H.Res. 194: Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.

110th Congress · introduced 2007-02-27 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Latest: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2007-02-27 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.

Plain summary

Acknowledges that slavery is incompatible with the basic principle recognized in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal. Acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow. Apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the U.S. people for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors. Commits to rectifying the lingering consequences of slavery and Jim Crow and to stopping future human rights violations.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · 120 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Al Green (D-TX), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and 60 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] reported raising $785,039 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hres194.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hres>

Record fed-us-cong110-hres194 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110