More than three decades after he was clubbed by police during a milestone civil rights demonstration, Georgia Congressman John Lewis has led a successful drive to formally recognize the march. The Democrat has won House approval of a bill designating the 1965 march route from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, a National Historic Trail. The measure was passed by voice vote in the House after Lewis urged recognition to the men and women who sacrificed so much for voting rights in America. It now goes to the Senate. The march was turned back violently by sheriffs and state troopers. March 7, 1965, became known as Bloody Sunday. It was largely responsible for President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act into law five months later.

In order to battle an embarrassing and potentially costly sexual harassment lawsuit, Mitsubishi has hired former Labor Secretary Lynn Martin to review company’s policies, this in the face of a lawsuit being brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Martin’s appointment drew questions from Washington, where Congressmember Patricia Schroeder said it amounted to public relations and spin control. EEOC filed suit April 9 in federal court, seeking back pay with interest and benefits, as well as compensatory and punitive damages that could reach $300,000 each for as many as 700 female employees at the plant.

Chinese American human rights activist Harry Wu is saying that President Clinton and Bob Dole are giving China a free lunch by supporting its most favored nation trade status. Wu said both candidates should tell China it must improve its human rights record to enjoy the profits of favorable U.S. trade status.

Yesterday, Bob Dole won West Virginia and Nebraska primaries. The winning streak is continuing to grow, and so Bob Dole plans to give up his day-to-day Senate management role and focus squarely on framing a Republican case against President Clinton. A handful of Republican sources, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Dole would not resign as Senate majority leader. Instead, they said, he would announce he was keeping the title and power but yielding most Senate duties to GOP leadership deputies led by Whip Trent Lott of Mississippi, a close ally of Newt Gingrich.