[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] is recognized 
during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court is wrong on 
affirmative action and has now created another national wedge issue, 
alongside crime, welfare, and immigration. With this ruling, the Court 
has undercut and may kill many affirmative action programs. The Court 
read the polls and raised its finger to test the political wind and 
found a sudden chill on doing the right thing--ensuring that minorities 
have a seat at the table and access to economic opportunity.
  I have supported affirmative action since its inception years ago. I 
believe it is still necessary, and I am deeply concerned that we may 
abandon it out of misplaced frustration and political expediency.
  Let us take a look at our work force to determine whether equality 
and fairness have overcome past discrimination. In the private sector, 
only 10 percent of all managers are minorities, and only 30 percent are 
women. In government offices, management positions follow the same 
trend: 9 percent are minorities, 87 percent are men, and only 13 
percent are women.
  These numbers do not come close to reflecting our population. In 
fact, women and people of color currently account for 53 percent of the 
labor force, yet they represent less than one-third of our management 
positions. Can we honestly say that these figures exhibit equality and 
fairness in hiring, education, and promotion practices?
  Let us look at wages--the true test of what we choose to value. In 
1992, African-American men earned only 72 cents for every dollar earned 
by white men. As a group, women earned only 75 cents for every dollar 
earned by men, and minority women fell below that to just 65 percent of 
salaries earned by men. And these figures do not compare apples to 
oranges--they compare salaries in the same occupations.
  These disparities exist among those with college degrees as well as 
those who are high school graduates: college-educated women earn 29 
percent less than college-educated men, and make just $2,000 more per 
year than white men with high school diplomas.
  Hispanic women with college degrees actually earn less than white 
males with only high school diplomas, and earn less than 65 percent of 
what college-educated white males earn.
  In my State of New Mexico, a professional woman can expect to make 
$12,000 less per year than a professional male, in sales, men earn more 
than twice the salaries of their female counterparts and 30 percent 
more in certain clerical positions.
  What can we conclude from these facts? I think it is plain to see 
that the effects of past discrimination persist, and that the practice 
of discrimination continues. Affirmative action is still necessary.
  There are many misconceptions about what affirmative action is. First 
of all, affirmative action applies only to qualified applicants. We 
have all heard the disturbing cases where positions are given to a 
woman or minority who lacks all experience and education required for a 
slot, while scores of capable white males are turned away. These cases 
are rare, and they are not legal.
  Legal affirmative action plans must set goals, not quotas, they must 
provide reasonable timetables for reaching those goals, and they cannot 
trample the rights of others. These are rational, constrained 
guidelines that lawful affirmative plans must meet.
  Another misconception about affirmative action is that it is bad for 
business and the economy. In fact, the opposite is true. Most employers 
surveyed indicate that productivity has not suffered, and in many cases 
improved, where affirmative action plans were used.
  Many business leaders who trade in international markets believe that 
affirmative action is necessary for them to complete domestically and 
internationally. It gives them a work force that reflects the diversity 
of their customers and the markets they serve.
  Finally, many have the misperception that affirmative action is a 
partisan issue developed by a small group of liberals. This is not 
true--affirmative action has always enjoyed bipartisan support. It has 
been sustained and strengthened by eight successive Presidents, and the 
Reagan administration successfully worked with bipartisan support to 
defeat the efforts of a few to dismantle our policy on affirmative 
action.
  Bipartisan action will again be necessary to preserve the progress we 
have made, and to ensure a successful future for women and people of 
color.
  I understand that affirmative action was never intended to be 
permanent. But our goals set some 30 years ago for a color-blind, 
gender-blind work force have not been met. The disadvantaged must have 
access to earning power in order to create the sort of economy we all 
desire. Let us work together to preserve affirmative action and make 
that happen.


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