[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 52 (Friday, May 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E737-E738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 29, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 6) to extend 
     the authorization of programs under the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965, and for other purposes:


  Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition of Rep. Frank 
Riggs's (R-CA) H.R. 3330, the ``Anti-Discrimination in College 
Admissions Act'' of 1998 which will be offered as an amendment during 
the House consideration of HR 6, The ``Higher Education Authorization 
Act'' of 1998. This amendment would prohibit colleges and universities 
that take race, sex, color ethnicity, or national origin into account 
in connection with admission(s) from participating in, or receiving 
funds under any programs authorized by the Higher Act of 1965 (HEA).
  This amendment will not only have a devastating impact on 
postsecondary admissions at both public and private institutions, but 
also discourage institutions from considering race, even in instances 
where the purpose is focused on remedying past discrimination. This 
piece of legislation is far more sweeping than California's Proposition 
209 in that HR 3330 aims to eliminate affirmative action in private, as 
well as public, colleges and universities. It will also constrain an 
institution's ability to satisfy constitutional and statutory 
requirements to eliminate discrimination in postsecondary education.
  There is clear evidence of what happens when universities are forced 
to drop their affirmative action programs. When the University of 
California's board of Regents banned all affirmative action the 
acceptance rate programs

[[Page E738]]

the acceptance rate of African Americans to UCLA Law School fell by 80 
percent. After the Hopwood decision, admission of African-Americans to 
the University of Texas School of Law dropped by 88 percent. It is 
clear that with the passage of this amendment, there will be a 
resegregation of colleges and universities.
  In Mississippi the percent of the population 25 and older that have a 
college degree is 14.7 percent. Moreover, Mississippi ranks 47 out of 
50 States in relation to the percent of the population having a college 
degree and 47 out of 50 in comparison to other African Americans in the 
50 States.
  The Riggs amendment is an unnecessary and dangerous bill that would 
dismantle the progress that has been achieved in the last 30 years. It 
will merely serve as a tool to increase the disparities in education 
and income between men and women, whites and blacks. Affirmative Action 
in higher education has clearly established significant advances in the 
area of equal opportunity for ethnic minorities and women in admissions 
to colleges and universities. I will continue to support and strengthen 
such programs of equal opportunity. If Higher Education Authorization 
Act (HR 6) contains the ``Anti-Discrimination in College Admissions Act 
of 1998'', I will vote against HR 6.

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