During remarks on the House floor on Tuesday, Rep. Cleo Fields (D-LA) discussed President Trump's push against DEI.
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00:00for 30 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use as much time as I may
00:06consume. I rise tonight to talk about something that happened on January the 20th. On January
00:18the 20th, the President of the United States took the oath of office at this Capitol,
00:23and then shortly thereafter, he signed several executive orders. One executive order was
00:31Executive Order 14151. That executive order ended all DEI programs. The argument that DEI
00:45initiatives constitute reverse discrimination fundamentally misunderstands
00:52both the history and the purpose of these programs. DEI initiatives emerged as
01:02thoughtful evidence-based responses to documented inequities suffered by rural
01:08communities, minorities, women, the poor, and the disabled. These programs represent
01:19America at its best, acknowledging our nation's shortcoming and working tirelessly to overcome
01:27them. The ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868 codified equal protection as a constitutional
01:37principle. Yet Americans soon discovered that simply declaring equal protection didn't automatically
01:46created. The real challenge was in translating these legal guarantees into everyday justice through their
01:56implementations. When the landmark Supreme Court decisions in 2023 and 2024 further restricted race-conscious
02:08university admissions and workplace policies, they accelerated a retreat from this understanding.
02:18The history of DEI efforts in America is not some partisan agenda. It is part of our nation's ongoing work to ensure that America's promise
02:32extend to extend to every American. And in 2025, as we face renewed attacks on these principles, we must renew our commitment to this work.
02:48Let me be clear. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about guaranteeing preferences. They're about removing barriers. They're not about lowering standards. They're about ensuring that the standards we apply don't inadvertently favor some groups while
03:14disadvantaging others who are disadvantaging others who are equally qualified.
03:19When our military, for example, embrace diversity and inclusion, it didn't become weaker.
03:26It became the most formidable fighting force in human history.
03:32When our businesses embrace diverse talents and perspectives, they didn't become less competitive.
03:39They gained access to broader markets and built the strongest economy in the world.
03:46When our universities created more inclusive learning environments, they didn't sacrifice excellence.
03:54Instead, they became global leaders in research and education.
04:00The world is always watching us to see what we will accomplish.
04:07But now more than ever before, they are watching us to see who we will become.
04:14I still believe in an America where a child's potential isn't limited to his zip code, the color of his skin, their gender, or other factors beyond their control.
04:29I believe in an America where we can acknowledge our imperfect past while working together towards a more perfect future.
04:40Most of all, I believe in the fundamental goodness and fairness of the American people.
04:48When we move beyond slogans, when we truly see each other as fellow citizens on one shared journey, we find that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.
05:04While the temptation is great, we cannot let this moment divide us.
05:09We were never meant to be the divided states.
05:14We were created as and have thrived for over 250 years as the United States.
05:22Mr. Speaker, at this time, I'd like to yield as much time as he so consumed.
05:28The gentleman from Illinois, who is the Chairman of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
05:38Mr. Jackson.
05:39Thank you so much.
05:40I thank the Honorable Congressman Cleo Fields from the 6th District of the great state of Louisiana.
05:46I would like to read for you, Mr. Speaker, a speech that the Honorable Mr. George W. Bush gave at the inauguration of the African American History Museum.
05:59I was proud to be in attendance there, and I must say I was not a big fan of the presidency of Mr. George Bush.
06:06But looking back over the times now from which we have entered, I have to give him credit where credit is due.
06:13He gave a speech that day that I wish my Republican colleagues would take the time to listen to.
06:19And I will summarize it.
06:21He simply says, this museum, which he was the person that granted the land rights to on behalf of African Americans,
06:31he says, this museum is an important addition in our country for many reasons, and here are three.
06:38First, it shows our commitment to truth.
06:41A great nation does not hide its history, he said.
06:45It faces its flaws and corrects them.
06:49This museum tells the truth that a country founded on the promise of liberty, held millions in chains,
06:56that the price of our union was America's original sin.
07:02From the beginning, some spoke to truth.
07:05John Adams called slavery an evil of colossal magnitude.
07:11Their voices were not heeded and often not heard.
07:15But they were always known to be a power greater than anything on earth.
07:20One who loves his children, he said, means for them to be free.
07:25Second, he says, this museum shows America's capacity to change.
07:31For centuries, slavery and segregation seemed permanent, permanent parts of our national life.
07:38But not to that of Nat Turner or Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, or Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
07:47All answered cruelty with courage and hope.
07:51In a society governed by the people, no wrong lasts forever.
07:57After struggle and sacrifice, the American people, acting through the most democratic of means,
08:04amended our Constitution that originally treated slaves, Americans that have been enslaved, as three-fifths of human beings.
08:13To guarantee equal protection of the laws, after decades of struggle, civil rights acts, voting rights acts were finally enacted.
08:22Even today, the journey towards justice is still not complete.
08:27But this museum will inspire us to go further and get there faster.
08:32These are the words of George W. Bush.
08:35And finally, the museum showcases the talent of some of our finest Americans.
08:42The gallery celebrate not only African Americans' equality, but African Americans' greatness.
08:49He says, I cannot help but note that a huge influence of my teenage years is honored here.
08:55The great Chuck Berry or my baseball idol growing up in West Texas, the great Willie Mays.
09:01And of course, something I never really mastered, the ability to have a good speech, that of Thurgood Marshall.
09:09He concludes by saying, our country is better and more vibrant because their contributions and the contributions of millions of African Americans.
09:19No telling of American history is neither complete nor accurate without acknowledging them.
09:25The lesson of this museum is all, and that all Americans share a past and a future by staying true to our principles, writing injustices, and encouraging the empowerment of all.
09:39We will all even have a greater nation for generations to come.
09:44I congratulate those who played a role in creating this wonderful museum.
09:50These are the words of George W. Bush.
09:55I thank Mr. Bush for having helped erect that magnificent museum now that the current administration is trying to take the materials out.
10:07Earlier today, I wish Mr. Hegseth, our Secretary of Defense, could have shown the honor and the decency to come into the Capitol Visitor Center
10:18to acknowledge the women of 6888, their Speaker Johnson was present, the leader of the Senate, Mr. Thune, but notably absent was that of our Secretary of Defense.
10:33And someone made the remarks, Mr. Speaker today, that people were hidden, there were hidden figures in American history.
10:41I know the message that they're sending, referring to the movie of hidden figures, the African-American women that did the math to put man on the moon,
10:50but somehow was unceremoniously removed from all the accolades and all of the parades.
10:57These women that were called human calculators.
11:00And it came to my mind that they're really not hidden.
11:03Hidden is to be made inconvenient to the dominant narrative, shuffled to the footnotes or left in the cutting room floor of America's memory.
11:12It's dishonest, yes, but it leaves room for some discovery.
11:17Erasure is more sinister.
11:20Erasure says that we were never here.
11:22Erasure digs into the archives with red ink and crosses out our lives, achievements and sufferings.
11:29The women in 6888 had suffered erasure.
11:33It removes their names from the rolls and gravestones from the earth.
11:37It doesn't just forget, it forbids remembering.
11:41After 80 years, 80 years, these 885 women that put together 17 million pieces of mail that kept the morale of our troops high,
11:54were given no recognition until today.
11:57So I thank Speaker Johnson, I thank Leader Thumes for their contribution.
12:02When we talk about erasure, ask the descendants of Tulsa's Greenwood District,
12:07who for decades lived with silence where there should have been national mourning.
12:12Ask the generations denied their roots by a system that said their past wasn't worth recording.
12:19We see it now in the battles over school curriculum.
12:22In sanitized histories, where the enslaved become mere workers and civil rights are a footnote to a fabled colored blind dream.
12:31We are allowed erasure to masquerade.
12:34When we allow erasure to masquerade as reform, we not only insult those who live the truth,
12:40we endanger the consciousness of a nation already prone to moral amnesia.
12:46To hide history is cowardice, I would say.
12:49To erase it is cruelty.
12:52America must choose neither.
12:55Because when we forget what we were, we forfeit the right to know who we are.
13:01Mr. Speaker, we are addressing the issue today of diversity, equity and inclusion.
13:08I'd like to speak on this matter because it's an urgent matter.
13:11One that touches the very soul of our nation's promise and its founding ideals.
13:17Equality, justice and the pursuit of liberty.
13:22We are at a crossroads, a critical juncture where the direction we choose will define the future of this nation.
13:29I speak today about the persistent and harmful attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.
13:37These policies and how these attacks, particularly under the leadership of the President of the United States,
13:43are undermining the values upon which this nation was built.
13:48More profoundly, these attacks are not merely political, but they represent a direct assault on civil rights.
13:55Specifically, they started by targeting African Americans,
13:59and they threatened to undo the hard fought progress that has been made over generations.
14:05DEI, at its core, is not just a set of policies, but an embodiment of American values.
14:13Values that ensure every citizen, regardless of race, gender or background, has the opportunity to thrive.
14:20It reflects the notion that our strength as a nation lies in our diversity,
14:26that our success is drawn from the breadth of our collective experiences,
14:31and that our unity can be found not in the erasure of differences, but in the celebration of them.
14:38But today, this fundamental belief is under siege.
14:42When President Trump and his allies launched their attacks on DEI, they were not merely engaging in political rhetoric.
14:50They were dismantling policies designed to correct historical inequities and promote a more just and inclusive society.
14:59These efforts, cloaked in the language of merit and individual responsibility,
15:05are in fact a thinly veiled attempt to perpetuate a system that continues to privilege a select few
15:13while marginalizing the very communities that have fought the hardest for their rightful place in the American story.
15:19The deep scars of racism and inequality are not erased by wishful thinking or by policies that deny their existence.
15:28The attack on DEI is an attack on civil rights, the idea of an egalitarian democracy,
15:35and the constitutional ideals that undergird the very idea of America.
15:40This rhetoric is dangerous because it fundamentally misrepresents the mission of DEI,
15:47and in doing so misrepresents the broader civil rights movement that has shaped this nation.
15:53It was, after all, the civil rights movement that won the battles to dismantle segregation,
15:59that fought for voting rights, that created the foundation of a more inclusive society.
16:05The very principle of DEI stems from these victories.
16:09When we attack diversity, equity, and inclusion, we erode the gains made through the blood, sweat, and tears
16:15from the marches from Selma to the legislative victories in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.
16:22To push to eliminate DEI policies is a dangerous step backwards in this ongoing fight for justice and equality.
16:31It is no accident that this movement to undermine DEI coincides with the resurgence of racism and hatred,
16:41and this rhetoric and these policies are un-American.
16:45These policies also coincide with the banning of books.
16:49When did the society move forward banning books, I would ask you?
16:53When we talk about restraining freedoms on women's bodies, when has that ever been good for society?
16:59When we talk about xenophobia, when most people in this country have come from other lands,
17:04the society has never moved forward.
17:08It is not a coincidence.
17:10When I tell you, under the guise of fairness and colorblindness,
17:13these policies have disproportionately harmed the African-American and the marginalized communities,
17:19all while maintaining a status quo that favors the privileged few.
17:25And while it is true that the black community created the pathway that led to the greater diversity in America,
17:31the reality is black people are not the only community that benefits from it.
17:36Women are a part of DEI.
17:39Veterans are a part of DEI.
17:42People with different abilities are a part of DEI.
17:46American workers are a part of DEI.
17:49And even women and families that need IVF, the Invertro fertilization,
17:54to build strong American families are all communities that benefit from DEI initiative.
18:01Here's a newsflash.
18:02Diversity does not mean black.
18:05Diversity can mean making sure people who use wheelchairs are not discriminated against
18:10and get equal consideration for housing and employment opportunities.
18:16It can mean making sure that senior citizens have the same protection as young people.
18:21To say nothing of the fact that ensuring the right of young people to be in leadership
18:25is what diversity and inclusion is all about.
18:28The move to get rid of these policies are not theoretical.
18:32They are real.
18:33They are felt.
18:34And they have consequences.
18:36Take, for example, the recent span of book bans across the nation,
18:41particularly those targeting African American authors, targeting our history,
18:46and targeting our lived experiences.
18:49Books like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Between the World and Me by Tahishi Coates,
18:58have been removed from classrooms and libraries, not because of their literary merit,
19:03but because of the discomfort they cause of those who wish to ignore the brutal realities of race in America.
19:10These bans are not merely an affront to academic freedom.
19:14They are an assault on black identity and an attempt to stifle the critical conversations necessary for a truly inclusive society.
19:23Moreover, the policies that aim to ban discussions of race and racism in the classroom
19:29directly undermine the very spirit of education.
19:32It is no secret, especially those attending public schools and underserved communities
19:37are already facing systemic barriers to educational opportunities.
19:42When DEI programs are eliminated, when history is whitewashed, and when black experiences are rendered invisible,
19:49the message sent to our children is clear.
19:51Your history, your experience, and your potential does not matter.
19:57These policies contribute to a culture of exclusion, a culture that denies the very existence of our humanity as a people.
20:05By extension, the humanity of all people.
20:08Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield to my colleague, the Honorable Cleo Fields from the great state of Louisiana.
20:15Well, the gentleman entered into a colloquy because one of the problems I think that many people have with DEI programs,
20:24which is one of the same problems they had with affirmative action, if you recall,
20:29because they viewed it as two parallel lines, where you took a person who was less qualified
20:35and you elevated them to the level of somebody who was more qualified.
20:40That is not DEI. That was not affirmative action.
20:45Instead, people should look at it, did you though, as a circle.
20:50And every single person within the circle are all qualified to do the job.
20:56But there's just one single problem.
20:58There are folk in the circle, although they are qualified, they never get chosen.
21:03You know, there are women in the circle who never get chosen simply because they are females.
21:09You know, Hispanics, blacks in the circle don't get chosen simply because of the color of their skin.
21:17And people need to view it that this circle, everybody in the circle is qualified,
21:23but DEI comes in and grabs people who are only not chosen, did you know, because of the color of their skin, because of their sex.
21:33Congressman Fields, I find it interesting when we started this conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion,
21:39I've invited some of my other colleagues in to participate.
21:42And one person asked me, is it legal for you to discuss DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion, as co-equal branches of government?
21:52We do not work for the Dodge, we do not work for the presidency.
21:56We fundamentally disagree with which way the nation is going under the presidency.
22:01And, Mr. Pete Hegseth, our Secretary of Defense, needs to understand, if he would take the time to read it,
22:08that diversity is legal according to the United States Supreme Court and the Students for Fair Admissions.
22:15Here's what, Mr. Fields, I'd like to enter into the record.
22:19The generals that had written the amicus brief that they entered into the article said,
22:24growing and maintaining a highly qualified diverse officer corps remains a U.S. national security imperative.
22:32We had discussed this at one point.
22:34Further on, they go on to say the U.S.'s military commitment to diverse and inclusive leadership derives from decades of experience.
22:41This is exponential.
22:43The U.S. military's international presence and engagements abroad with foreign military and civilians requires diversity in its officers corps.
22:52In Part C, they say U.S. military diversity initiatives have led to significant progress
22:57in growing a highly diversified and qualified racially group of officer corps that this work must continue.
23:06Invalidating university's most recent race-conscious admissions policies would seriously impair the military's efforts
23:12to maintain cohesion and effectiveness.
23:17Mr. Fields, when they say they are anti-DEI, and then they take down the statues and remove the gravestones of Jackie Robinson,
23:28that does not help with military cohesion.
23:31And if there's one of our colleagues that's watching us in the chamber, we would invite you down so we can have a debate,
23:38a discussion on DEI, and stop the polarization and racializing this.
23:44They find it okay, and Mr. Pete Hegseth, to resurrect the name of Ku Klux Klansman Fort Bragg, General Bragg,
23:53but yet you take down the name of Jackie Robinson, and you're not dealing with improper ideology?
23:59Then you resurrect the names of so many others.
24:02There are six military bases that have some of these Confederate generals on there.
24:07But then you take down the name of Medgar Evers and Harriet Tubman?
24:11That is shameful and hypocritical.
24:13Diversity makes the nation stronger.
24:15Being committed to truth and justice about our past only serves as a benefit.
24:21It doesn't take anything away.
24:23And so the false narrative that people are unqualified simply is not true.
24:28We know from these halls of Congress right here,
24:31people whose parents have been here before can teach their children how to run for office,
24:36how to raise the funds.
24:38And you'll see children of those that have been in power following in that tradition.
24:44We're talking about creating an on-ramp for greater inclusiveness,
24:48for greater cohesion amongst the truth.
24:51And lastly, if it's good enough for the war room,
24:54isn't it good enough for the boardroom and classroom?
24:57Well, I thank the gentleman.
24:59But, you know, what's interesting is when the president signed that executive order
25:05to do away with three words, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
25:10It sent universities in a tailspin.
25:14They didn't know what to do.
25:16You know, in fact, the president himself ended a program,
25:20and I'm glad the gentleman from Illinois, I'm glad you serve on agriculture,
25:24I'm glad that you and others wrote letters and he restored it,
25:28a program that gave young scholars scholarships to go to college, you know, 1890 universities.
25:37And he said that was a DEI program.
25:41And then later he reversed it because it was a program that really,
25:45these kids had to score, you know, high scores on the ACT in order to qualify.
25:51They had to have high GPAs.
25:54And then business, not to mention the impact it has had on businesses.
25:59They're businesses that have ended their DEI program simply because of that executive order.
26:05Mr. Fields, if I could jump in on that just for one moment.
26:09These are voluntary programs.
26:12These are aspirational programs as you have shared with me.
26:16There's no DEI law.
26:19No DEI law has been passed by the Congress.
26:22How can you outlaw something that never was a law?
26:25When we have, when we go into the Senate just at the other end of this chamber, Mr. Fields,
26:30you'll see e pluribus unum over the speaker.
26:34Out of many, we are one.
26:36That's the call for diversity.
26:38When we talk about equality in the 14th Amendment, equal protection under the law,
26:44we only had that once the nation could confront its history and tell the truth.
26:49We wouldn't have had to have the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and the 14th Amendment
26:54that was meant for equal protection for those Americans that had been enslaved after 246 years
27:01from 1619 to 1865.
27:04And it was 346 years from 1619 to 1965 before the Voting Rights Act was even passed.
27:12And then the 15th Amendment came around to make sure that everyone had equal access to the ballot.
27:19And it wasn't fully enacted until 1965.
27:23So, yes, this has been a long journey.
27:25And we cannot be cowards and not confront the history and the truth of our past.
27:31Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?
27:36The gentleman has two minutes remaining.
27:39Okay.
27:40Twenty-five hours remaining?
27:42Two.
27:43Two.
27:44I would like to yield a balance of my time to the gentleman from Illinois.
27:48Congressman Fields, I'd like to thank you for this privilege of standing here beside you.
27:53Thank you for your commitment to justice.
27:55Thank you for your commitment to the American way.
27:58And thank you for making America better.
28:01Mr. Fields, your case right now before the United States Supreme Court,
28:05Louisiana versus Collis, is jeopardizing, is taking into account once again the maximum of equal protection under the law.
28:14We want to make sure that America stays strong and America gets better.
28:18And I would tell those that say, make America great again, I would tell them this is the greatest America has ever been.
28:25This body now has more female senators, has more people of ethnicities, more diversity, and I am proud of the culture that this great country has.
28:36I hope other people would step forward to find the courage to come and join us on this floor so we can have a conversation.
28:43Do not live in fear of the president primarying you.
28:47Do not live in fear of the president taking words out of your mouth.
28:51You can be a major law firm.
28:53Don't lose the ink in your pen because you have fear.
28:56You can be a major university.
28:58Don't give up your academic freedom because of fear.
29:01You have a major corporation.
29:03You have the right to align yourself with the interests of your shareholders and the interests of your future marketplace.
29:10Hold on to the DEI.
29:12Members of this body, as co-equal branches of government in the United States, fundamentally disagree with President Donald J. Trump.
29:20And Mr. Pete's head self, diversity is legal in the United States military.
29:25Colin Powell was an affirmative action general.
29:28We should tell the truth about it.
29:30He came through under the Carter administration.
29:33Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the time and your graciousness.
29:36Thank you, Congressman Fields.
29:38Mr. Speaker, I yield back.