Patrick Leahy: “The Republican leaders were prodded into this by the narrow ideological extreme right of their party and its allies.…”

“The Republican leaders were prodded into this by the narrow ideological extreme right of their party and its allies. They have not brought forward their own bill on affirmative action. They want to talk about it, but they have not brought it forward because they know a majority of Republicans and Democrats would not vote for it. The Proposition 209 case is over. The Supreme Court has ruled on that. The good people of Houston rejected efforts to abandon those previously discriminated against. So there is nothing left for the extreme right except one trophy, and that trophy is Bill Lann Lee. What kind of an example does this set? What kind of signal does this send? Bill Lee's life story is an American success story. He is the son of immigrants who struggled against discrimination. His father fought with the American forces in World War II. He spent his professional career working to solve civil rights problems and diffuse conflict. His record of achievement is exemplary. He is a man of integrity and honor, as even those opposing him have to concede. When he said to the Judiciary Committee that quotas are illegal and wrong and he would enforce the law, no one should have any doubt about his resolve to do what is right. He is a person with great problem-solving skills. Such matters are too important to be used for political purposes or as wedge issues to divide people.”