Congress: Doing the Rights Thing

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After nearly two years of political skirmishes with the White House over racial discrimination and quotas, the Senate last week voted 95 to 5 to pass a civil rights bill. The House is expected to act quickly to adopt the compromise bill, which overrides eight Supreme Court decisions and makes it easier for employees to sue in job-bias cases. An amendment to extend civil rights protections to Senate employees caused a last-minute sideshow of debate. Under the measure, the Senate's 6,000 workers, as well as political appointees in the Executive Branch, will be able to take their complaints to an office of fair employment practices. If they fail to resolve their dispute there, they may appeal to a three-member independent panel and, ultimately, to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Stung by criticism over the handling of sexual- harassment charges against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the Senate passed the measure to deflect criticism that Congress exempts itself from laws it applies to everyone else.