The subcommittee heard testimony on legislation that would reauthorize funding for the Justice Department Civil Rights Division. Witnesses included the assistant attorney general for civil rights, who discussed the business of the Justice Department. Much of the testimony concerned the sensitivity of the Justice Department to civil rights issues, including its response to the acquittal of four white police officers charged with beating a black suspect during an arrest in Los Angeles, California. Nearly a week of riots occurred in Los Angeles and other cities around the country following the acquittal.