[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5072-5073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLANS STILL VITAL FOR JUSTICE IN UNIVERSITY 
                               ATTENDANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to share that today is the 
third anniversary of the march on Tallahassee in Tallahassee, Florida. 
It took place in 2000, to stand not only for justice by affirmative 
action in this State, but ultimately this country.
  The adoption of affirmative action programs in the '60s reflected our 
Nation's aspirations to overcome long-entrenched injustices and become 
a society of equal opportunity, or at least to make sure that everyone 
has the opportunity in higher education that would like to have it.
  Now, not only the President but the Governor of the State of Florida, 
Jeb Bush, has put forth a brief to the Supreme Court fighting against 
equal opportunity for all. I think it is important that we as Americans 
come together at a time such as this and commend those that have come 
forward.
  One of the things that the State of Florida talked about as it 
relates to moving away from affirmative action was moving away from 
equal opportunity, not only for race or gender, but also moving away 
from what we believe makes us Americans.
  I think it is important for us to note that some of these programs 
are more harmful than helpful. In Florida, they have the Talented 20 
program. If this was to become the law of the land and philosophy of 
the land, if the Supreme Court does not uphold the Michigan decision, 
it is important, it is important that we make sure that we have as many 
inclusionary opportunities as possible, especially for those that are 
attending school for the first time.
  In Florida, under the Talented 20 program, if you have school A, and 
school A is a school where the GPA of top 20 percent stops at a 3.5, 
and school B, where the top 20 shuts off at 3.3; say you have 2 
students, they play soccer together, two girls, and you have one 
student in school A that will have a 3.4 GPA, and the one in school B 
has a 3.4 GPA, this school A student does not go to school and this one 
does, based on the capability of other students in their school.
  The top 20 cuts off at different locations, different areas in every 
school; so a child should not be penalized on the fact that they go to 
a school that has more magnet programs or Rhodes scholars, future 
Rhodes scholars, whatever the case may be. They should not be 
penalized. When we move away from the practice of affirmative action, 
using race among many factors, we get into a very gray area that is 
going to end up hurting more Americans than helping them.
  As we start looking at the fact that, I must say, my President and 
yours was able to get into school under a legacy, I think it is 
important that we remember that everyone did not have the opportunity 
to have a parent or someone that was able to get a dormitory named 
after them to be able to get into school. That means every American.
  I share with people constantly that it is very, very important that 
we remember that education is the number one key to help individuals 
provide for their families. I tell individuals when I go to speak at 
Rotary Clubs or at the Kiwanis Club, if they have a wife or daughter, 
which qualifies every man in this country, then they should be for 
affirmative action.
  The Michigan case is supported by General Schwarzkopf and many others 
that are noted throughout the military, because diversity makes our 
country great and strong. I think it is important that Members, not 
only of this Congress but definitely of the Supreme Court and just 
everyday Americans, need to understand that if we have to get a 
football or a basketball, or we have to take our kids to an arts 
program where they can learn how to sing or what have you, dance well, 
to get into our institutions of higher education, I think that is the 
wrong thing.
  Universities and institutions of higher learning would like to be 
able to have the opportunity to say that this child, based on the fact 
that they have great ability, will be a great asset, not only to our 
university but also to our society. I think it is important. I think it 
should not be just based on sports, and it should not be based on the 
fact that someone can sing or run. I think it is important that we 
remember that children and young people that want to move on into 
higher education should be able to do so based on their academic 
ability, and not on the academic ability of others.

                              {time}  1945

  So I think we really need to really look close to these fast, quick 
programs, affirmative action, things that are untested, unproven, and 
look at what the University of Michigan has put forth.
  I commend the brief that has been put forth by Members of Congress 
supporting affirmative action, of supporting the Michigan case in the 
Supreme Court. I think we, as Americans, it brings us together. It does 
not divide us. When we start looking at voices and hearing voices that 
are willing to use race and use divisive kinds of languages like 
preference, things of that nature, divides us as Americans. I think it 
is important we redefine preference.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of the House to really look close as we 
look at this national debate over inclusion, this national debate of 
education on

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behalf of fair play, making sure that every young person in our country 
has an opportunity to quality education and the best universities that 
we have that serve us. We do not want to go back to the day like my 
mother, who served in this House, in this Congress, who had to go to 
the University of Michigan not by choice but just on the fact that she 
could not get into an institution in Florida to be able to receive a 
master's degree. I do not think that we will get to that point because 
I know that Americans will stand up, and I am glad. And I commend the 
University of Michigan and the corporations and our men and women that 
are sponsoring them.

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