Statement by Assistant
to the President for Press Relations Fitzwater on the Fair Housing Amendments Act
of 1988
The
President is encouraged that the Fish-Michel-Sensenbrenner amendment will be
adopted by the House during the consideration of H.R. 1158, the bill to amend
the Fair Housing Act. This legislation, as amended, will go a long way to
strengthen laws against discrimination in housing, a goal we all share. Among
other things, the bill achieves a longstanding legislative objective of the
President: to prohibit invidious discrimination in housing against those with
handicaps.
The
Fish-Michel-Sensenbrenner amendment preserves the constitutional right of
Americans to jury trials in civil lawsuits. This amendment is a major step
forward on the road to timely enactment of fair housing legislation. We are
also encouraged by the amendment Congressman Clay Shaw plans to offer to
protect the rights of older Americans and Americans without children.
Among
our remaining concerns are two particular problems for which we would support
corrective amendments: (1) preserving executive branch discretion in
instituting civil lawsuits, thereby avoiding constitutional
separation-of-powers litigation that could delay effective enforcement, and (2)
maintaining litigation authority in the Department of Justice. The action
anticipated by the House will advance major civil rights legislation which is
long overdue.