I receive statements by members of Congress and other elected officials in reaction to Supreme Court rulings. Doubting the public ever gets to read these in full, I'm posting some here:
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger:
The Supreme Court has now issued three bad rulings in two days, all of which walk back legal precedent and much of the progress we have made as a country on our journey toward equality over the last 60 years. Yesterday, the Court upheld affirmative action in the college admissions process for privileged legacy students, but removed it for minority students who have long relied on it to prove their worth.
Today, the Court again attacked educational opportunity by striking down President Biden's highly-targeted student loan forgiveness program for low and middle-income borrowers. And the Court also created an unprecedented new license for businesses to discriminate not just against the LGBTQI+ community, but all minorities.
College must be as accessible to students of color as they are for so-called "legacy" applicants. We should harness the power of education to break the cycle of poverty. Businesses that are open to the public should be just that – open to all. These are simple truths.
This week's rulings again point to an increasingly political Supreme Court, comprised of a conservative super-majority and justices appointed by a president who lost the popular vote. Our forefathers created a system of checks and balances that hinges on an independent judiciary. I am committed to Court reforms that ensure it remains impartial, as our forefathers intended, while reflecting modern principles.
Rep. Kweisi Mfume:
"The Supreme Court ruling is shamefully disrespectful to the lived experiences of millions of Americans and their ancestors. The effects of 200 years of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow laws cannot be erased or overcome without first attempting to provide educational opportunities to balance the scale of historic discrimination. Today's destructive Court decision will over time energize a whole new generation of young people to now realize that the issue of race and skin color has not gone away, and that unfortunately, it still dominates too many aspects of the American system of higher education," he concluded.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott:
The Supreme Court's decision to strike down President Biden's plan to forgive over $400 billion in student loan debt is yet another extremely disappointing example of their shamelessly politically-motivated attacks on the daily lives of hard-working Americans.Student loan debt affects millions of Americans regardless of their background, but it can be particularly crippling for Black and Brown students. By eliminating this pathway for student loan debt relief the court is explicitly making it more difficult for families in Baltimore and across the country to gain economic security and build generational wealth. It also significantly impacts our entire economy, taking money out of our communities and putting it in the pockets of student loan lenders. Today, the court has guaranteed that the current higher education system and its prohibitive financial burden will continue to pile on burdens to students everywhere without any real pathway for relief. Yet again, due to the Court's reckless actions, current and former students will suffer, our neighborhoods will lose out, and Baltimore will continue to feel the impact of the Supreme Court's reactionary activism."
Sen. Ben Cardin:
"A higher education is not the only way to succeed in this country, but the long-term financial benefits are indisputable. President Joe Biden recognized this during the pandemic when our economy shut down practically overnight and low- and middle-income students, who were already overburdened with student loan debt, needed relief. While the pandemic's emergency declaration may have expired, the economic impact remains. During the worst of the pandemic, the federal government stepped in to provide urgent financial relief for families, state governments and local communities, small businesses and so many others. It is bewildering why students are forced to be excluded from this list with only a deferment of payments. I understand that many Americans struggled to pay off their own student debt over many years, but that does not mean we should never provide necessary relief to others as circumstances warrant. Helping our students succeed should not be a partisan effort.
"The Supreme Court decision today is a setback for millions of students, but this should not be the last word. To start, I find it appalling that governments – federal and state – are making a profit off student loans and that some states 'rely' on that income. This needs to change. Most immediately, I urge President Biden to use his existing authorities to provide the greatest relief possible to low- and middle-income students, particularly those pursuing public service careers. As our economy improves, we cannot leave our students behind.
"Today, I also am announcing that I will be reintroducing the Strengthening American Communities Act, which will expand the ways in which participating in public service can help finance undergraduate educations. Rather than taking out student loans to pay for their degrees, the legislation establishes a National Public Service Education Grant program to provide students with the majority of the cost of their degrees. Colleges would contribute a portion of the remaining costs for students, and the students, by accepting the grant, will commit themselves to at least three years of public service.
"The pandemic showed us the wide range of essential public service professionals who hold our nation together during good times and bad. Congress has an opportunity to make it easier for more Americans to serve their communities. We especially need to continue to remove financial barriers that have discouraged people of color, first-generation students and low-income students from pursuing critical public service careers."
Cardin on the court's ruling on LGBTQ+ discrimination:
Today, the conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court again voted to break precedent and drag our country backwards, taking away the civil rights of Americans. Specifically, the majority subjects the LGBTQ+ community to treatment as second-class citizens, allowing them to be discriminated against because of who they love. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, '… the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class.' Once again, the Supreme Court has strayed from its core mission to provide 'equal justice under law,' damaging its legitimacy before the American people.
Unfortunately, this dangerous decision likely will encourage some states to try to pass even more laws giving a 'license to discriminate' against the LGBTQ+ community and other protected classes. Before this can happen, Congress should redouble its efforts to pass the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination nationwide on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment, housing, public accommodations and other areas of our society."
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore:
"Everyone should be able to live and love as who they are. Our nation is strongest when we embrace one another and respect the equality of all people. Today's Supreme Court decision cuts against that principle.In Maryland, we stand for dignity, freedom, and respect. Here, we choose to celebrate all identities and backgrounds. We must stay true to our commitment to build a state where we leave no one behind. We know that our diversity is our strength. Nobody should have to justify their own humanity. We will continue working with our partners in the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure that in Maryland, everyone can be their truest self."
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown:
Once again, the Supreme Court today rolled back protections and support for people who disproportionately face discrimination and other obstacles as they seek to pursue educational opportunities. And in doing so, the Court deprives us all of the benefits of a fully diverse and inclusive society that taps the potential of every individual. Piling on its decision yesterday to undermine Black and Brown students' access to higher education, the Court today has also made it more difficult for members of these same communities to get out from under the crushing burden of student loan debt that they shoulder in disproportionate numbers. In addition, once women and people from overburdened and underrepresented communities join the workplace, their compensation often lags behind that of their colleagues, compounding the harmful impacts of oppressive debt. This decision also widens the racial wealth gap. Yet again, we must now work to find other ways to close this gap and to support communities facing financial burdens that blight their economic opportunity and security."
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