Democrats still push diversity bills: 'We're not going to fade into the woodwork'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 6:03 a.m. ET March 29, 2025


WASHINGTON ‒ One bill aims to close the wage gap between men and women. Another wants to better protect voting rights. And one measure expands opportunities for more people of color to become doctors. Some Democratic lawmakers, hoping to restore rights and protect people of diverse backgrounds, are supporting bills this Congress to address disparities in health care, combat discrimination and level the playing field for women and people of color.

None of them stands a chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Congress or getting signed into law by President Donald Trump, these lawmakers acknowledge, especially they say with the GOP push to eliminate diversity initiatives and roll back civil rights gains.

Still, some Democratic lawmakers of color and others continue to introduce bills, hoping the measures garner some attention or that history books will show they at least tried.

“Even though this is not the best administration or the best Congress to bring these things up, we can't not bring them up,’’ said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from New Jersey, who recently introduced a federal bill banning discrimination against hair textures and styles. “We will continue to raise those issues. If it’s this, if it's the Voting Rights Act, if it's maternal health care, whatever it is that impacts our community uniquely or disproportionately, we're going to keep bringing them up until we get these things passed.’’

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/29/democrats-push-bills-backing-diversity/82692400007/

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The other thing about doing this is that they have the drafts and when more favorable conditions arrive (assuming we can emerge from this nightmare), then the bills can be tweaked and ready to go again (including having the text inserted in some "must-pass" bill, which was how the last minimum wage increase came about almost 20 years ago (2007), slid into an Iraq War supplemental appropriations bill... and similarly the last gun control legislation was added as an amendment to an Omnibus appropriations bill).

[mwooldri]

1. I'd quit using the terms "Diversity" or "DEI".

"Fair Opportunity" or "Equal Opportunity" should be the name of the game. Yes it's DEI under a different name but it's harder to argue against equal opportunity.

But yeah good idea to present the ideas now. Also can help gauge how popular an idea is.

[electric_blue68]

2. Glad they're doing it anyway. And your good point about them as "ready to go" future bills.