Rep.Brandon Gill, R-Texas, put American Bar Association President Michelle A.
Behnke in the hot seat Wednesday, repeatedly pressing her on whether the ABA's diversity principles would justify rejecting a third Black Supreme Court justice.The tense exchange came during a House Oversight Committee Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Constitutional Abuses hearing examining the ABA's role in law school accreditation.Republicans argued the organization has used its accreditation authority to advance race-conscious DEI policies throughout the legal profession, while the ABA defended its commitment to diversity, saying it strengthens the profession without supporting racial quotas.Gill, who chairs the task force, has accused the ABA of using its accreditation power to pressure law schools into adopting race-conscious admissions policies and mandatory DEI-related coursework."DEI is a cancerous ideology that promotes unlawful discrimination and steals opportunities from Americans who would otherwise earn jobs and law school admissions spots on merit," Gill said ahead of the hearing.CONGRESS TO PUT AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION IN HOT SEAT OVER DEI RULES TIED TO LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATIONRep.
Brandon Gill, R-Texas, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)During one of the hearing's sharpest exchanges, Gill questioned Behnke about statements on the ABA's website promoting judicial diversity.
He cited the ABA's position that judges should reflect the diversity of American society, then asked whether a racially representative Supreme Court would be beneficial."The ABA believes that diversity in all of its forms is important," Behnke responded, but repeatedly declined to give Gill a yes-or-no answer.DISCRIMINATORY 'SHADOW' REVIEW PROCESS LOCKS WHITE, ASIAN STUDENTS OUT OF CALIFORNIA MED SCHOOL, DOJ ALLEGESSupreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson gives a joint ...