Hoyer Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina:

“From 1619 to at least 1965, every decision made in American institutions was either implicitly or explicitly based on the color of one’s skin or someone’s gender. The idea that in the past 60 years these factors have become irrelevant - particularly in the case of racial identity - is not only misguided, but dangerously ignorant.

“It has been well documented that a broadly diverse student body is essential to educational excellence. The majority Republican-appointed Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action and overturn critical precedents is a reversal in the progress we have made as a nation for racial equity and ensuring every American has equal access to opportunity.

“In Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent she asserted that ‘Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal….Equality requires acknowledgment of inequality.’ Our country needs to continue working to ensure we are the land of opportunity for all — not just for some.”