Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of this resolution,
which will create a physical memorial to a leader whose name is already firmly
embedded in our nation's history.
The name of Augustus Hawkins is heard most often in discussions of this nation's
monetary and economic policies. But Gus was interested not just in economics,
but in the possibilities that monetary and economic policies could create for
our nation's children. He believed government could and should make a tangible
difference in people's lives. He believed that government had an obligation
to provide all Americans with the opportunity to make better lives, through
education, through jobs and through guaranteed equal treatment under the law.
Gus Hawkins focused on money because he understood the role the economy plays
in social justice and equal opportunity.
His best-known legislative triumph, the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and
Balanced Growth Act of 1978, was designed to promote genuine and sustainable
recovery and a full employment society. This landmark statute created a framework
for the chairman of the Federal Reserve to report to Congress on the state of
our economy. While the statute has expired, the report is still provided to
Congress and remains a benchmark for evaluating the economy.
Gus Hawkins is also the author of more than 17 federal laws, including the Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
the Job Training Partnership Act, and the School Improvement Act, which revamped
virtually all major elementary and secondary education programs.
As important as the laws he was able to get passed was one of the institutions
he helped found. In 1971, Gus Hawkins joined 12 other African American Members
of Congress to create the Congressional Black Caucus. Today, the Congressional
Black Caucus is a powerful voice for the interests not only of African Americans
but of the rights of all Americans - the rights Gus Hawkins championed throughout
his career.
Mr. Speaker, the people of South Central Los Angeles and of this great nation
were blessed to have Gus Hawkins serve them so well for so long.
This post office will serve as a reminder of that service, and as a monument
to a man whose dedication to making the world a better place has been inspirational
for many of us who have tried to follow in his footsteps.