Harrisburg, PA – Julio 3, 2023 – Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) issued the following statement in response to recent Supreme Court decisions that end affirmative action, support the discrimination of LGBTQ individuals, and strike down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan:
“Over 48 hours, the Supreme Court put forth three decisions that do nothing but take away opportunity, civil rights, and financial relief for hardworking Americans.
These decisions do not represent our values. They do not support the diversity that makes our country strong and vibrant. They do not represent the will of the people.
The affirmative action decision reflects a disregard for the education of people of color in America, and it ignores an ugly history of racism and discrimination in terms of equal access to education. It rejects opportunity and equity.
Black and Brown children have faced barrier after barrier in getting a quality education in America. Our children have historically been put in a second-class status, even when the law affirms their equal rights. And yet again they are being asked to rise above as a major tool that was created to provide access to education opportunities has been snatched away.
The 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis decision rejects fairness and the rights of LGBTQ people in this country. It was another ruling that disregards the history of a community that has been discriminated against for generations.
And the decision to stop President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan was a blow that over 45 million borrowers will feel. We saw big banks get bailed out in 2008 and big corporations get bailed out in 2020, yet it’s unconstitutional to provide some financial relief to our lower- and middle-income neighbors. It just is not fair.
Each of these decisions proves that voting matters. The elected officials we choose to lead and guide our government matters. As we voice our deep frustration with these ideological Supreme Court decisions, we have to remember that voting is part of the equation.
I am disappointed in our Supreme Court, but I will not let this disappointment be a distraction. I will not stop pushing back against individuals and institutions that support discrimination and the proliferation of barriers that hold people down. We have to fight back. We have to vote.”
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