Press Releases

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, upholding affirmative action programs at the University of Texas at Austin. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) released the following joint statement:

“With today’s ruling, the Supreme Court finally put to rest the question of whether race-conscious admission programs can be employed in a Constitutional manner to achieve the state interest of a diverse student body.  Though the ruling rests on highly particularized findings of fact, this precedent should send the signal that this Court has grown weary of the constant array of challenges to affirmative action plans by test-case litigants like Fisher. 

“In a globalized and increasingly interconnected world, the nation that succeeds is the one best positioned to adapt to a world of differences -- cultural, religious, economic, social, racial, and political. Given the challenges facing our nation, it is more important than ever before that our institutions of higher learning prepare our diverse student population to lead and innovate into the 21^st century.”