# United Steelworkers v. Weber *1979 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding voluntary affirmative action plans* *United Steelworkers v. Weber*, 443 U.S. 193 (1979), is a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, issued June 27, 1979, upholding voluntary affirmative action plans by a vote of 5–2.[^1] Justice Rehnquist dissented. At pages 229–232 of the reported opinion, his dissent quotes the Congressional Record at 110 Cong. Rec. 5423, 6549 and 6553.[^2] This record cites the decision in three validated claim-to-authority rows. Under the Title VII disparate treatment theory it is the "second controlling Supreme Court precedent"; under the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection theory and the 42 U.S.C. §1981 theory it is the "second controlling precedent".[^3] The dossier note that cites the Rehnquist dissent also cites the complaint in [[United States v. State of Minnesota (0:26-cv-00273)]], filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota on January 14, 2026.[^4] It also cites a docket page for that matter.[^5] This record does not carry the complaint's allegations or the matter's current status. ## Who The decision was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court.[^1] Justice Rehnquist wrote the dissent cited in this record.[^2] This record does not identify the other Justices' votes or opinions. ## What The Court upheld voluntary affirmative action plans.[^1] This record does not include the majority opinion's text or reasoning. It also lacks the facts of the plan at issue and the parties' briefs. It therefore does not establish the grounds of the holding beyond the Time Table row's one-line description.[^1] The dissent relies on legislative history. It quotes three pages of volume 110 of the Congressional Record: 5423, 6549 and 6553.[^2] This record does not carry the quoted passages themselves. ## When The decision was issued June 27, 1979.[^1] The legislative history quoted in the dissent comes from volume 110 of the Congressional Record.[^2] The Senate Historical Office dates the Senate's debate on the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] to that year, and its account gives this sequence:[^6] - The House of Representatives voted for the bill, H.R. 7152, on February 10, 1964. - The bill reached the Senate on February 26, 1964. - Southern senators began a filibuster on March 9. - The Senate debated the bill for sixty days, including seven Saturdays. Under the rules then in force, ending debate required sixty-seven votes. The Senate Historical Office records that southern Democrats opposed the bill.[^6] Minnesota Senator [[Hubert Humphrey]], the Democratic whip, managed the bill on the floor. He enlisted Republican Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen of Illinois and worked with him to redraft language Dirksen had objected to.[^6] The Senate's featured biography of Humphrey also records that he worked closely with Republican Thomas Kuchel on the bill's passage.[^7] On June 10, 1964, the Senate voted 71 to 29 for cloture. The votes came from a coalition of 27 Republicans and 44 Democrats. It was the first time the Senate had ended debate on a civil rights bill.[^6] The Senate passed the bill nine days later. The House accepted the Senate version on July 2, and President Johnson signed it into law the same day.[^6] Humphrey, a Democrat, held a Minnesota Senate seat from January 3, 1949, until he resigned on December 29, 1964, after his election as vice president.[^8] In 2011 the Senate described Humphrey's role as floor leader as "essential to the eventual passage" of the Act. That statement appears in S. Res. 184, which Senator Klobuchar submitted on May 12, 2011, for herself, Senator Franken and Senator Durbin. The Senate agreed to the resolution on May 19, 2011.[^9] Klobuchar and Franken are listed as Democrats in the Senate's roster of Minnesota senators.[^8] This record does not tie the dissent's cited pages to particular days or speakers in the 1964 debate.[^2] ## Where The Time Table row places the decision in Washington, D.C.[^1] The 2026 complaint that this record's dossier cites alongside the decision was filed in the District of Minnesota.[^4] ## In the Minnesota record ### What The decision appears in three validated claim-to-authority rows, each filed under the section *1,400 validated pairs across 14 legal theories*:[^3] - *Theory 1 — Title VII Disparate Treatment / §43A.191 / RICO + Qui Tam*, row 28. - *Theory 4 — Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection*, row 46. - *Theory 5 — 42 U.S.C. §1981 (Equal Right to Contract Regardless of Race)*, row 56. The rows record the decision's place in the project's theories. They are not a finding by any court or agency.[^3] ### When The dossier cites the complaint in *United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273, filed January 14, 2026, in the District of Minnesota.[^4] It also cites a docket page for the matter.[^5] This record does not state what the complaint alleges or where the matter stands. Those are left to the case's own article.[^4] ## Notes [^1]: Supreme Court of the United States, *United Steelworkers v. Weber*, 443 U.S. 193 (June 27, 1979) — establishes the citation, the date, and the 5–2 decision upholding voluntary affirmative action plans, as carried in project Time Table row TL-0346 (Washington, D.C.). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/443/193/ [^2]: Supreme Court of the United States, *United Steelworkers v. Weber*, 443 U.S. 193, 229–232 (1979) (Rehnquist, J., dissenting) — establishes the dissent's pages and its quotation of 110 Cong. Rec. 5423, 6549, 6553, as cited in dossier note 38 (Testable_Against_A_Docket_5000_STEELMAN_2026-09-06.md); the source grade is not assigned in the pack. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/443/193 [^3]: Minnesota wiki, *Validated claim:link rows* CL-Theory1TitleVIIDisparate-28, CL-Theory4FourteenthAmendme-46, CL-Theory542USC1981EqualRig-56 (section *1,400 validated pairs across 14 legal theories*) — establishes that the rows cite the decision as the "second controlling Supreme Court precedent" (Theory 1) and the "second controlling precedent" (Theories 4 and 5). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/443/193/ [^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Complaint, United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn. Jan. 14, 2026) — establishes the caption, the docket number, the court and the filing date, as cited in dossier note 38. https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl [^5]: Clearinghouse, *United States v. State of Minnesota* (case 47712) — docket page for No. 0:26-cv-00273, as cited in dossier note 38. https://clearinghouse.net/case/47712/ [^6]: U.S. Senate Historical Office, *Landmark Legislation: The Civil Rights Act of 1964* — establishes the 1964 sequence: the House vote of February 10; Senate receipt on February 26; the filibuster from March 9; Humphrey's role as Democratic whip and floor manager working with Dirksen; the 71–29 cloture vote of June 10 (27 Republicans, 44 Democrats); Senate passage nine days later; House acceptance and signing on July 2. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/CivilRightsAct1964.htm [^7]: U.S. Senate Historical Office, *Hubert Humphrey: A Featured Biography* — establishes that Humphrey served as floor manager for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, working with Republican Thomas Kuchel. https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_HumphreyHubert.htm [^8]: U.S. Senate, *States in the Senate: Minnesota Senators* — establishes Humphrey's (D) terms, including January 3, 1949, to December 29, 1964 (resigned after election as vice president), and the party designations of Klobuchar (D) and Franken (D). https://www.senate.gov/states/MN/senators.htm [^9]: U.S. Senate, *S. Res. 184*, 112th Congress (submitted May 12, 2011; agreed to May 19, 2011) — establishes the sponsors and dates, and the Senate's statement that Humphrey's floor-leader service was "essential to the eventual passage" of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-112sres184ats/html/BILLS-112sres184ats.htm