Republican on the Education ployment Practices Act. He also had key this month, he became the only black and Labor Committee, Rep. James M. Jef roles in the establishment of the UCLA law member of the California Legislature. fords of Vermont, said last week: "He is a and medical schools, Los Angeles Trade "I remember driving from Los Angeles to black man, and he certainly represents the Technical College and the Los Angeles Sacramento and seeing big signs on the way, people of his district and blacks very effec Sports Arena. tively. But he never gives the opinion that's 'No Negroes Admitted Here,' 'We Do Not a factor to be considered. He never talks of MINIMUM WAGE BILL Solicit the Negro Trade,'" recalls the South it. He always thinks in general terms of In Congress, Hawkins co-authored the Los Angeles Democrat who now has longer people who need help. He is not racially ori Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and continuous service in state-elected offices ented." Balanced Growth Act, and authored the than any other Californian. Comprehensive Employment and Training When Hawkins arrived in the state cap Much of the same point was made by Rep. ital, he remembers, "I went to some func Julian C. Dixon <D-Los Angeles), who repre Act <CETA>, the Job Training Partnership sents a district neighboring Hawkins'. Act, the Youth Employment and Demon tions that I did not realize blacks had not "I think Gus has prided himself on a tech stration Projects Act and the Pregnancy gone to. We were not expected to accept Disability Act. He has recently been active som.e invitations." nique of speaking for disadvantaged people but has never characterized them as being sponsoring a bill to increase the minimum $100-A-PLATE DINNER entirely black," Dixon said. "There are a lot wage. He has come a long way since then. A still of communities who have whites who have a Often, however, he has had to compro vigorous 80, Hawkins will be honored at a need for public money.... He has never fo mise, and sometimes the compromises were special $100-a-plate dinner at the Bonaven cused on race only. That brings him a great emasculations. ture on Wednesday celebrating his 25 years degree of credibility." For example, after Sen. Hubert H. Hum in Congress. Scores of political dignitaries, Congressional Quarterly's book, "Politics phrey's death, Hawkins, in order to secure as well as about 1,500 of his supporters, are in America, The 100th Congress,'' begins its passage of the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, set expected to attend the affair. four-page essay on the congressman with tled in 1978 for a much-watered-down ver Far from announcing retirement plans this observation: "While other black politi sion in negotiations with the Carter Admin that night, Hawkins-senior member of the cal leaders have made fiery speeches and istration. Congressional Black Caucus-will probably demonstrated for civil rights, gentle Gus The act, as it emerged, was stripped of talk about his 1988 reelection campaign. Hawkins has plodded along, working several major provisions including a require Expressing a desire to serve under a through the legislative system for jobs, ment that, if need be, the government Democratic president after next year's elec equal opportunity and education." would serve as the employer of last resort to tions, he said in an interview last week: Hawkins himself once remarked, "Racia ensure attainment of a 4% unemployment "New challenges keep me quite busy.... lizing an issue defeats my purpose-which is goal. I try to be very active. I play golf. I spend 30 to get people on my side. By the following year, Hawkins was so dis minutes each morning walking briskly to It's a view he has long held. Even during gusted with what he felt was the Carter Ad work. I follow a very bland diet, avoid the 1960s, when a series of bloody riots ministration's failure to enforce the provi- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 35432 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS December 11, 1987 sions left in the bill that he issued a nine- with a college degree, he was only able to URANIUM STATEMENT point "indictment" of alleged violations of land a job as a soda jerk in that Depression it. It got little publicity, and the Administra- year. tion scarcely bothered to respond. Eventually, he got into the real estate HON. BILL RICHARDSON REAGAN YEARS NOT EASY business and in 1934, at the age of 27, Was OF NEW MEXICO Even today, Hawkins is bitter about what elected to the state Assembly to replace Re IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES happened to Humphrey-Hawkins, not only publican Fred Roberts, the only black then Thursday, December 10, 1987 in the Carter years but also under the serving there.