'This Is A Really Simple Question': Brandon Gill Ruthlessly Grills ABA Head Race-Based Admissions

[0:00] Mr. Jack from Georgia. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you convening this [0:04] task force today, and I myself, as well as many of my constituents who are watching, [0:09] reached out to let me know how impressed they were with your line of questioning. So [0:13] with that having been said, I'd like to yield the remainder of my time to our distinguished [0:17] chairman, Mr. Gill. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Ms. Benke, let's pick up where we left off [0:28] before. The mission statement on the ABA's website states that our legal profession is [0:35] enhanced when judges resemble the cultural groups that make up American society. How many Supreme [0:42] Court justices have we had in American history? I could not tell you over the... About 116. [0:50] Do you know of those 116, how many of them have been transgender? I have no idea. Do you think there [0:59] might have been one? I have no idea. Is it fair to say that there have been no transgender [1:04] Supreme Court justices in American history? I honestly have no idea. You don't know? I have no [1:10] idea. You study the law, don't you? We do not study the personal attributes of individual justices. Is [1:17] there a Supreme Court justice in American history that you think might have been transgender? I have [1:23] no idea. You have no idea? Well, I think most people can assume that there haven't been any [1:30] transgender Supreme Court justices. I hope that we can agree at least on that basis. Would that be okay [1:38] to proceed under that assumption? Okay. I appreciate that. So transgenders haven't been represented on [1:46] the Supreme Court. Do you think that it's important that the next Supreme Court justice be transgender? [1:52] The ABA does not subscribe to any particular quotas. I'm not asking about a quota. I'm asking about [1:59] representation, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The ABA supports diversity in all of its forms. [2:06] And have transgenders been included on the U.S. Supreme Court? The ABA supports the full spectrum of [2:13] diversity. Do you think that it's a problem that the transgender community has never had representation [2:18] on the U.S. Supreme Court? The ABA believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I'm asking [2:24] you about diversity, equity, and inclusion. I'm asking you about inclusion of the transgender community. [2:30] We believe that people ought to bring their entire self to whatever role they're serving. You're [2:37] refusing to answer my question. Do you think that it's important that we have a transgender Supreme [2:41] Court justice in order to include that community? I believe that it is always important. The ABA [2:47] believes that it is always important to support and encourage diversity. So we should have a [2:53] transgender Supreme Court justice? Diversity has many forms and we believe that you think that you're [2:59] not answering in a straightforward way. Do you think that's because of your own implicit bias? I believe [3:04] that I'm trying to explain that the ABA does not set quotas and does not believe that you have implicit [3:10] transphobia? The ABA believes that diversity in all of its forms is important and helps the profession more [3:18] globally. Okay. We're going to move on. Should Americans be judged by the color of their skin [3:23] or the content of their character? Discrimination is never appropriate, sir. So do you agree that [3:29] Americans should be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin? Yes, [3:36] I would agree. Do you agree with that? Should a law school consider an applicant's race when making [3:41] admissions decisions? The Supreme Court has indicated that- I'm asking you if they should. It's a normative [3:47] question. Discrimination is never appropriate and- So is it your testimony that law schools should [3:54] not consider applicants race when making admissions decisions? The Supreme Court has said that you may [4:00] not take race into account. So you don't believe that race should have any role, yes or no, in a law [4:06] school's admissions decisions? Is that the position of the ABA? The ABA is not responsible for admission- I [4:14] I didn't say it was. I'm asking you if you believe and if it's the position of the ABA that race should [4:21] not be a factor at all in a law school's admissions decisions. The ABA takes compliance with the law [4:26] seriously. I didn't ask you that. I asked- it's a really simple question. I'm asking you should- [4:32] let me just ask you in your own personal capacity, should race be a factor in law school admissions [4:37] decisions? The question is a yes or no question. I am here in my- Yes or no, should race be a factor? [4:43] I am- In law school admissions decisions. I am here in my capacity- Because according to the ABA, it should- [4:48] um, the ABA has said explicitly that they have a long history of supporting consideration of race [4:56] in law school admissions. Is that your testimony that law schools should continue uh taking into [5:02] account race? The Supreme Court indicated that diversity is a laudable goal and the ABA supports [5:08] diversity in all- This is- this is embarrassing for you. Um, you ought to be able to answer this in a [5:12] very straightforward way. Um, and with that, the time is up. Um- Sorry, I have three UCs requests. [5:18] Go for it. Thank you. Um, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a July 2026 article from [5:26] Kerner News North Texas Families and the summer food programs they rely on- Without objection. [5:30] Are feeling the sting of inflation. Without objection. All right. Um, and we're going to skip closing because we've got votes now. So in closing- [5:39] So in closing- [5:51] you [5:53] you