Advocates of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs are sounding the alarm after a key department on Capitol Hill was dissolved amid backlash to the movement.
The House Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) was disbanded this week as part of a government spending bill passed earlier this month, the office’s president, Sesha Joi Moon, told CNN. It’s the latest blow to the DEI movement, which has come under mounting criticism from Republicans over the past several years.
Now, supporters of DEI are sounding the alarm, warning that the elimination of such programs and offices will roll back progress made when it comes to fighting discrimination in various areas of society.
“The elimination of the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion is a tremendous loss, not only for the U.S. House of Representatives, but for the advancement of equity and opportunity in America overall,” said Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio).
Beatty, the first-ever chair of the Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, has been a strong proponent of DEI practices as limitations on the programs have spread throughout the country.
