Rep. Corrine Brown: “Mr. Chairman, I rise before my colleagues today to express my opposition to this amendment. In fact, I am sick and tired…”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise before my colleagues today to express my opposition to this amendment. In fact, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Why is it that minorities in this country are constantly on attack? One year after the passage of Proposition 209, California's most select universities admit 50 percent fewer African Americans and Latin American applicants? Why is it that every time we talk about affirmative action in education we are talking about race? What about the football player who gets affirmative action or the alumnus because of the family's connection? How about the banker who has influence with the admissions board? This amendment is a blatant attempt to keep minorities out of our colleges and universities so that they will never have the opportunity to be successful. Affirmative action has never been about favoritism. It is merely one tool to make sure that everybody in this country has an opportunity for education.”