08.02.22

Chairman Scott Leads Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Reaffirm Race-Conscious College Admissions

WASHINGTON – On Monday, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), in addition to 64 House Democrats, filed an amicus brief—in the case of Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College—urging the Supreme Court to uphold narrowly tailored race-conscious college admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

In the brief, the Members describe the persistent need for race-conscious admissions policies in higher education given the continued underrepresentation of African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, and many Asian Americans in colleges and universities across the country. The Members further highlight the compelling interest of House Members in advancing diversity in higher education to address continued racial disparities in education as well as the constitutionality and settled judicial precedent of race-conscious admissions policies.

“Narrowly tailored admissions policies that recognize race as one criterion—out of many criteria for evaluating prospective students—are a key tool to realize diverse learning environments and address continued educational inequity.  Moreover, research has confirmed that diverse campuses not only support underserved students, but also provide all students with a quality, well-rounded education,” said Chairman Scott. “As it has for decades, the Supreme Court must continue to recognize that pursuing racially diverse campuses is both constitutional and in the compelling interest of our nation.  These admissions policies are critical for achieving the promise of equal educational opportunity that remains unfulfilled more than 65 years after the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Brown v. Board of Education.”

The following Members signed the amicus brief: Rep. Scott (VA-03), Rep. Pelosi (CA-12), Rep. Hoyer (MD-05), Rep. Clyburn (SC-06), Rep. Clark (MA-05), Rep. Jeffries (NY-08), Rep. Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Chu (CA-27), Rep. Ruiz (CA-36), Rep. Nadler (NY-10), Rep. DeLauro (CT-03), Rep. Waters (CA-43), Rep. Maloney (CY-012), Rep. Grijalva (AZ-03), Rep. Meeks (NY-05), Rep. Smith (WA-09), Rep. Takano (CA-41), Rep. Yarmuth (KY-03), Rep. Torres (NY-15), Rep. Norton (DC), Rep. Tlaib (MI-13), Rep. Lee (CA-13), Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Rep. Davis (IL-07), Rep. Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Rep. Butterfield (NC-01), Rep. DeSaulnier (CA-11), Rep. McEachin (VA-04), Rep. Omar (MN-05), Rep. Plaskett (VI), Rep. Castro (TX-20), Rep. Raskin (MD-08), Rep. Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Brown (MD-04), Rep. Carson (IN-07), Rep. Evans (PA-03), Rep. Adams (NC-12), Rep. Bonamici (OR-01), Rep. Johnson (GA-04), Rep. Schakowsky (IL-09), Rep. Carter (LA-02), Rep. Wilson (FL-24), Rep. Blumenauer (OR03), Rep. McBath (GA-06), Rep. Mfume (MD-07), Rep. Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. García (IL-04) , Rep. Stevens (MI-11), Rep. Sewell (AL-07), Rep. Sablan (CM), Rep. Vargas (CA-51), Rep. Gallego (AZ-07), Rep. Lowenthal (CA-47), Rep. Pocan (WI-02), Rep. Garcia (T-X29, Rep. Bowman (NY-16), Rep. Barragán (CA-44), Rep. Cohen (TN-09), Rep. Veasey (TX-33), Rep. McCollum (MN-04), Rep. Ross (NC-02), Rep. Cárdenas (CA-29), Rep. Bass (CA-37), Rep. Manning (NC-06), and Rep. Levin (MI-09).

Read the full amicus brief here.

 

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