Former Vice President Mike Pence endorsed the Supreme Court’s decision to gut affirmative action programs at colleges and universities across the country, saying he does not believe there is racial inequality in America’s education system.
“I really don't believe there is,” Pence told CBS’s Margaret Brennan during an interview on “Face the Nation” broadcast Sunday.
“I believe there was. I mean, it's — there may have been a time when affirmative action was necessary simply to open the doors of all of our schools and universities, but I think that time has passed,” Pence said.
The GOP presidential hopeful cited former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who in ruling in favor of affirmative action in 2003 said she expected there to be no need for colleges and universities to use racial preferences in admissions within the next 25 years.
Affirmative action was a “temporary solution,” Pence said. The fact that it has been effectively ended by the Supreme Court ahead of O’Connor’s predicted timeline is “a tribute to our nation,” and “a great, great credit to the extraordinary accomplishments that minority students have had on our campuses,” he added.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling on Thursday sent shockwaves across higher ed institutions. Education and civil rights groups say that ending the use of race-conscious admissions policies will exacerbate inequality for years to come, citing the challenges some institutions in the nine states that have already banned the practice have faced in enrolling diverse classes.
Pence’s fellow Republican presidential candidates also lauded the decision, including former President Donald Trump, who called it “a great day for America.”
