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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat

“Some people think diversity, equity, and inclusion are good. I agree. I want the government to do more to fix this. We need more policies to help people. The government should have done this a long time ago. I want people to keep fighting for these policies.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the time, and I thank my colleagues for their presence today. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I rise at this moment and in this Chamber to give a voice to the tens of millions of Americans who do not believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion is an offense to the spirit of America. Nor are they under the impression that intentionally including the talent and abilities of qualified Americans who have been historically and systematically locked out of the promises of America is anything other than the right thing to do. In fact, there are millions of Americans who understand that it is impossible to remunerate 300 years of oppression with only 62 years of inclusion. However, that is why we are here, and that is why we find ourselves here today, making sure that this voice is given airtime. Regrettably, Mr. Speaker, it is also where we begin because we will let the word go forth from this time and in this place: If the Government of the United States had simply honored the 14th and 15th Amendments ratified in 1868 and in 1870 respectively, there would be no need for diversity, equity, and inclusion today because we would have fulfilled our promise and our obligation. There would be no need for affirmative action had we simply gone forward and honored the 14th and 15th Amendments. There would be no need for civil rights legislation had we honored the 14th and 15th Amendments. To state the matter with even greater clarity, if the government of this country had honored its own laws, then this country would have never needed a civil rights movement. That is because we would have fulfilled that obligation in our 14th and 15th Amendments. Unfortunately, it was not honored, and here we are. We will continue this fight to make sure that America fulfills its promise and its destiny. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be joined by my colleague and good friend, the Honorable Congressman Cleo Fields, who hails from the great State of Louisiana. Congressman Cleo Fields is the co-chair and founder of the DEI Caucus. Congressman Fields has led an incredible career in public service my entire adult life, over the last 35 years and counting. All the while, he was championing voting rights issues on behalf of his constituents in the face of relentless opposition. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Louisiana (Mr. Fields).

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Cleo Fields

Democrat 5:40 p.m.

“I like our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus. The President was wrong to go against diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity is good. Equity is good. Inclusion is good. The military is stronger when it is diverse. Affirmative action is good. Voting rights are good. Our country is better when we include everyone. I don't like it when people say these things are bad. We need to keep fighting for them.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and including me in this very Special Order. In fact, I remember the first day we were here. The late Sylvester Turner and I were sitting right on this floor, and the gentleman from Illinois invited us to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus. Let me just tell the gentleman that I am so proud to be a part of this caucus. When the President signed an executive order to do away with diversity, equity, and inclusion, it was, in my view, totally wrong, and I think people need to stand up for what they really believe in. I was going through the dictionary today, Mr. Speaker, and I was looking at all three of these terms. First, diversity. Diversity simply means the quality or condition of having or being composed of different elements, such as forms, types, and ideas. There was a time that our military wasn't diverse, and then the American people said there is nothing wrong with African Americans serving in the military. There is really nothing wrong with women serving in the military. There were some folk all across the country who said, oh, you are going to weaken the military. Did it make the military weaker? No, you bet it didn't. It made the military stronger. When we became diverse, it became the most fierce fighting machine in the world. We need to talk about what is good about diversity, equity, and inclusion and not talk about all of these scare tactics that we have heard from people all across the country. Second is equity. What is equity? The quality of being fair, just, especially in a way that takes account and seeks to address existing inequities. Let's be honest about it. There are people in this country who have been facing all types of inequities from the day they were born. We used to debate affirmative action, for example. Folk used to say affirmative action is two parallel lines where you take somebody who is unqualified and elevate them to the level of somebody who is qualified. That wasn't affirmative action. Affirmative action should be viewed as a circle instead of two parallel lines. When you take a certain person out of the circle, they are all equally qualified. We have been fighting those battles all along. There has been some talk that there is no need for equity. Businesses across America have decided to end their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as a result of the Executive Order No. 14151 signed by the President on January 20, 2025. Finally, Mr. Speaker, inclusion. Who can be against inclusion? Inclusion means inclusion. People of all walks of life. There was a time in this country that Blacks weren't able to even register to vote. This Nation said that was wrong, and they changed it and passed the 15th Amendment. Did you know there was a time in this country that folk did not even allow women to vote? How crazy is that? This country said no, we need to include everybody. Every single person, every single U.S. citizen, should, when they reach a certain age, be eligible to vote. It didn't make our democracy weaker. Inclusion made our democracy stronger. Mr. Speaker, I urge the gentleman from Illinois to keep on fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion because it is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 5:40 p.m.

“I thank my friend Cleo Fields. He is from Louisiana. He did good things. He stood up for democracy. He fought against a bad court decision. That decision was bad for African Americans. Cleo Fields wants to help everyone. He made America better. Now I will let Mr. Tonko speak. He is from New York. He leads on clean energy and the environment. He is a good man.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, Congressman Cleo Fields, representing the Sixth District of the great State of Louisiana, who has a remarkable story. He expanded democracy, not only asking for the opportunity but for equity and inclusion for the voice of all members of Louisiana to be included in what will go down as one of the most shameful acts in American history, the decision of Louisiana v. Callais, where they stripped the voting representation of African Americans in the great State of Louisiana. I thank Congressman Cleo Fields for his magnanimous service to this great country, for continuing to expand democracy, and for having made America better. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), a leader on clean energy, environmental justice, and environmental policy, who has represented the capital region since 2009. He is a person we hold in high esteem, a voice that is fearless and confronts injustice.

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Paul Tonko

Democrat 5:40 p.m.

“I think DEI is good. The other side is bad. They want to stop DEI programs. This is bad for women and minorities in science. They want to control what people learn about history. This is also bad. We need DEI to make things fair. DEI helps everyone succeed. We must fight for DEI. The other side does not want people to succeed. We need DEI so everyone can be part of America. I want more programs to help women and minorities. I want more spending on DEI. I want the other side to stop fighting DEI. DEI is good and we need it.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Representative Jackson, for bringing us together for a discussion and dialogue on what is an essential wrongdoing of late by this administration: denying the opportunity, the concept, of DEI. Across our great country, we are witnessing an onslaught of dangerous policies, executive actions, hateful legislation, and vile rhetoric, all designed to strip away rights, sow fear, and erase hard-fought progress. The Trump administration has engaged in a calculated and relentless assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Federal Government and beyond. These harmful policies would eradicate programs that address persistent inequalities in American life. They would worsen systemic disparities in access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. They would restrict the right for Americans to exist as they are. Our STEM education workforce has suffered because of sweeping cuts to DEI initiatives. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has made dramatic cuts to NSF programs, many aimed at broadening opportunity for underrepresented students in STEM education. Of the 1,500 grants that NSF has canceled, nearly 90 percent had references to DEI. One of those terminated grants was an NSF award at the University at Albany, which I represent in the 20th Congressional District of New York. Called Striving to Achieve Gender Equity in STEM, this program is essential. It aims to increase the number of women in STEM fields. Just last month, the Department of Justice declared three Federal educational programs aimed at diversifying STEM as unconstitutional. University at Albany has done great work with funding from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation programming to develop inclusive teaching practices and increase participation by underrepresented students in STEM. Terminating programs like this sends a clear signal by this administration of who is allowed to participate in science. Upholding scientific integrity means protecting the independence of science and the civil rights of our scientific workforce. Beyond attacks on our scientific education system, we have seen attacks on our historical institutions and museums in the name of anti- wokeness: from policing content at national parks and monuments, to removing artwork and displays referencing slavery, to attacking the independence of the Smithsonian and how stories are told. This manipulation of history serves to consolidate political power by erasing marginalized voices and experiences and limiting whose humanity is considered valid. DEI is not radical, wasteful, and certainly is not just an acronym or a policy. It means our histories, our stories, no matter how uncomfortable and challenging, continue to be shared. It means first- generation college students can join programs that connect them to research and open doors to new career paths. Mr. Speaker, it is a commitment to removing barriers and expanding opportunity so that every person can succeed. It is a commitment we must continue to fight for, making certain that there is equity, inclusion, and diversity that brings the great diversity of this Nation into a celebratory moment, one that speaks to fairness and justice, to opportunity, to make certain that all people, no matter what their background, have a chance to succeed and share their talent with the American experience. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing us together this evening. He is an awesome voice for fairness.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“I agree with my friend. The other side is bad. They want to stop DEI programs. They are wrong. DEI is good. It helps people. We must fight for DEI. I want to introduce my friend. She is a good person. She fights for good things. She helps people. We need people like her.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Tonko so much for his clear voice and analysis. I thank him for the update as we confront the resurgence of the confederacy. We need the abolitionist's voice. We have gone from the veiled attempts of the segregationists now to the overt racism carefully wrapped up and disguised and repackaged saying that DEI, the program that expanded opportunity, is exclusionary. No. Mr. Speaker, we have had a long history of racism, segregation, and discrimination. Now that we have put some ointment on and had some healing, now this is being called the cause of division. It is not, and we continue to stand. We will fight until America is right. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege and honor to introduce a colleague of mine from the great State of Illinois, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who has been here, who has championed fearless amounts of deals to make sure that the Nation is made stronger. She is a national voice on gun violence, also a doctor of medical sciences and public health, who represents the great Second District of the State of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

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Robin L. Kelly

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“Donald Trump is bad. He does not like DEI programs. DEI programs help people. We need DEI programs. Trump wants to get rid of DEI programs. That is bad. Black women have a hard time getting a mortgage or giving birth. They don't get paid as much as men. We need to fight for DEI programs. Trump wants us to give up. He wants us to be quiet. We can't do that. We need to fight for what is right. We need to fight for a better future.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Jackson, my next-door neighbor for yielding. Mr. Speaker, since day one, this President and his administration have waged war on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Let's be clear: DEI means all of us. Diversity strengthens our communities, our economy, our businesses, and our future. DEI means helping people of every background overcome barriers in their way. Systemic racism has deep roots in this country, poisoning healthcare, housing, and opportunities for generations. It is our job to finally pull those roots up. Trump is trying to erase Black history, gut programs that benefit us, and target anything that says DEI. He is threatening to undo all the progress we have made toward economic equality. Black women are more likely to be denied a mortgage as a home buyer, more likely to die giving birth, or buy a gun, and we still just earn 69 cents to a man's dollar. This isn't about ending wokeness. This is about erasing hard-won progress and locking people out of opportunity because of who they are. I always tell people, do not get weary because that is exactly what he wants you to do. You can't go in your house and close the door. We have to continue to fight this nonsense. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and I, for one, will never give up in the fight for a better future.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“I like my friend Robin Kelly from Illinois. She is really good. Now I want to talk about Rashida Tlaib. Rashida Tlaib is my friend too. She fights for people who don't have a lot of money. She is the first Muslim woman to be in Congress. That is a big deal. Now I will let her talk. That is my whole speech.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Congresswoman from the great State of Illinois for her remarks. It has been truly an honor to serve with her, to admire her from afar, and to work with her up close. I thank her for her work and her commitment to justice for us all. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be joined by the Honorable Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of the great State of Michigan. She is a true advocate and freedom fighter for those that have been marginalized, a determined advocate for Detroit's working poor and working families, and one of the first Muslim women to serve in the United States House of Representatives. It is an honor to be her colleague. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

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Rashida Tlaib

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“I am part of a group that talks about diversity. I want to say that the President is bad. He does bad things to people who don't look like him. He puts bad people in power. They do bad things. I don't like them. They are mean to people like me. The government does not help people who need help. Black mothers need help. Black communities need help. The government does not help them. The government gives money to polluters. That hurts people. People need clean air and water. The government does not give it to them. That is bad. The President does not help. He hurts people. He does not care about people who don't look like him. I want people to know that the President is bad.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson for his incredible leadership and, of course, CPC for hosting this Special Order hour. Mr. Speaker, we know that since day one, the President of the United States has targeted policies and programs that are about equity, about women's rights, making sure that we are attacking and targeting racial injustices all around the country. Let's call what it is. When you attack DEI, you are attacking people of color. You are attacking inequities, attacking again those that continue to allow the status quo which makes them money to again have injustices within programs and so forth. To this President, anyone who does not look like him or does not have the same amount of money or income, shouldn't have equal opportunities. That is what we are telling the American people. It is no surprise then that he has filled his Cabinet administration with people who are set on racist daily deportation quotas, firing women in the military, or having senior advisers spend their time literally tweeting at and name- calling Black Congresswomen and community leaders. This anti-Black and racist administration does not reflect the beauty and dignity of the American people. They have made it clear from day one about their policy choice to ignore and hurt our Black communities. I grew up in the most beautiful, Blackest city in the country, where my strength and the way I move in trying to attack poverty and making sure that no child goes hungry, that we have clean air to breathe, that we have clean water to drink is because this is a city that knows what it feels like again for their government to turn their back on them. The Health Department right now has canceled over a thousand grants dedicated to address issues that affect Black people, including Black maternal health where Black mothers are dying at a higher rate giving birth. Those funds were supposed to research maternal mortality, environmental injustices and contamination, disease prevention, and more. Yet again, this administration thinks Black people are disposable. I know as the founder and chair of the Mamas' Caucus that Black women are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related causes, but now we are not even allowed to say Black for programs dedicated to solving maternal mortality. As co-chair of the People's Environmental Justice Caucus, I know that pollution deeply affects the majority of Black communities. Growing up in Detroit, I thought that the smell of rotten eggs was normal. Then I learned it was because the government sacrificed our air and water to big polluters in communities like ours. Just last month, homes in Gary, Indiana, were literally under water due to flooding. Our government was too slow and is still not responding like they should. Lead-contaminated pipes, dust, and paint still affect many homes across our country, especially in our city. There is no safe level of lead, but again, the Trump administration, using the anti-DEI movement, canceled programs dedicated to replacing lead pipes. Think about that. Our U.S. administration right now thinks that clean water is not a great need in our country. Trump's attacks against DEI aren't simply a culture war. It is through his executive orders and policies directly impacting our health, our wallets, and our future. We all deserve to be able to live with human dignity. What we are seeing with this administration is they don't care for that if we don't look like him. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Illinois hosting this Special Order.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“I was supposed to introduce someone else. But he is not here. So I will let a woman from New Mexico talk. She will say things like I was going to say.”

Melanie A. Stansbury

Democrat 5:50 p.m.

“I am complaining about a loss of government spending. I claim that not spending money hurts people. I want the government to spend more money on many programs. My district should get more money from the federal government. This is an important issue for my constituents. I blame the current administration for spending less on these programs. I want to make this a political issue. I want the other party to look bad.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, good evening. I thank Mr. Jackson for yielding. He is not only one of my dear friends, but also a mentor, and I believe one of the greatest fighters in this institution. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight on behalf of the people of New Mexico because in New Mexico, the assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just an assault on our communities but on our identities, our histories, and our ways of life. The consequences go far beyond a slogan or some polling that some political firm has done. They reach into our hospitals and our clinics. They reach our veterans. They reach our military bases. They reach our Tribal nations and our Native communities. They reach the LGBTQ+ community, our small businesses, our nonprofits, and our working families. What this administration is doing is nothing short of an assault on our communities, their identities, their histories, and creating something that no person should ever live with which is fear. In New Mexico, healthcare is not an abstract policy debate. It is whether a patient can see a doctor, whether a rural clinic can keep its doors open, and whether a family can afford care. Every day we are watching as the assaults on DEI are affecting the ability of our communities to access care. It affects our veterans who depend on the VA, not as a political favor but as a promise our Nation made to them, is being impacted by cuts to DEI. It affects our military, which is a part of the culture in service of who we are as New Mexicans, generals being denied promotions, and people in our communities wondering if the military still represents them. It affects our Tribal nations impacted and threatened by cuts to Tribal programs and essential services. These are programs that help our elders, our young people--nutrition, family, housing, their healthcare, their jobs, their opportunity, and our Federal Government's fundamental responsibility under treaty obligations. These are legal responsibilities of the Federal Government. In our LGBTQ+ community, the message coming from Washington is increasingly clear, which is that the government is trying to erase the existence of LGBTQ+ people. That is not equality. That is not equity. That is about targeting our communities. Meanwhile, our nonprofits and small businesses that depend on Federal grants and contracts are being forced to ask whether the programs they have operated for years and generations will be considered politically unacceptable for merely serving the Americans who live in our communities. This administration has gone far beyond just eliminating Federal DEI offices. They have slashed Federal programs. They have targeted Federal contractors. They have taken out hundreds of Americans who have given their life to service to this Nation as Federal employees, as members of the military, as leaders, and they have slashed fundamental programs that make it possible for our communities to survive. Mr. Speaker, diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about giving special treatment. They are about making sure that every American has a fair shot--that those who have been left behind have the opportunity to move forward. They are about honoring the cultures and identities of who we are. I invite you, Mr. Speaker, to come to New Mexico, where we live our culture, where we live our identities, where we live our traditions. Walk in our communities, meet our people, shop in our small businesses, hike on our public lands, pay your respects to our Pueblo and Tribal leaders. Come learn our stories directly from our people, directly from our lands. Come learn about the resilience of our people, who have persisted not just for centuries but millennia, because we live our culture. We live our identity, and we learn from our history. We know that no matter what kind of efforts you take in the coming days, months, or years to try to cut programs, to try to erase history, to try to stop our people from speaking loud and clear, we know that our people are strong. They are resilient, and they will continue. As the congresswoman for New Mexico's First Congressional District, I will continue to lift up their stories every single day and continue this fight, because, Mr. Speaker, we are not going back.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 6:00 p.m.

“I want to introduce Adelita Grijalva. She is the first Latino to represent her state. She is continuing her family legacy. She is a strong leader. She works for families and the environment. I am happy to yield my time to her.”

Adelita S. Grijalva

Democrat 6:00 p.m.

“The other side is bad. They are mean and unfair. They hurt people. I want the government to do many things for people. People need help. The government should help them. We should all work together and fight for what is right.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Jackson and the Congressional Progressive Caucus for bringing attention to this important issue during this Special Order hour. We are all here to call out the quiet, calculated campaign sweeping across our Federal agencies. Under the banner of defeating wokeness, the Trump administration is dismantling the structures that protect civil rights, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law. This is not a theoretical debate over acronyms. It is about the resources, protections, and dignity of everyday families. In southern Arizona--from Tucson to Nogales, Yuma, Avondale, Tolleson, Douglas, and our border and travel communities--the impact is deeply personal. Let us take a look at what is being dismantled. They are stripping economic lifelines from rural communities. The Department of Agriculture canceled a $300 million program to help minority and marginalized farmers buy land. For Arizona's small-scale, Tribal, and Latino farmers, this isn't about ending favoritism. It is about crushing the dream of land ownership. They are silencing families by cutting language access. In Arizona's Seventh Congressional District, bilingualism and multilingualism are our strengths. When language access is rolled back, grandmothers struggle to understand their doctors, and parents struggle to access basic Federal services. They are compromising our local healthcare security. In border and rural communities where healthcare deserts are a reality, rolling back health equity initiatives means leaving mothers, children, and our most vulnerable neighbors behind. They are blinding our civil rights watchdogs. After 60 years of progress, our Federal civil rights agency is moving to end demographic data collection. For six decades, that data has helped us identify where discrimination exists. We cannot address what we refuse to see. They are politicizing our military and threatening free media. They are replacing merit with ideological litmus tests in Pete Hegseth's military. They are weaponizing independent watchdogs, with the FCC ordering a review of ABC's broadcast licenses over its diversity and inclusion policies. Mr. Speaker, these attacks are not isolated. They are interconnected. When this administration rolls back protections for people with disabilities, strips LGBTQ+ protections, or targets women's medical research, it is not simply streamlining government. It is unravelling the public infrastructure of our democracy, because diversity, equity, and inclusion are not buzz words. They are guarantees. They guarantee that a child with a learning disability in Tucson gets a fair and just education. They ensure that a small business owner in Yuma gets an honest shot at a Federal contract, and they uphold a basic promise: every American deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. We in southern Arizona know how to stand our ground. We will not sit in silence while 60 years of civil rights progress are erased by an executive decree. I urge my colleagues and the American people to see this campaign for what it is: a systemic dismantling of our civil rights. We must stand united. We must organize, and we must fight to defend equal opportunity for every community in this Nation.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 6:10 p.m.

“I want to be on Jamie Raskin's good side. I am complimenting Raskin very much with big words. I want people to think Raskin is a very good person.”

Jamie Raskin

Democrat 6:10 p.m.

“I want to compliment Jackson. DEI is good. DEI opens doors for people. Trump administration hired bad people. Trump hired people who did bad things. Trump people fired DEI people. DEI people did a good job. Trump people had DUIs. Trump people did bad things. I don't like that. I want more DEI hires and fewer Trump hires. Trump people want to put up barriers. I want to take barriers down. Let people succeed on merit. Open up opportunities for everyone.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank our floor leader here on our Special Order hour, Congressman Jackson, for being such an extraordinary leader for all of us in keeping the movement for civil rights, for civil liberties, and for democracy going in the country. I want to start by just saluting Congressman Jackson for bringing national focus to the assault on DEI, which, of course, has been primarily just a system for opening up the doors to institutions that have discriminated in the past. I am seeing two kinds of people or, I should say, two kinds of categories of people working in the government under the Trump administration. One is what they call DEI hires. Who are some of the DEI hires? Well, when Secretary Hegseth became the Secretary of Defense, which he would later rename Secretary of War, he launched a campaign against so-called wokeness in the military, and one of the first people who he fired was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown, only the second African American to serve in that capacity. Now, what were his qualifications? Well, he was a U.S. Air Force general and a command pilot with more than 3,100 flying hours, primarily in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. He logged more than 130 combat hours in wartime. He was a commander of global operations and was given nothing but superior reviews, but he was profiled as the reviled DEI hire, and they sacked him. Then, Secretary Hegseth also got rid of a four-star admiral, Lisa Franchetti, who was one of the first women in the U.S. Navy to serve in a combat role and rose steadily through the ranks of the military to become the first woman ever to lead the United States Navy. Throughout her extraordinary 40-year career, Franchetti commanded at every level of the Navy, including the guided-missile U.S. destroyer USS Ross, Carrier Strike Group 9, and the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. So here we have two people who are at the very top of their profession, and of course, there were many more periods in American history where they would not have been able to do that because women and African Americans were excluded. They were able to do it in our time, precisely because the armed services opened up their vision and opened up their vista to include women, African Americans, and others who had been traditionally excluded. Yet, they are essentially labeled DEI hires, and that becomes the justification for getting rid of them. Well, there is another group of people. Take, for example, Secretary Hegseth himself, who was a weekend talk-show cohost who was forced out of the leadership of two different veterans nonprofit organizations before he was named as Secretary of Defense. Why was he forced out? Well, it turns out that he was reportedly engaged, repeatedly, in financial mismanagement, improper disorderly and drunken misconduct, and he faced repeated accusations of sexual harassment and assault from multiple women, to the point where even his own mother took him to task for these multiple episodes. Well, here is another one. The Director of the FBI, Kash Patel, who made news this spring because his security team reportedly requested breaching equipment when he was completely unresponsive one morning. He has been spotted chugging beers with the U.S. men's hockey team in their locker room and giving out free personalized bourbon bottles that say ``Kash Patel FBI Director'' on them. These are the people who were brought in who end up firing all of the so-called DEI hires. I remember when the new administration came back into power and there was a joint session of Congress in this room. The President came and made his big speech about everything they were going to do. Then, when it all broke up, afterward, somebody went outside and plowed his car into the back and side of a parked police cruiser. It turns out that was the chief of staff to Speaker Mike Johnson, but he was forgiven immediately for what he had done. I am not saying he shouldn't have been, but let's just say generally, and I am not speaking necessarily in terms of legal prosecutions here, but in terms of culture, we have the DEI hires who are being fired by the DUI hires. There is a frat-boy culture, which is what I am referring to, which dominates within the Trump administration, and those people are sacking, firing, kicking out of their careers people who have done nothing other than to thrive and succeed because the doors of discrimination have been taken down in the past. They, the Trump administration, want to put them back up. They want to reinstate all of the blockades to people's progress. Let's see fewer DUI hires and more DEI hires and let people succeed on their actual merit. Mr. Speaker, we have made progress in America when we dismantle the professional chokehold of good old boy networks and race and gender- exclusionary policies adopted by the groups that have dominated forever. There are established networks that thrive on keeping other people out. Let's open the market and government up to merit and hard work.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 6:10 p.m.

“I agree with Raskin. We want more DEI people hired. We want fewer Trump people hired. Trump people had DUIs. Trump people did bad things. I don't like that. I want to introduce Menefee now. He is from Texas. He fights for justice. He helps people who have been left behind.”

Christian D. Menefee

Democrat 6:10 p.m.

“Trump attacked DEI programs. Trump said DEI programs discriminate against White men. I don't like that. Houston's program helped minority businesses. They had evidence that minority businesses needed help. The program tried to make things more fair. But a judge said the program is unconstitutional. Now we can't help minority businesses. That's bad. Disparities still exist. But Republicans say it's reverse racism to fix them. I think that's wrong. We should address disparities. I want to help Black and Brown communities.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson for setting this up and for shining a light on such an important issue. Mr. Speaker, President Trump has spent more than a year promising that he would make life more affordable for Americans, but when he took office, instead of lowering grocery bills, rent, and healthcare costs, he went straight after diversity, equity, and inclusion. He threatened private corporations that refused to give up their programs without legal action, while Vice President JD Vance even went so far as to describe these policies as discrimination against White men. That sounds ridiculous because it is, and my constituents know that. Last month, a Federal judge ruled that Houston's minority and women- owned business enterprise program is unconstitutional for considering race when awarding city contracts because of President Trump's anti-DEI policies. That program was created under the President Reagan administration because Houston had clear evidence that Black, Brown, and women-owned businesses were being left behind in city contracting. That evidence still exists today in 2026. Across industries, Black-owned businesses were consistently at a disadvantage. The goal of the program was simple: to address those barriers and give qualified businesses a fair opportunity to compete. Instead of asking why those disparities exist, we are being told that addressing them is the issue. If you look at every single metric for families in this country, whether it be annual income, wealth accumulation, or education, Black folks are behind in just about every single metric. Instead of us asking why those disparities exist and instead of us working as a government to solve those problems and address those disparities, we are now being told that it is reverse racism to address issues that come from a system that enslaved folks in this country and perpetuated inequalities and Jim Crow for much longer than that. Houston knows better. Republicans call DEI policies handouts and reverse discrimination, but we know that is not true. This is how we correct injustices that disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities like the ones I serve. That is what these programs are about, and that is a promise that is worth defending.

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Jonathan L. Jackson

Democrat 6:20 p.m.

“I thank Menefee. Minorities have overcome hostilities. African-Americans and Native Americans have been denied rights. Racism, sexism, and bigotry continue. I started the DEI Caucus. The government can't be trusted without DEI laws. African-Americans can't rely on generosity. This administration is hostile to inclusivity. They hire unqualified people. General CQ Brown was replaced by a white nationalist. This administration lies. They attack farmers and raise costs. They make trade wars. They enrich themselves. We must defend diversity, equity, and inclusion. Executive actions have consequences. History is recording your action. I challenge institutions to be diverse. Discrimination is wrong. We must stand up for justice. History is recording us.”

Official Congressional Record

I thank Congressman Menefee for his time, his talent, and his contribution to this country. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell you that the history of the United States has been replete with so many examples of the resilience of minorities having to overcome hostilities. We do not find in the pages of American history over and over again that the government of this country has continually been complicit in the systematic disenfranchisement, specifically of African-American citizens and Native Americans by denying, as a matter of both law and custom, the legal privileges of both law and custom and the protections enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. Whereas the problem of racism, sexism, homophobia, bigotry, anti- Semitism, anti-Islamophobia continues to be prevalent in the cultural, political, and economic life of this country. And as the cofounder of this DEI Caucus, I must rise to declare that with respect to the issue of equal access, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law that the government of the United States, as it is currently configured, cannot be trusted unless we have explicit laws and codify these programs to ensure a greater America. Nor should the economic and democratic future of over 13 million African Americans be left to the meandering and whimsical generosity of people who recently came to terms with the idea that all of us are created equal. The country is not there yet. We have been moving toward a more perfect Union, and this administration amongst all administrations has been the most hostile towards inclusivity. To echo the words of Congressman Jamie Raskin, we have had more DUI hires in this administration's Cabinet than we have had DEI hires of those that have been qualified. When we think of what happened to General CQ Brown being replaced by Mr. Pete Hegseth, who was then denied the opportunity to stand guard over the inauguration of President Joe Biden because of his ties to white nationalist organizations. That is something that we cannot look past. I would tell you, Mr. Speaker, we are moving toward a more perfect Union. This administration seems to be an echo, a revision of the book ``1984,'' an Orwellian vision. Everything this administration says is the exact opposite. It says they are moving towards meritocracy, but they have hired some of the most incompetent people. Look at our Nation. This country says they want to stand up for farmers. This administration, Mr. Speaker, I tell you, has been the most antifarming administration this Nation has seen. It has attacked the immigrant community that the farmers have relied on. It has entered a war that has been unnecessary and that has made the cost of fuel and fertilizer rise. This administration has attacked the open markets so that the Chinese Government could not afford to purchase our soy and our corn because they could buy it cheaper from Argentina and from Brazil, although Brazil is further away from China than California. Why? It is because they have been hand-tied. When we look at how do we make Canada, one of our oldest and longest and greatest political allies become a trade war partner. How have they simply enriched all the members of the administration? If the President would make deals as good for the American people as he has made for himself personally, America would be doing better, and the country would be more affordable for the least of thee. We have heard my colleagues, and I have discussed, the problems we have had with the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion and civil rights protections across our government and across many aspects of our society. We will continue to stand up to defend these relentless attacks. Finally, it should be clear to all of us that the executive actions and the bureaucratic assault on this government's commitment to diversity is not a passing phase. It will have long, enduring consequences. And it should be obvious to all of us who believe in the possibility of a diverse and a more composite nation that prosperity is in our realm if we uphold the ideals of our values. Mr. Speaker, even as our companies, universities, and public institutions are incentivized to walk away from the commitment to inclusion, I challenge every institution to remember that history is recording your action. Have the courage and the character to stand up now for what you believe in. The stars shine brightest in the dark, and I would tell the CEOs: History will record your action and your inaction. I challenge every institution to prove that their devotion to diversity need not come from the force of law, but rather from the natural consequences of their understanding of the things that make for peace. We can only hope that the illegality of discrimination will one day fall from the body politic of this Nation like scales falling from our eyes. But until that day arrives, we must continue to stand up for what is right. We must continue to stand up for what is just. We must continue to stand up for what is equitable. And what is the promise to every American in the Constitution? It is independence in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleagues and my friends: Do not cower in the face of this administration. History is recording us, and it will ask: Where did you stand? What did you do for justice? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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