Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6182

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Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6182" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6182

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3369] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6182. Mr. WARNOCK submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. __. RECORDS RELATING TO THE SURVEILLANCE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (a) Findings.--Congress finds that-- (1) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the subject of an egregious and invasive campaign of government surveillance, undertaken without judicial review; (2) surveillance recorded the private conversations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and others; and (3) in light of the extensive historical and congressional review of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the government surveillance carried out against him, the historical value of the records at issue is duplicatable and does not outweigh the harm to the privacy interests of the recorded individuals. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Archivist.--The term ``Archivist'' means the Archivist of the United States. (2) Covered records.--The term ``covered records'' means any tapes or documents in the custody of any Federal agency relating to the surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that were the subject of the order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia filed on January 31, 1977. (c) Access for the King Children.--On the day after the last day on which the covered records are required to be kept under seal under the order described in subsection (b)(2), the Archivist shall grant the surviving children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. exclusive access to view the covered records, in consultation with expert historians and archivists. (d) Sealing and Public Release.-- (1) Sealing.--The Archivist shall keep under seal each covered record for 60 years beginning on the day after the last day on which the covered records are required to be kept under seal. (2) Public release.--After the conclusion of the 60-year period described in paragraph (1), the covered records shall be subject to public release and dissemination by the Archivist pursuant to the usual protocols used by the Archivist for the release of records. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 6182 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3369] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6182. Mr. WARNOCK submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. __. RECORDS RELATING TO THE SURVEILLANCE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (a) Findings.--Congress finds that-- (1) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the subject of an egregious and invasive campaign of government surveillance, undertaken without judicial review; (2) surveillance recorded the private conversations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and others; and (3) in light of the extensive historical and congressional review of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the government surveillance carried out against him, the historical value of the records at issue is duplicatable and does not outweigh the harm to the privacy interests of the recorded individuals. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Archivist.--The term ``Archivist'' means the Archivist of the United States. (2) Covered records.--The term ``covered records'' means any tapes or documents in the custody of any Federal agency relating to the surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that were the subject of the order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia filed on January 31, 1977. (c) Access for the King Children.--On the day after the last day on which the covered records are required to be kept under seal under the order described in subsection (b)(2), the Archivist shall grant the surviving children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. exclusive access to view the covered records, in consultation with expert historians and archivists. (d) Sealing and Public Release.-- (1) Sealing.--The Archivist shall keep under seal each covered record for 60 years beginning on the day after the last day on which the covered records are required to be kept under seal. (2) Public release.--After the conclusion of the 60-year period described in paragraph (1), the covered records shall be subject to public release and dissemination by the Archivist pursuant to the usual protocols used by the Archivist for the release of records. ______