Orrin Hatch: “I support the vigorous and sensible enforcement of our civil rights laws and make whole relief for the victims of…”

“I support the vigorous and sensible enforcement of our civil rights laws and make whole relief for the victims of discrimination. I support affirmative action involving outreach and recruitment. I support training and assistance open to all who are seeking to enhance their ability to compete, without regard to race, ethnicity, or gender. I oppose preferences in the award of benefits or impositions of penalties based in whole or in part on race, ethnicity, or gender. Opposition to preferences should not be a device used, however inadvertently, to ignore the particular problems resulting from the legacy of prior and ongoing discrimination. Nor should opposition to preferences be used to weaken the kind of affirmative outreach and recruitment I mentioned earlier. Conversely, I reject the cynical use of the affirmative action label as a means of throwing a protective shield over preferences, as President Clinton and his administration have repeatedly done. This administration has pursued a pervasive policy of preference.”