Democrats’ Changes in Rights Bill ‘Strictly Cosmetic,’ Bush Charges

President Bush charged Thursday that Democrats are proposing “strictly cosmetic” changes to civil rights legislation that mirrors what he vetoed last year.

Bush contends that the Democrat-sponsored bill contains provisions that would force employers into using quotas in hiring women and minorities to avoid court battles.

The Democrats, Bush told members of the National Retail Federation, have produced “no bill, no exact language” on their announcement that they would add language to bar such a use of quotas.

“I do not want to veto another bill with the name civil rights on it,” he said.

But, the President said: “As far as our experts can tell . . . the changes . . . are strictly cosmetic.”

He later added: “I am not going to sign a bill that will foster quotas, directly or indirectly.”

The language the Democrats said they were inserting to ban the use of quotas is largely symbolic because court rulings have established case law prohibiting quotas or fixed numbers as guides in hiring and promotion.

Bush also complained that his own civil rights proposal is not getting much consideration. It was defeated in a House committee, but Republicans hope to bring it up later as a substitute bill on the House floor.

The Administration bill also bans racial discrimination in promotion, pay and hiring. But the bill would shield a company from certain lawsuits if the company can show that the policy over which a worker is suing “significantly serves” one of the firm’s “legitimate employment goals.”

Civil rights groups have objected to that language.

Democrats are set to begin formal House debate on their anti-discrimination bill next Thursday.

Since clearing the House Judiciary Committee more than two months ago, the bill has undergone a back-room revision ordered by the Democratic leadership in an effort to attract more support and counter Bush’s attack on the bill.