In an attempt to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion positions in the federal government, U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio have filed legislation to do just that.
The Dismantle DEI Act would eliminate DEI positions in the federal government, bar federal contractors from requiring DEI statements and training sessions, and stop federal grants from going to diversity initiatives.
Other provisions in the act would prevent accreditation agencies from requiring DEI in schools and prohibit national securities associations, like NASDAQ, from implementing diversity requirements for corporate boards.
The legislation, which covers outside DEI consultants and government officials, would also ban DEI trainings and close federal DEI offices that conduct such training. Additionally, it would prevent personnel laid off by the office closures from being transferred or reassigned within the department.
If the act is passed and the prohibitions put in place, it could save the federal government billions of dollars. According to The Free Beacon, in 2023, the Biden administration spent over $16 million on diversity training for government employees. The government then requested another $83 million for DEI programs at the State Department, and an additional $9.2 million for the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
“DEI practices have zero place in our federal government,” said 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.”
Twenty other legislators co-sponsored the Act, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Reps. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Barry Moore (R-AL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Mary Miller (R-IL), Randy Weber (R-TX), Keith Self (R-TX), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Mike Collins (R-GA), and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).
Texas has passed something similar against DEI in higher education.
During the 88th Regular Legislative Session, legislators passed Senate Bill 17, which effectively prohibits Texas universities from hiring employees to “perform the duties” of a DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) office and is supposed to block any promotion of policies, training, or activities “designed or implemented in reference to race, color, or ethnicity.”
As a result, many universities have closed down their DEI offices and reassigned faculty to other departments.
