Staff Reports
A Republican is pushing the Biden administration to explain why they think creating jobs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion is so vital to keeping our country safe. Rep. Jim Banks from Indiana is not buying it and he ain’t afraid to show it. He’s demanding answers from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on whether freezing the hiring of these DEI positions has made it harder for the Defense Department to do its job. Like, come on, how does hiring more people focused on diversity help us fight our enemies?
Banks ain’t alone in this crusade. He’s got a letter and he’s not afraid to use it. In this letter, Banks queries Austin on whether the DEI hiring freeze has gotten in the way of the Defense Department’s response to real threats like the drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and the drone strike in Jordan that took the lives of three U.S. service members. Biden’s team might be all about that diversity strategic plan, but Banks ain’t buying it, calling that jibber-jabber an “outlandish claim.”
House Republicans should reject the DoD’s record $162 million DEI funding request until we get a proper explanation of why these jobs are “essential to national security” as the Biden admin claims.
Spoiler: We won’t, because they’re not.https://t.co/tRX1CN7R8l
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) April 15, 2024
The letter from Banks doesn’t pull any punches. He’s seen where some of that money is going and he wants to put a stop to it. I mean, can you believe the Department requested $162 million for DEI initiatives in Fiscal Year 2025? Banks ain’t having it. He wants the Defense Department to prove that all this money is worth it before they get any more of our hard-earned tax dollars.
Banks ain’t given Austin all day to respond either. April 26 is the cutoff, and Banks expects answers to his six questions. The Defense Department and the Government Accountability Office have been tight-lipped about it all, though. But don’t worry, we’ll be here to tell you if they ever decide to share.
