[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 140 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 140
Recognizing the low presence of minorities in the financial services
industry and minorities and women in upper level positions of
management, and expressing the sense of the Congress that active
measures should be taken to increase the demographic diversity of the
financial services industry.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 3, 2007
Mr. Meeks of New York (for himself, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms.
Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. Jefferson, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin,
Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Hinojosa, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mrs. Jones of
Ohio, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr.
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson of Texas, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota,
Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Davis of
Alabama, Ms. Lee, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Rush, Mr. Fattah,
Mr. Rangel, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Kucinich,
Ms. Watson, Mr. Payne, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Towns, Mr. Cleaver, Mr.
Butterfield, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Jackson of
Illinois, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Baca, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Serrano,
Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Ms. Carson, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms.
Waters, Mr. Watt, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas,
Mr. Lynch, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Grijalva, Mr.
Sires, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Clarke, and
Ms. Norton) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the
Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the low presence of minorities in the financial services
industry and minorities and women in upper level positions of
management, and expressing the sense of the Congress that active
measures should be taken to increase the demographic diversity of the
financial services industry.
Whereas the financial services industry is vitally important to the United
States economy;
Whereas in 2003, employment in the financial services industry was 7 percent of
total employment in the United States, with over 9,000,000 employees;
Whereas since 1995, the average hourly earnings of non-supervisory workers in
financial activities was above the private industry and increased from
approximately $12 in 1995 to $17.53 in 2004;
Whereas minorities and women face various challenges in obtaining and
maintaining positions, especially upper level positions, within the
financial services industry;
Whereas minorities and women often cite the lack of mentors and leadership
training as barriers to their advancement;
Whereas in 2003, only 6 percent of the board seats at the Fortune 1,000
companies were held by minorities and women comprised only 13.4 percent
of Fortune 500 board seats in 2003;
Whereas in financial services, the percentage of black employees has slowly
decreased from 10.5 percent to 9.8 percent between 2000 to 2003;
Whereas in 2003, blacks were only 9.8 percent of those employed in the financial
services industry and just 6.9 percent of financial managers;
Whereas from 2000 to 2003, Hispanics have been an increasing percentage of the
United States workforce and the financial services industry;
Whereas in 2003, Hispanics comprised only 9 percent of those employed in the
financial services industry, just 6.1 percent of financial managers, and
less than 2 percent of the directors of Fortune 1,000 companies;
Whereas in 2004, Asians represented only 4.1 percent of the employees in the
financial services industry and just 3.4 percent of all financial
managers;
Whereas from 2000 to 2003, a greater percentage of women worked in the financial
services industry than any other United States industry;
Whereas approximately half of financial managers are women and the percentage of
women financial managers was 52.7 in 2003;
Whereas in a 2001 survey of 2,200 senior and pipeline level women and men
representing approximately 60 securities firms, 65 percent of women
reported that women have to work harder than men to get the same
rewards, and 51 percent of women report that women are paid less than
men for doing similar work; and
Whereas a minority of women (32 percent) and men (43 percent) believe that
promotion decisions are made fairly in their firm: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ``Financial Services Diversity
Initiative''.
SEC. 2. FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVERSITY INITIATIVE.
(a) Congressional Recognition.--The Congress--
(1) recognizes that minorities and women still face unique
challenges entering into and obtaining upper level positions
within the financial services industry;
(2) encourages financial institutions to partner with
organizations which are focused on developing opportunities for
minorities and women to place talented young minorities and
women in industry internships, summer employment, and full-time
positions;
(3) encourages financial institutions to partner with
inner-city high schools, girls' high schools, and high schools
with majority minority populations to establish or enhance
financial literacy programs and provide mentoring;
(4) encourages financial institutions, including Federal
and State financial institution regulatory agencies, to build
and retain a diverse staff through initiatives, including--
(A) providing financial support for minorities and
women undergraduate and graduate business programs;
(B) heavily recruiting at historically Black
colleges and universities, Hispanic serving
institutions, women's colleges, and colleges that
typically serve majority minority populations;
(C) sponsoring and recruiting at job fairs in urban
communities; and
(D) placing job ads in newspapers and magazines
oriented toward people of color;
(5) encourages financial institutions to appoint more
minorities and women as board members; and
(6) encourages financial institutions, and public and
private pension funds to seek qualified minority and women
owned firms as investment managers, underwriters and other
business relationships.
(b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) active measures should be taken by employers and
educational institutions to increase the demographic diversity
of the financial services industry; and
(2) diversity within the financial services industry is
vitally important not only to promoting innovation and
creativity in the industry but to developing a more inclusive
workforce for a fair and just economy.
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