On Wednesday, Senator Rick Scott joined Senator JD Vance and Congressman Michael Cloud, along with fellow cosponsors Senators Marsha Blackburn, Bill Cassidy, Kevin Cramer, Eric Schmitt, and fifteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives, have introduced the Dismantle DEI Act to eliminate all federal DEI programs and funding for federal agencies, contractors which receive federal funding, organizations which receive federal grants, and educational accreditation agencies.
Senator Rick Scott said, “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. 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.”
Senator JD Vance said, “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. 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.”
Congressman Michael Cloud said, “DEI practices have zero place in our federal government. 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.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn said, “President Biden is unfairly forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for federal ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ programs that do nothing but divide Americans. 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.”
Senator Bill Cassidy said, “DEI institutionalizes discrimination in hiring. Taxpayers expect the most qualified candidates to be hired, not the most favored.”
Senator Kevin Cramer said, “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. 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.”
Senator Eric Schmitt said, “Divisive DEI rhetoric and programs have no place in our government, and taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be spent on this poisonous ideology. 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.”
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.
Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President at Heritage Action for America, said, “Contrary to President Biden’s claims, DEI policies have nothing to do with equity or inclusion, and instead perpetuate the very discrimination and division the Left claims to be fighting. The American people have had enough of the political spin and DEI indoctrination that has made our country weaker and more divided than ever. The Dismantling DEI Act comprehensively defunds the federal government’s wasteful DEI bureaucracy—restoring true meritocracy and equal treatment under the law. I applaud Rep. Cloud and Sen. Vance for leading this fight. Heritage Action will issue a Key Vote to urge members to join them and cosponsor this legislation.”
Wade Miller, Executive Director of Citizens for Renewing America, said, “The Radical Left’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are anti-American and a blatant violation of federal law. Putting melanin before merit creates institutional systemic racism and sexism that divides Americans and advances Joe Biden’s neo-Marxist agenda. Citizens for Renewing America is proud to support this effort to outlaw DEI in our federal government.”
Arthur Milikh, Executive Director of the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life, said, “Senator Vance continues his ceaseless assault on the core issue that ails America today: the DEI infrastructure and its un-American moral teaching. DEI destroys competence while making Americans into enemies. This ideology must be fought, and its offices removed. Senator Vance’s and Congressman Cloud’s comprehensive legislation will do just this in the federal bureaucracy.”
Since the day he took office, President Biden and his administration have implemented DEI policies across virtually every agency of the federal government. The Dismantle DEI Act would unwind Biden’s 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 Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal agencies. The legislation would also prevent the awarding of federal contracts to entities that employ prohibited DEI practices—last year, nearly $1 trillion of federal contracts were awarded to companies across the defense, aerospace, construction, and other industries. Finally, the legislation would prevent federal grant recipients across the medical, energy, and other 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.
Read the legislation here. Read more from The Washington Free Beacon here.
