Sen. Cruz, Rep. Steel, 80 Colleagues Call on Supreme Court to End Discrimination Against Asian-American College Applicants
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) led a bicameral group of 82 legislators filing an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief to the Supreme Court in the cases Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions vs. University of North Carolina. At both schools, admissions policies have disenfranchised Asian-Americans, as the schools applied racial preferences to discriminate against Asian-American applicants despite superior GPAs and standardized test scores.
In the brief, the members wrote:
Harvard College and the University of North Carolina indisputably use race as an important consideration in deciding whom to admit. Record evidence suggests, in fact, that the challenged admissions policies may strive for racial balancing—an aim that is unconstitutional on its face.
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Race-conscious admissions decisions inflict a heavy toll on Asian-American students. Treating them differently because of their race is a stark departure from equal protection decisions issued early on by this Court, which guarded Asian immigrants from racial prejudice. And the burdens imposed on petitioner illustrate a wider trend. Asian-Americans are increasingly victimized by discriminatory practices.
The senators joining Sen. Cruz were Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
The representatives joining Rep. Steel were Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Rick W. Allen (R-Ga.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Carlos A. Gimenez (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), Bob Good (R-Va.), Mark E. Green, M.D. (R-Tenn.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Ronny L. Jackson (R-Texas), Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Julia Letlow (R-La.), Billy Long (R-Mo.), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), David McKinley (R-W.V.), Carol D. Miller (R-W.V.), Mary E. Miller (R-Ill.), Mariannette J. Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-Iowa), John R. Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), David G. Valadao (R-Calif.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).
Read the brief here.
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