Thomas Daschle: “we all believe that America is the land of opportunity. But the road to opportunity is not always an equal access road.…”

“we all believe that America is the land of opportunity. But the road to opportunity is not always an equal access road. The highway construction industry in particular has kept newcomers, like women and minority-business owners, in the slow lane. There's no reason equal opportunity should be sacrificed when it comes to road building That's why I support the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, or DBE, program and oppose the McConnell amendment. The DBE program was signed into law by President Reagan and reaffirmed by President Bush; it has always enjoyed bipartisan support. Designed to enhance opportunity for all, and not limit it for any--it's a true equal opportunity program. Contrary to arguments made by opponents of the DBE program, the Supreme Court in the Adarand case did not find the DBE program unconstitutional. The Court held only that strict scrutiny should apply to federal affirmative action programs as it does to those implemented by the states. Strict scrutiny requires that there be a compelling government interest in addressing discrimination and that the means chosen to address the discrimination be 'narrowly tailored.' The DBE program meets both tests. There is clearly a compelling interest in addressing the pervasive discrimination that has characterized the highway construction industry.”