WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), JD Vance (R-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Rick Scott (R-FL), and 16 members of the U.S. House of Representatives today introduced the Dismantle DEI Act to eliminate all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and funding for federal agencies, contractors, organizations, and educational accreditation agencies that receive federal funding and maintain DEI programs.
“DEI institutionalizes discrimination in hiring,” said Senator Cassidy. “Taxpayers expect the most qualified candidates to be hired, not the most favored.”
“The DEI agenda is a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division. It has no place in our federal government or anywhere else in our society,” said Senator Vance. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation, which would root out DEI from our federal bureaucracy by eliminating such programs and stripping funding for DEI policies anywhere it exists. Americans’ tax dollars should not be co-opted to spread this radical and divisive ideology – this bill would ensure they are not.”
“President Biden is unfairly forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for federal ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ programs that do nothing but divide Americans,” said Senator Blackburn. “DEI programs are not only a waste of taxpayer money; they are also contrary to the American ideal of equality. We need to pass the Dismantle DEI Act to end all DEI policies, practices, and programs within the federal government.”
“President Biden has focused inordinately on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in virtually every federal agency in the United States, shifting the focus away from good public service to a woke social experiment,” said Senator Cramer. “DEI doesn’t promote diversity of thought or merit-based employment and promotion. It divides people rather than focusing on our inherent equality as Americans, and I’m glad to cosponsor this legislation to eliminate these wasteful initiatives in our government.”
“Divisive DEI rhetoric and programs have no place in our government, and taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be spent on this poisonous ideology,” said Senator Schmitt. “Dismantling DEI that resides deep within government agencies has been a priority of mine from day one – I’m proud to join Senator Vance in this crucial effort to rid our federal institutions of DEI programs once and for all.”
“Under the Biden administration, we continue to see taxpayer dollars funding Democrats’ push for the far-left policy that throws merit away for radical ideology,” said Senator Scott. “Americans have had enough. Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for federal government agencies to push their woke DEI agenda, and that is why I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Dismantle DEI Act to put an end to this misuse of taxpayer dollars once and for all.”
Since taking office, the Biden administration has implemented DEI policies across virtually every agency of the federal government. The Dismantle DEI Act would unwind DEI bureaucracy by rescinding relevant executive orders, terminating Chief Diversity Officers, closing DEI offices, ending DEI and critical race theory trainings, outlawing mandatory employee DEI pledges, and revoking all DEI funding at the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal agencies. The legislation would also prevent the awarding of federal contracts to entities that employ DEI practices. Finally, the legislation would prevent federal grant recipients across industries from employing DEI practices and would also prevent educational accreditation agencies from leveraging their accreditation powers to advance and implement DEI policies at educational institutions.
U.S. Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX-27) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“DEI practices have zero place in our federal government,” said Representative Cloud. “These initiatives, presented as promoting fairness, have instead fostered division and racial bias within our institutions and culture – which is not conducive to serving taxpayers well. This bill is a necessary step to restore merit and equality, not equity, in America’s government institutions, and eliminate the DEI bureaucracy that sows division and wastes taxpayer money. It’s absurd to fund these divisive policies, especially using American’s tax dollars, and it’s time for Congress to put an end to them once and for all. I want to thank my friend Senator Vance for his work on this issue and look forward to taking our message to the American people – a message that offers opportunity to ALL Americans rather than a select few.”
The Dismantle DEI Act is endorsed by Heritage Action for America, Citizens for Renewing America, and the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life.
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