WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden Thursday slammed the Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action admissions policies used by Harvard College and the University of North Carolina for diversifying their campuses. Biden, in turn, offered his own rebuke: “This is not a normal court.”
The president later elaborated on his comments telling MSNBC anchor Nicole Wallace that the court has gone out of its way to overturn precedents, referencing its decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade, the case that established the constitutional right to abortion.
“Take a look at how it’s ruled on a number of issues that have been precedent for 50-60 years sometimes,” he said. “That’s what I meant by not normal.”
Biden said the vast majority of Americans don’t agree with decisions the court has made and cited what he feels has been a change in the court’s value system and respect for institutions. When asked about court reform, such as expanding the court, Biden said it doesn’t make sense.
“I think if we start the process of trying to expand the court, we’re going to politicize it probably forever in a way that is not healthy, that you can’t get back,” he said on Wallace’s program.
Biden said earlier in the day at the White House he “strongly, strongly” disagrees with the decision that he described as walking away from “decades of precedent.” He offered his own guidance to colleges, telling institutions they should not abandon their commitment to ensure diversity, proposing new standards where colleges take into account adversities student have overcome when selecting among qualified candidates. This would mean once students meet the qualifications for GPA and test scores, adversity should be taken into consideration, he said.
The Supreme Court ruled along ideological lines that the way Harvard College and the University of North Carolina approached race violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision drew a sharp condemnation from the court’s liberal wing, who said it rolls back “decades of precedent and momentous progress.”
Biden also directed the Department of Education to analyze what practices help build an inclusive and more diverse student bodies and eliminating others like legacy initiatives that he says expands privilege.
“I know today’s court decision is a severe disappointment to so many people including me, but we cannot let the decision be a permanent setback for the country,” he said. “We need to keep an open door of opportunities. “