Equality Caucus Condemns House Republicans’ Latest Discriminatory Bill

November 20, 2024
Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, released the following statement after the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability voted to advance H.R. 8706, the Dismantle DEI Act, out of committee:

“Once again, House Republicans are working to fulfill Project 2025’s anti-LGBTQI+ wish list of undermining nondiscrimination protections, ending US leadership on human rights abroad, and creating hostile work environments for minority employees,” said Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “This bill is just another example of why this Congress has been one of the least productive in history—Republicans are more focused on targeting minorities than solving the issues impacting Americans throughout the country.”


BACKGROUND
This bill reflects Republicans’ larger efforts to implement Project 2025, which, like this bill includes a roadmap for undermining nondiscrimination protections, ending U.S. leadership on LGBTQI+ human rights abroad, and ending DEI and LGBTQI-inclusive efforts. Among its provisions, H.R. 8706:

  • Revokes Executive Order 13988, which states the Administration’s policy that, consistent with Bostock v. Clayton County, all federal laws that prohibit sex discrimination also prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, and prevents agencies from carrying out this Executive Order.
  • Revokes the National Security Memorandum on Advancing LGBTQI+ Rights Around the World, which states that it is the policy of the United States to “pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, and to lead by the power of our example in the cause of advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world,” and prevents agencies from carrying out this memorandum.
  • Revokes three LGBTQI-inclusive diversity, equity, and inclusion Executive Orders (13985, 14035, and 14091) and prohibits federal agencies from carrying out those Executive Orders.


Among other provisions, the bill also:

  • Bans all employee resource groups and affinity groups based on sexual orientation, or gender identity, as well as race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin.
  • Ends all Equitable Data Working Groups, including their work to ensure better data collection relating to the LGBTQI+ community.
  • Bans all DEI offices, employees, and trainings.
  • Bans all government trainings related to sexual orientation or gender identity, including using federal funds to develop, implement, distribute, publish or purchase trainings related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Prohibits the Secretary of Education from using funds to develop, implement, distribute, publish, or purchase a training course or substantially similar course relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and DEI, among other topics. 
  • Bans federal funds from being used by federal contractors, grantees, and parties of cooperative agreements to maintain DEI offices, maintain a Chief Diversity Officer, or develop or hold trainings relating to DEI, sexual orientation, or gender identity, among other topics.