WASHINGTON—Heritage Action, a conservative grassroots organization with two million activists nationwide, today issued a Key Vote urging members of Congress to cosponsor the Dismantle DEI Act (S.4516 / H.R. 8706). Members who cosponsor the bill will receive credit on the Heritage Action Scorecard, which shows voters and activists how conservative lawmakers are by comparing their policy positions to those of Heritage Action.
Heritage Action Executive Vice President Ryan Walker released the following statement today praising the bill and urging lawmakers to sign on:
“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 Dismantle DEI Act comprehensively eliminates 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.”
The legislation, introduced by U.S. 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).
Issuing a Key Vote for cosponsorship is a relatively rare decision for Heritage Action with proven impact on Capitol Hill. Earlier this year, Heritage Action made the same decision in support of the Equal Representation Act (S.3659 / H.R. 7109). Following the Key Vote, the bill quickly garnered more than 135 cosponsors between both chambers before passing the House on May 8.
More information about the legislation and Heritage Action’s decision to issue a Key Vote can be found in the brief pasted below and available online here. This Key Vote notification was sent to members of Congress.
KEY VOTE: Cosponsorship of the Dismantle DEI Act (S.4516 / H.R. 8706)
Heritage Action supports the Dismantle DEI Act (S.4516 / H.R. 8706) and will include COSPONSORSHIP of this legislation on our legislative scorecard.
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 Ending Racism in the Federal Government 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 Ending Racism in the Federal Government Act promotes fair standards, competition, and merit by holistically ending these racially discriminatory practices.
Heritage Action supports the Dismantle DEI Act (S.4516 / H.R. 8706) and will include COSPONSORSHIP of this legislation on our legislative scorecard.
BACKGROUND:
The Heritage Foundation: DEI Doesn’t Work, Evidence Shows
The Heritage Foundation: Woke DEI Undermining U.S. Diplomacy
The Heritage Foundation: DEI, Sold as a Way To Promote Racial Harmony, Does Just the Opposite
The Washington Free Beacon: Republicans Introduce Bill To Ban DEI in Government, Federal Contracting
The Daily Signal: How Conservatives Plan to Root Out DEI From Federal Government