June 17, 1970
Page 20143
THE "MANSFIELD LAW" AND PASSAGE BY THE HOUSE OF THE VOTING RIGHTS EXTENSION ACT OF 1965
Mr. HART. Mr. President, this interruption will take no more than 2 minutes. Word has just come from the House that by an overwhelming vote it has accepted the Senate-passed Voting Rights Extension Act which contains the provision for the 18-year-old vote.
I rise not so much to make that announcement, which will be news for no more than a minute, but to suggest that it is proof positive of the wisdom of the majority leader of the U.S. Senate and the lack of wisdom of the senior Senator from Michigan.
I make that confession now as one who was deeply involved in and very anxious to see the 1965 voting rights features of the bill extended. However, I was very reluctant when the suggestion was made first, I think, by the senior Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. KENNEDY) that the 18-year-old vote provision be attached to that bill. I could see all sorts of hazards and began to speak and voice caution and reservation about it.
I had not finished three paragraphs before the majority leader announced without any adjectives and in about two sentences that he thought it was a great idea and that it was going to go on the bill. That locked it up in a sense.
The overwhelming acceptance by the House, I think, confirms the instinctive legislative good sense of the majority leader and the very clear indication that a goal of his for many years has been achieved.
I know that history will note many things that the majority leader has achieved. My hunch is that the opening of the polls to the 18-, 19-, and 20-yearold Americans will be very close to the top, if not at the top of that list.
Mr. PROXMIRE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. HART. I yield.
Mr. PROXMIRE. Mr. President, I join the distinguished senior Senator from Michigan in saying that I, too, want to pay my respects to the majority leader who once again has shown his outstanding leadership.
He has taken a position that many Senators disagreed with from the standpoint of strategy. We agreed from the standpoint of substance, but disagreed from the standpoint of strategy.
The distinguished majority leader was almost alone in his view that this was the way to accomplish the end. He was opposed by the President of the United States and by many Senators who agreed with his views from the standpoint of substance.
I think this is another example of how very effective our majority leader is.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, will the Senator from Colorado yield?
Mr. DOMINICK. Mr. President, I yield to the distinguished senior Senator from New York without losing my right to the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. SCHWEIKER). The Senator from New York is recognized.
Mr. JAVITS. Mr. President, I appreciate the role of the majority leader. We love him and all join in congratulating him.
The Senate acted in a very statesmanlike way at a very dangerous moment in history, especially as to the fate of 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds in our form of government – let alone our Government.
I hope very much the President sees it our way and that this reform may come about as expeditiously as the law enables it to come about, rather than by constitutional amendment.
I hope, and all Senators who supported the measure hope very much, that the President will sign it and make it law so that we will have this tremendous help in dealing with the youth of our country and the deep feelings they have with respect of our Government and how it operates.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I share in the sentiments expressed about the extension of the franchise of the ballot to those 18, 19, and 20. The action of the House today in adopting the proposal will live, in my judgment, as one of the truly outstanding achievements of the century.
The vote on this matter both here in the Senate some months ago and in the House today says clearly and with no equivocation that young people not only have earned the right to vote but that they are capable and qualified in every respect to exercise that responsibility. In short, it was a vote of faith in young people. I hope it is received as such.
I would only add that the full measure of credit for this singular achievement goes to the distinguished Senator from Montana (Mr. MANSFIELD), the majority leader. I might say that he ably and singlehandedly steered the matter through the Senate in the face even of some questions raised by the proponents of the voting rights measure. Indeed, it would appear that the jeopardy that was thought to be created by the addition of this amendment to the voting rights extension was totally unfounded. It would appear that it was the 18-year-old proposition that carried the underlying bill through to its ultimate success. The majority leader may take full credit for proceeding in this fashion.
If ever it is proper to append for posterity the name of any one man to a particular law, I would think this law meets the test. Henceforth, as far as I am concerned, this measure granting the right to vote to those 18, 19, and 20 will be referred to as the Mansfield law. It is an appellation that is richly deserved.
Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. President, will the Senator yield to me?
Mr. DOMINICK. Mr. President, if we are going to get into a colloquy on voting rights, I might as well sit down and yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. What is the will of the Senate? The Senator from Colorado has the floor.
Mr. GOLDWATER. Mr. President, a parliamentary inquiry.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator will state it.
Mr. GOLDWATER. Mr. President, does the Pastore rule apply until 3:30 p.m.?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Pastore rule expired at 2:15 p.m. because bills on the calendar were passed at 11:15 this morning.
Mr. GOLDWATER. I thank the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado has the floor.
Mr. DOMINICK. Mr. President, I have yielded the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized.