{"id":2323765,"date":"2024-08-13T12:26:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T16:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/department-of-education-watchdog-should-investigate-federal-funding-of-dei-gop-senator-says-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-13T12:34:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T16:34:43","slug":"department-of-education-watchdog-should-investigate-federal-funding-of-dei-gop-senator-says-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/department-of-education-watchdog-should-investigate-federal-funding-of-dei-gop-senator-says-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Department of Education watchdog should investigate federal funding of DEI, GOP senator says &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdepartment-of-education-watchdog-should-investigate-federal-funding-of-dei-gop-senator-says-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2323765&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has called for an investigation into how colleges and universities in \u200cthe U.S. are utilizing\u200c federal\u2062 tax dollars to promote diversity, \u200cequity, and inclusion (DEI) ideologies. He emphasizes that \u200bwhile families pay higher tuition fees, taxpayer money significantly supports universities&#8217; \u200bbudgets, which should ideally enhance educational quality instead of advancing divisive ideologies. \u200bCassidy highlighted \u2064alarming\u2063 trends in DEI initiatives at institutions, noting a 60% rise in \u2064membership of \u200cthe National Association of\u200d Diversity Officers and a high prevalence of DEI messages in freshman orientations. His letter to the Department of Education&#8217;s inspector\u2063 general, Sandra D. Bruce, pointed out that funding\u200d for \u2062DEI programs is growing alongside rising tuition \u2063costs,\u200d increasing from 109% over the\u2063 past two decades, making education less accessible. Cassidy criticized the substantial financial resources allocated to DEI\u200d staff at institutions like the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia, arguing that these funds could instead cover tuition for numerous \u2064students. \u200dHe expressed \u200bconcern\u2064 that the DEI framework may actually suppress \u2063a diversity\u200d of\u2064 thought, as \u2063it often <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/staff-training-program-at-tennessee-school-district-classifies-white-christian-heterosexual-men-as-privileged\/\" title=\"Tennessee School District&#039;s Training Labels Certain Men as &#039;Privileged&#039;\">categorizes individuals based<\/a> on race and heritage\u200d rather than fostering true \u2064inclusivity.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Department of Education watchdog should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fauci-blames-attacks-on-china-not-china-for-impasse-on-covid-origins\/\" title=\"Fauci Blames Attacks On China, Not China, for Impasse on COVID Origins\">investigate federal funding<\/a> of DEI, GOP senator says<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1729124\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE<\/strong> <strong>&mdash;<\/strong> Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-cassidy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bill Cassidy<\/a> (R-LA) is calling for an investigation into<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/higher-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> colleges and universities<\/a> in the United States that are using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-taxpayer-funded-abortion-seekers-are-often-repeat-customers\/\" title=\"Study: Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Seekers Are Often Repeat Customers\">federal tax dollars<\/a> to push <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>diversity, equity, and inclusion ideologies<\/a> on their campuses.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;DEI on college campuses is not only subsidized by families paying higher tuition, but also by taxpayers who fund a significant portion of universities&rsquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-biden-budget-pushes-taxpayer-burden-to-919k-each\/\" title=\"Watchdog: Biden Budget Pushes \u201cTaxpayer Burden\u201d to 9k Each\">annual budgets<\/a>,&rdquo; Cassidy, a ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Taxpayer dollars should go toward improving learning, not promoting divisive ideologies that put students in harm&rsquo;s way.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a letter addressed to Sandra D. Bruce, inspector general of the Department of Education, Cassidy tracked the expansion of DEI ideologies at colleges. He noted that, in 2021, a review of 65 universities found schools were paying, on average, 45 staff members to promote DEI. From 2020 to 2022, membership in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education skyrocketed by 60%.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, 91% of freshman orientations include DEI messages, and some universities mandate ideologically aligned curriculums and force students to take an &ldquo;implicit bias&rdquo; test, according to a 2022 study.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The primary problem with DEI is that it does not actually promote inclusivity. It is the opposite of diversity of thought when all members of the campus community are forced into groups based on their race and heritage,&rdquo; Cassidy wrote. &ldquo;Concerningly, at the same time that colleges and universities are spending record amounts to bolster their DEI infrastructure, the DEI ideology is being used as cover to justify discrimination and acts of intimidation on college campuses.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy&rsquo;s letter also noted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-is-open-new-york-is-closed-and-ny-has-more-covid-deaths\/\" title=\"Florida Is Open, New York Is Closed, And NY Has More COVID Deaths\">federal money<\/a> is going to institutions at a time when many schools are sharply increasing tuition rates for students. Tuition jumped 109% over the past 20 years, making higher education unaffordable for more people in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The letter also detailed the amount of money some schools spend on DEI programs, such as the University of Michigan, which spends over $30 million annually on 241 DEI bureaucrats, and the University of Virginia, which spends about $20 million per year on 235 DEI bureaucrats.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy wrote that instead of spending millions of dollars on DEI employees, the University of Michigan could have paid for the in-state tuition and fees of 1,781 students. Likewise, UVA could have paid for 1,030 students.<\/p>\n<p>As total student debt has increased from $619 million to $1.73 trillion in the past 15 years, Cassidy wrote that the increased revenue for schools and the ever-increasing amount of money families are paying in tuition to attend college are being used to &ldquo;subsidize the DEI bureaucracy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The letter comes after Republicans at the state and federal levels have been trying to find ways to dismantle the DEI bureaucracy in academia, including weighing options such as challenging federal funding for the schools and threatening their endowments.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy is a co-sponsor of the DISMANTLE Act, which would eliminate all federal DEI programs and funding for federal agencies, contractors, organizations, and educational accreditation agencies that receive federal funding and maintain DEI programs.<\/p>\n<p>The Louisiana Republican is requesting that Bruce provide a full report on how much Title IV funding, or federal financial aid money, is being used to pay for DEI staff, programs, and curriculums at universities in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cassidy is also looking to see which schools require DEI training or classes, as well as implicit bias tests.<\/p>\n<p>The DOE declined to comment, and the office of the inspector general acknowledged receipt of the letter but declined to comment further.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1729124\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1729124\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is urging an investigation into U.S. colleges and universities that utilize federal tax funds to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideologies. He stated that DEI initiatives on campuses are funded not only by families facing rising tuition costs but also by taxpayers who contribute significantly to university budgets. Cassidy emphasized that taxpayer money should be directed towards enhancing education rather than supporting divisive ideologies that could endanger students.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter to Sandra D. Bruce, the inspector general of the Department of Education, Cassidy highlighted the growth of DEI programs in higher education. He referenced a 2021 review indicating that 65 universities employed an average of 45 staff members dedicated to DEI efforts. Between 2020 and 2022, membership in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education surged by 60%. Furthermore, he noted that 91% of freshman orientations now include DEI content and some institutions require students to take &#8220;implicit bias&#8221; tests as part of their curriculum.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy criticized DEI for failing to foster true inclusivity, arguing it stifles diverse viewpoints by categorizing individuals based on race and heritage. He expressed concern over how colleges are using substantial funding for DEI initiatives while simultaneously raising tuition rates\u2014109% over the past two decades\u2014making higher education less accessible.<\/p>\n<p>He provided examples such as the University of Michigan spending over $30 million annually on its DEI staff and programs while suggesting this money could have covered tuition for nearly 1,800 students instead. Similarly, he pointed out UVA&#8217;s $20 million annual expenditure on its own DEI personnel.<\/p>\n<p>As student debt has ballooned from $619 million to $1.73 trillion in just fifteen years, Cassidy argued that increased revenue from tuition is being funneled into supporting a growing DEI bureaucracy rather than alleviating financial burdens for students.<\/p>\n<p>This letter follows ongoing Republican efforts at both state and federal levels aimed at dismantling academic DEI structures through potential challenges against federal funding or endowments tied to these programs. Cassidy is also backing the DISMANTLE Act which seeks to eliminate all federal support for agencies or educational institutions maintaining DEI initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>He has requested a comprehensive report detailing how much Title IV funding is allocated towards paying for DEI-related staff and programs across U.S. universities as well as identifying schools mandating training or implicit bias assessments related to these ideologies. The Department of Education declined further comment after acknowledging receipt of his letter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2323766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bill-cassidy-dei-2024-scaled-1024x682.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[38001,35134,38002],"class_list":["post-2323765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-dei-funding","tag-department-of-education","tag-gop-senator"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bill-cassidy-dei-2024-scaled-1024x682.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2323765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}