The Washington Times

April 4, 1995, Tuesday, Final Edition

SECTION: Part A; NATION;104TH CONGRESS: 100-DAY COUNTDOWN; Pg. A10

LENGTH: 769 words

HEADLINE: Affirmative action spurs exchanges tinged with rancor

BYLINE: Nancy E. Roman; THE WASHINGTON TIMES

BODY:


Tense and sometimes rancorous debate on affirmative action yesterday 
heated up a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing as House Republicans 
considered purging sex and race preferences from federal law.

Rep. Henry J. Hyde, Illinois Republican, and Mary Frances Berry, 
chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, tangled over racial 
labels in a hearing on "group preferences and the law."

Mr. Hyde, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, asked Ms. Berry 
whether she used the word "lily" to modify "white."

She said she did. 

"Is there a difference between 'white' and 'lily white?' "

"It's just a term," Ms. Berry said.

"Of endearment?" Mr. Hyde asked.

She said it referred to "totally white, as opposed to partially white."

Earlier Ms. Berry had reminded members of the Judiciary Committee's 
subcommittee on the Constitution that the Nixon administration first 
put in place many of the race and sex preferences that Republicans 
now want to repeal. "Contrary to the headlines, the controversy is 
not new," she said.

She said if jobs were awarded based on test performance, 
"Asians and Jews would hold the best jobs everywhere."

Throughout the afternoon, there were heated exchanges between several 
members of Congress and witnesses.