KEY VOTE: Cosponsorship of the Dismantle DEI Act (S. 4516 / H.R. 8706)

The Dismantle DEI Act (S. 4516 / H.R. 8706), introduced by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), is a comprehensive proposal to eliminate taxpayer funding of federal offices, programs, grants, and trainings designed to instill “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI). The bill rescinds numerous DEI executive orders and agency memorandums and requires the Office of Personnel Management to eliminate related agency DEI policies and procedures. Importantly, the bill asserts individuals' right to file a lawsuit if any provisions are violated.

The promotion of DEI fosters oppressor-versus-oppressed narratives—leading to the labeling and unconstitutional segregation of individuals based on immutable characteristics such as race and sex. Congress has an opportunity and responsibility to dismantle the discriminatory consequences of DEI promulgated by the federal government. The Dismantle DEI Act safeguards equal protection under the law regardless of race or sex, one of Americans’ most fundamental constitutional rights.

Government employees and contractors are required to take a variety of training courses to better prepare for their work. Even five years ago, most of these training sessions were focused on strengthening core competencies such as leadership development, project management, and other skills. Now employees and contractors are subjected to ideological sessions at taxpayers’ expense. While federal grant competitions have been infused with some political priorities for too long, they tended to be primarily merit-based. Now, they are filled with DEI statement requirements resulting in weaker standards and worse outcomes. Allocating federal resources based on DEI benchmarks is flatly unconstitutional and un-American.

Federally-funded DEI programs and policies do not promote racial harmony. These misguided efforts—which have become commonplace in schools, workplaces, and government agencies nationwide—encourage racial categorization and segregation, stoke division, and assign individuals’ status on the victim-oppressor continuum. The Dismantle DEI Act promotes fair standards, competition, and merit by holistically ending these racially discriminatory practices.