Congress marks 50th anniversary of Civil Rights Act

House Speaker John Boehner presents Lonnie Bunch III with a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the late Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr., who were instrumental in passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) / AP Photo/Susan Walsh

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders marked the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act on Tuesday by honoring both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the bipartisan tactics that lawmakers used to pass the bill in 1964.

In a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, King's children - Bernice King, Dexter Scott King and Martin Luther King III - accepted the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of their parents. Top lawmakers praised the Kings and the legacy of the landmark legislation.

'Through their passion, their speeches and their light, they helped create a climate that led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,' said Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, an icon of the civil rights movement. 'They were my friends, my brother and my sister.'

Speeches by House and Senate leaders reflected on their predecessors' efforts pass the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment, schools and public places. The Senate debated the bill for 60 days, including seven Saturdays, as southern senators filibustered.

The congressional leaders lauded the work of Democratic Sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, who teamed with Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois to create a bipartisan coalition that broke the filibuster in June 1964.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky quoted from Dirksen's famous floor speech calling racial equality 'an idea whose time has come.'

The bill passed the Senate nine days later and the House on July 2, 1964. King was present as President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill into law the same day.

Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan praised lawmakers for allowing 'the desires of justice to overcome the divisions of party in order to help overcome the divisions of race.'

Tuesday's ceremony included an audio clip of Johnson's remarks following the bill's signing. Many speakers also recognized the roles that Johnson and President John F. Kennedy played in getting the bill passed. Johnson's daughter, Lynda Johnson Robb, also attended the ceremony.

A few lawmakers used the anniversary to plug the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014, which would restore a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down last summer.

Levin said passing the legislation will be 'far less daunting' than the challenge supporters of the Civil Rights Act faced in 1964.

In his speech, McConnell recalled watching Republican Sen. John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky round up votes as the Civil Rights Act passed the Senate in 1964.

'It was a powerful lesson in how determined men and women can use the Senate to achieve our founding purposes,' he said. 'I believe the Senate can be that place again.'

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