[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15792]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       APPLAUDING THE SUPREME COURT ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RULINGS

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
applaud the Supreme Court on its rulings on the University of Michigan 
affirmative action cases. The rulings indicate to the entire Nation 
that the Supreme Court believes in the basic premise behind affirmative 
action: to create opportunities for minorities and to eliminate 
discrimination.
  Affirmative action programs have been successful in increasing the 
racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of many educational and workplace 
settings throughout the United States. Affirmative action has also been 
shown to provide a boost to the Nation's economy.
  A recent study by the Educational Testing Service argued that 
diversity was one of the engines that drove the United States' economy. 
It showed that if African American and Hispanic workers were 
represented at colleges and universities in the same proportions as 
other 18- to 24-year-olds, the United States' wealth would increase by 
$231 billion a year, and annual tax revenues would increase by $80 
billion. Why? Because it gives hope to blighted and forgotten areas of 
our Nation, and it improves trade and commerce worldwide.
  This goes to show that by promoting adequate funding for kindergarten 
through twelfth grade education in underserved areas and promoting 
diversity in higher education in the workplace, our economy will 
improve.

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