• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Politics / Govt / Harkin introduces resolution to appologize for slavery

Harkin introduces resolution to appologize for slavery

June 18, 2009 By admin

Senator Tom Harkin (file photo) A congressional apology for slavery is being introduced on the floor of the U.S. Senate this morning by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.

Harkin says, “It’s a concurrent resolution with the House formally apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans.”

Harkin, a Democrat, says the measure’s principal co-sponsor is Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas. Harkin says the measure is long overdue.

“There’ve been other congressional apologies in the past,” Harkin says. “For instance, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War Two. We apologized to Hawaiians for overthrowing their kingdom in 1893. We’ve apologized to Native Americans. It’s about time for Congress, on behalf of the entire American people, to acknowledge and apologize for slavery and Jim Crow segregation and discrimination.”

Harkin says he’s worked on this resolution for many months and sees it as “very important.” “By agreement, the resolution will pass by unanimous consent, that means everyone votes for it,” Harkin says.

“The House is expected to pass it next week and on July 7th we will have a very poignant ceremony in the Capitol rotunda to enroll this bill and commemorate passage of this historic resolution.”

Previous proposals of this sort have died in Congress, in part because of concerns an apology might spark demands for reparations. The Senate did pass an apology in 2005 for failing to pass anti-lynching laws. 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Tom Harkin

Featured Stories

Congresswoman Axne favors Biden pandemic relief plan, Hinson not ruling out a ‘yes’

DOT plow crews struggling against blizzard conditions

Death penalty proposed for specific child murder cases

Iowa delegation breaks along party lines on Trump impeachment vote

Two northeast Iowa men admit to illegally harvesting ginseng

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI adds two nonconference games to basketball schedule

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC