The House of Representatives just took a big step towards purging diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee passed Texas Rep. Michael Cloud’s “Dismantle DEI Act” on a party line vote, sending the bill to a full vote. The 48-page bill, which The Daily Wire first reported on in June, would not only target federal offices and personnel but also contractors, training, education, grants, and more, and “ensure equal protection of the law, to prevent racism in the Federal Government.”
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) introduced the Senate version of the bill before joining president-elect Donald Trump’s campaign.
“DEI initiatives falsely claim to promote fairness but instead institutionalize division, inefficiency, and discrimination,” Cloud told The Daily Wire on Wednesday. “These policies waste taxpayer dollars while eroding the merit-based principles that have been the cornerstone of America’s success.”
“The Dismantle DEI Act strikes at the heart of this harmful ideology, ensuring that our government is driven by excellence and equality—not divisive identity politics,” he argued. “It’s time to root out these discriminatory practices and restore a system that serves all Americans equally. I look forward to advancing this bill and challenging Congress to stand against this betrayal of our nation’s foundational values.”
Back in June, Vance had argued that “the DEI agenda is a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division,” pointing to the many ways in which President Joe Biden’s administration leveraged racea nd sexuality-based employee associations to push left-wing policies throughout the United States.
“It has no place in our federal government or anywhere else in our society,” Vance said at the time.
DEI policies in our federal government have led to divisive, wasteful programs that undermine merit and fairness—principles Americans have fought for over generations.
The Dismantle DEI Act will restore accountability by eliminating DEI offices, removing mandates on federal… pic.twitter.com/0oIlhmL2iT
— Congressman Michael Cloud (@RepCloudTX) November 20, 2024
During Wednesday’s House Oversight hearing, Democrats repeatedly accused their Republican colleagues of ignoring racism, arguing against the idea that many DEI principles are pushing
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley took issue with one of her Republican colleagues quoting Martin Luther King Jr.
“Please keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s name out of your mouths,” Pressley said. “Your perversion of his words, and his mission, when his children have asked you to stop invoking his name and perverting his work, when he was a proud and unapologetic black man fighting for equality for black Americans and all marginalized people.”
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) pushed back on Pressley’s claim.
“How DARE a white Republican quote MLK? We actually had a congressman say that just now in this committee,” he said. “We will quote who we please to quote. And we will continue to speak freely.”
During his remarks on Wednesday, Cloud argued that DEI had been implemented “as an ideology within our federal government” that contradicts “fundamental principles of justice and equality.”
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“It undermines the progress we’ve made — progress that took generations, hard-fought battles, and even a Civil War to achieve,” he argued. “From the abolition of slavery to the victories of the civil rights movement, Americans have worked tirelessly to right the wrongs of discrimination. Yet DEI policies threaten to codify new forms of discrimination, undoing the very progress that so many have bled and sacrificed to secure.”
Cloud mentioned a recent Do No Harm report that found the Biden administration had pursued over 500 DEI-related actions.
“These initiatives have not only failed to achieve their stated goals but have also resulted in absurd and wasteful programs that drain resources while dividing our nation,” he said. “Worse, they sometimes lead to unqualified individuals being placed in critical roles for the sake of meeting DEI benchmarks, jeopardizing efficiency and public safety.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is not progress,” he argued. “This is a dangerous detour that risks erasing the strides we’ve made toward a more perfect union. By dismantling these harmful policies, we can reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of equality, merit, and justice that make our nation great. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and help restore the principles of fairness and unity in our government.”