With the U.S. Supreme Court striking down race-based college admissions last week, members of the Florida delegation broke on party lines as they reacted to it.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., supported the decision.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision was the right one for our nation and should have been 9-0. Any discrimination on the basis of race is wrong and flat-out unconstitutional. The failed experiment of affirmative action had the inverse of its intended effect of equal opportunity. For decades, this failed policy did nothing but pick and choose students based upon their race to fit a specific quota, disenfranchising others in the process. Absolutely no person should be judged on anything but their merits, the content of their character and qualifications – that’s what we should stand for as a free and great nation: not giving a damn what anyone’s skin color is. And now, the entire federal government should follow suit and make sure no government policy is based on race and no American is judged on their race or ethnicity. Period,” said Scott.
Scott signed onto an amicus brief led by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Fla., in support of Students for Fair Admissions in their challenges of admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
“At both schools, admissions policies have employed explicit racial preferences and considerations that stereotype and negatively impact certain applicants in a manner prohibited by federal law and the U.S. Constitution. Today’s Supreme Court opinion fulfills the promise of Equal Protection under the law in our Constitution, and resoundingly declares such racially discriminatory admissions practices must immediately stop,” Scott’s office noted.
On the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who leads Democrats on the U.S. House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, criticized the decision.
“For some reason, every time people of color take a step forward, this nation finds a way to make them take three steps back. The Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action is unconscionable, out of touch, and a significant setback. America is the land of opportunity. It’s antithetical to our values,” Wilson said. “Affirmative action programs allow historically underrepresented students to pursue higher education, enabling classrooms and workplaces to reflect the country’s diversity. Affirmative action does not guarantee the outcome. Underrepresented minorities afforded the opportunity to study at our nation’s most esteemed institutions have worked incredibly hard to succeed and, eventually, ascend to the most coveted leadership roles in our nation—from Supreme Court justice to president.
“Previous Supreme Courts have had a history of upholding race-conscious admissions policies. For over 40 years, they have repeatedly held that race-conscious admissions policies were consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees everyone the promise of equal protection under our laws,” Wilson added. “Yet, instead of pursuing a constitutionally sound and compelling path forward, this hyper-conservative Supreme Court has rolled back history. It pains me to think that as we have fought to reduce racial disparities in this country, all the progress we’ve made in the past years is in jeopardy.
“Congress must act to preserve the true intention of affirmative action – protecting our rights to equality and unbound opportunity. That’s why I proudly joined my Democratic colleagues to sign onto an amicus brief urging the Supreme to uphold race’s role in college admission policies last year,” she said in conclusion. “This is undoubtedly a setback, but we will not let these discriminatory admission factors stand without challenge.”
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