Merkley criticizes unequal opportunity after the admissions ruling
Jeff MerkleyU.S. senator from Oregon
Merkley criticizes a result that he says reduces opportunity for underrepresented students while wealthy students retain advantages from donor and legacy preferences.
“The last thing we should want is a world in which underrepresented students are given less opportunity while the wealthiest and most privileged students have their own special form of affirmative action.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was the Supreme Court right to reject Harvard and UNC's race-conscious admissions programs?
The Supreme Court invalidated Harvard's and UNC's challenged admissions programs on June 29, 2023. The majority said their use of race failed equal-protection requirements. The dissents argued that the decision misunderstood equality and would deepen racial inequality in education.
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Official statement
About this source
Merkley criticizes the admissions ruling, endorses Sotomayor's dissent and calls for restrictions on donor and legacy preferences.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Merkley opposes the ruling and quotes Sotomayor's dissent. He says campus diversity benefits education and discusses disadvantages faced by first-generation applicants.
After the quotation
He calls for legislation limiting donor and legacy preferences in admissions. Those proposed reforms are distinct from the Court's holding.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The ruling rejecting the challenged admissions programs is the reference point. In his response to that decision, Merkley criticizes the unequal opportunities he says it leaves in place. His proposed legacy-admissions reform is a remedy for that concern.
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“Affirmative action was never a complete answer in the drive towards a more just society. But for generations of students who had been systematically excluded from most of America’s key institutions—it gave us the chance to show we more than deserved a seat at the table. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s time to redouble our efforts.”Read statement
Rick Scott says the admissions ruling should have been unanimous
“Today’s Supreme Court decision was the right one for our nation and should have been 9-0.”Read statement
Ted Cruz says the admissions ruling restores fairness
“Today the Supreme Court has ended our country’s long and failed experiment with racial quotas and government-sanctioned racial discrimination, and, in the process, restored some measure of objectivity and fairness to the college admissions process. This is a great day for all Americans.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Merkley criticizes unequal opportunity after the admissions ruling". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6095-merkley-criticizes-a-result-that-he-says-reduces