At Hearing on Republican Efforts to Roll Back Civil Rights, Oversight Democrats Fight for Integration, Equality, and Dignity for All Americans

Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2024)—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, led Committee Democrats in examining the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and its work to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, amid Republican efforts to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace and erode progress made on civil rights and equity in America.

“Today’s hearing is just the latest in a decades long attack from right wing extremists on any and all efforts to expand civil rights, equity, and freedom in the United States. [...] This resistance to integration in every part of society, whether it be in schools, or housing, or the workforce, is an attempt to destroy the progress we have made toward a more equal and just society,” said Vice Ranking Member Ocasio-Cortez in her opening statement. 

The hearing included testimony from Maya Wiley, the President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights;  the Honorable Todd Rokita, Attorney General of Indiana;  Jonathan Berry, Managing Partner at Boyden Gray PLLC;  and Inez Feltscher Stepman, Senior Policy and Legal Analyst at Independent Women’s Forum. 

Committee Democrats outlined how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and diverse, inclusive workforces benefit workers, organizations, and the economy. 

• In response to a question from Vice Ranking Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez about the economic impact of civil rights legislation, Ms. Wiley noted:  “One of the critical things we have seen as a result of having civil rights protections and having them enforced is we have seen an increase in participation in people getting to the middle class of the American country, particularly people of color long denied fair and equal opportunities, and I think it's really important to understand that that has had widespread societal benefits.”
  
• In response to a question from Rep. Shontel Brown about the importance of DEI efforts in the workplace, Ms. Wiley highlighted:  “When we're talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion, we need to remember that it's identifying unfair barriers to opportunity for highly qualified people, whether it’s promotion or hiring, as well as to ensure that employees are working well together, enjoying the workplace, and wanting to stay there.  That is good for everyone, and it is non-discriminatory.  It does advance our civil rights.”
   
• Rep. Dan Goldman emphasized that DEI initiatives are good for businesses, explaining:  “82% of business leaders consider diversity initiatives to be essential to their business strategy.  2% of business leaders say that these initiatives are not important.  Diversity initiatives are credited with improving business performance, enhancing talent, acquisition and retention, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering innovation.  And 45% of business leaders said that the main reason they have diversity initiatives is to improve business performance.”

Committee Democrats emphasized their commitment to expanding opportunities for all Americans, including by standing up for Title VII of the Civile Rights Act and American workers. 

• In her opening statement, Ms. Wiley stated, referring to DEI efforts:  “We have compelling need to identify barriers to equal opportunity for all people.”
  
• Rep. Kweisi Mfume stated:  “For a race of people who have suffered, endured, and survived 100 years of Jim Crow, 200 years of slavery, oppression, deprivation, degradation, denial, and disprivilege—that's the original sin.  And in an era of smaller vision, rampant apathy, and celebrated mediocrity, we do need people who will stand up and speak out for that and fight back against that which is wrong.”
   
• After Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost condemned Republican bigotry, transphobia, and attacks on the LGBTQ+  community, Ms. Wiley affirmed, “When we protect the most vulnerable, we protect everyone.  The reason it is so critically important is because those protections extend to everyone.  And we should remember that because it’s one of the greatest lessons that we have seen and why we should absolutely refuse to allow fearmongering.”
  
• Rep. Becca Balint emphasized:  “Although there are many people in Congress who push discriminatory bills and hateful amendments and fear mongering rhetoric, every single day that I am in the Capitol, there are also good people in Congress who are standing up, standing up to this hateful rhetoric, and I am one of them. [...]  I will not allow our voices to be silenced.  I will not allow these attacks to go on unchallenged and to have our rights as Americans taken away.”

Committee Democrats highlighted how Republican attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are representative of a larger right-wing assault on civil rights, freedom, progress, and equality. 

• Rep. Melanie Stansbury critiqued Oversight Republicans for bringing in right-wing extremists to testify, stating:  “So one of our key witnesses that’s been called here today, and again no disrespect, is part of a larger effort in front of the courts, in front of Congress, in front of state legislatures across the country, to undermine and chip away at the rights of Americans.  Affirmative action, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, women’s rights, fueling anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country, and making it less safe and less free for our children, for our families, and for all Americans.” 

• In response to a question from Rep. Rashida Tlaib about the more than 3,000 attempts to ban books last year, Ms. Wiley responded:  “I think part of what it lays bare is the fact that we are seeing a very organized, highly-financed, and concerted effort by some extremist ideologues to say we can’t learn about slavery, and in fact we should go one step further in one instance and say we should say there are some good things about slavery, require it in our curriculum, even though that is a lie.  It is counter to history.  PEN American has actually documented that roughly 80% of all banned book titles are written by or about people of color or LGBTQ people.”
  
• When Rep. Summer Lee pointed out that DEI initiatives were created to right existing wrongs and asked about conservative extremist weaponization of civil rights laws, Ms. Wiley explained:  “Every single time we have made advancements in civil rights laws, what we have seen is active efforts to skirt them.”  She continued, “Sadly, at every turn, we have been having to fight to protect the gains even as we can quantify how much it has benefitted every single one in society.”
  
• When Rep. Ayanna Pressley asked about the chapter of policy proposals Mr. Berry wrote for Project 2025, the radical right-wing playbook for Donald Trump’s potential second term, Ms. Wiley warned, “It guts the ability to both be able to have the rights—and have enforcement and protections of the rights—that we already have.”  She continued, “I’m also deeply concerned with any suggestion that we should not be collecting data, or that labor rights—the rights to organize—which has been so important for workers across race, including white men, to ensure that they’re getting fair wages and safe working conditions.  All of these are actually in that chapter, and they threaten our workplaces for people who are white, for people of color, for people of all backgrounds in this country, and I think that’s why we all need to be concerned—because it really is about all of us.”