GOP Pushes Bill to Eliminate DEI Programs in Government

(DailyVantage.com) – The GOP bloc in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have introduced measures seeking to ban and/or remove DEI – diversity, equity, and inclusion – initiatives from the federal government, as well as funding for such programs.

The passage of the bill, which is named the “Dismantle DEI Act”, is being spearheaded by Republican Ohio Senator JD Vance in the Senate and by Republican Texas Representative Michael Cloud in the House.

In a statement accompanying the introduction of the bill, Representative Cloud said that “racist” DEI initiatives have created and promoted “division and racial bias” in America’s “institutions and culture.” He also said that the move is meant to restore hiring based on talent and merit, rather than make race a primary consideration, a concept Cloud called “absurd.”

The bill, which is 48 pages long, is supposedly designed to “prevent racism in the Federal Government.” So far, 15 House Republicans have supported the bill – many in GOP have pushed against DEI programs, which they consider to be another part of the progressive “woke” agenda. Many state governments are also considering removing their own DEI programs, such as Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved state legislation that instructs state universities from requiring employees to commit to diversity and cut funding for DEI programs. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott also signed legislation that prohibits state universities from considering DEI statements in their hiring process.

Senator Vance, who is reportedly among the candidates former president Donald Trump is considering for his vice president, said that “Americans’ tax dollars should not be co-opted” to spread an ideology that is “radical and divisive”. He also bemoaned the decline of the promise of DEI, saying it has now merely an agenda that carries “a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division”. Thus, he said such policies should have “no place” in the U.S. government and in society in general.

Besides totally eliminating DEI programs from the federal government, the bill will also terminate federal funding for DEI programs for all agencies, organizations, contractors, and educational accreditation agencies that already receive financial support from the government.