Six Months into Trump Admin, Pressley Reintroduces Bill to Codify Equity, Improve Government Services for Underserved Communities

Bill Text | Press Conference Video

WASHINGTON – As the nation marks six months of the Trump Administration, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus, and their colleagues are affirming their unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid Donald Trump’s attacks and continuing to advance an affirmative, equitable vision for communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

Congresswoman Pressley was joined by Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League, Juan Proaño, CEO, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Rob Weissman, Co-President, Public Citizen, at a Capitol Hill press conference yesterday to discuss their broader fight to defend diversity amidst the Trump Administration’s harmful and unprecedented onslaught on DEI. The full video from their press conference is available here.

“Donald Trump’s first six months in office have been a precise, intentional assault on people of color, as well as our LGBTQIA+ siblings, folks with disabilities, and other marginalized people. Despite this, we’re more resolved than ever in our commitment to a more just, equitable, and diverse America,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m proud to join my colleagues and movement partners in making plain that we will not be silenced and we will not stand by as Donald Trump and extremist Republicans resegregate America and continue rolling back our hard-earned civil rights. We must work to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion is the law of the land. That is why the Equity in Government Act is deeply necessary and will aide our efforts by helping to ensure the federal government works for all people.”

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just policies—they are essential commitments to fairness and opportunity for all,” said Congressman Jackson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Caucus. “The escalating rollback of DEI protections is a direct attack on the rights and futures of Black, brown, Veterans, and disabled Americans. We will not accept the reckless undoing of progress won through generations of struggle. I stand with my colleagues and communities across this country to defend DEI, because every person in America deserves the dignity to thrive. This fight is about justice, about truth, and about building a nation where no one is left behind.”

“In a time when others seek to divide and exclude, this bill is a beacon of hope for Latino communities who have long been left behind. Ensuring equity in government isn’t just a box to check — it’s a lifeline for the more than 60 million Latinos in our country,” said Juan Proaño, CEO of LULAC. “By making diversity, equity, and inclusion the law of the land, this policy will uplift our families and ensure our voices are heard in every federal agency. LULAC is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley, Congressman Jackson, and their colleagues on this bold, affirmative vision for America, because an inclusive America is a stronger America for us all.”

“The Leadership Conference supports the Equity in Government Act because federal agencies are required by civil rights laws and principles to make sure they are serving all communities fairly,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Regardless of your race, ZIP code, or bank account, we need the government to make sure we are getting the health care, education, and other services we all need. We are witnessing cuts that harm a Latino child who attends Head Start or a student with disabilities who relies on educational supports in schools, in addition to the elimination of grants that address health disparities of people of color — all because they are part of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This bill ensures agencies have to collect data, listen to communities, and have dedicated teams focused on serving everyone equitably. Democracy is more than just a promise — it’s an obligation to enact and enforce civil rights. We will not go back to a time when this country didn’t care about all of us. We continue to fight for a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible future for all our people.”

“The National Urban League’s 2025 State of Black America report, ‘A State of Emergency: Civil Rights, Democracy, and Progress Under Attack’ lays bare a deliberate, coordinated campaign to reverse decades of progress,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. “In the last six months, federal departments protecting civil rights have been defunded, voting protections rolled back, and diversity programs criminalized. Far-right actors have weaponized the term ‘woke’ to attack equity, inclusion, and even historical truth. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has been twisted into a tool of political retaliation. The National Urban League is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley and all our allies to meet this moment of crisis.”

“Every American should be appalled by the racist, sexist and ableist policies of this administration, which aim to exacerbate social and economic inequality. Every American should also understand that these policies are not only unjust, they make America weaker. Rollbacks in consumer protection, environmental protection, civil liberties and more – carried out under the cloak of “anti-DEI” policies – leave every American more vulnerable to abuses and the country itself far weaker. That’s why America needs Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s leadership and passage of the Equity in Governance Act.” – Rob Weissman, Public Citizen Co-President

“Inclusive America is a non-profit and bipartisan organization that works to ensure the government is as diverse as the American people. With this reasoning, our team worked with Rep. Pressley to push the Equity in Government Act which is a critical step towards a broader reform of civil rights and equal opportunity.” — Inclusive America Advocacy Team

As part of her fight to defend diversity, Congresswoman Pressley is introducing the Equity in Government Act, legislation to advance equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. The bill would codify key ideas from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14091 —which Donald Trump revoked on his first day in office —to ensure that federal agencies continue their work to promote equal opportunity for all, including people of color, women, rural communities, individuals with disabilities, and others that have been systemically excluded from participating fully in economic, social, and civic life.

Full text of the Equity in Government Act is available here.

On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 13985, launching a historic, whole-of-government effort to advance equity by requiring federal agencies to identify and address barriers to serving underserved communities. In 2023, he followed with EO 14091, which expanded this work by establishing agency equity teams, a White House steering committee, and annual equity action plans to embed equity in federal planning.

This progress was long overdue. In 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) found that most federal agencies lacked the demographic data necessary to identify barriers to equity in their programs and services – let alone develop serious plans to eliminate them. Yet, on his very first day in office, Trump dismantled these equity-focused efforts, underscoring the need for statutory protections.

The Equity in Government Act codifies several key ideas from the Biden EOs and ensures that agencies continue this work for years to come – regardless of who occupies the White House. Specifically, it would:

• Require agencies include at least one goal relating to improving the equitable provision of services when they submit Agency Strategic Plans and Agency Performance Plans;
• Require agencies to consult with community organizations and other stakeholders as they develop and revise their strategic plans and work towards their performance goals;
• Permanently authorize the Federal Chief Data Officer Council, which works to improve the quality, use, and management of data for evidence-based government operations, and ensuring that the Council’s work facilitates fair and equitable outcomes;
• Establish an Equity Subcommittee of the existing Performance Improvement Council, which would serve as an interagency working group to facilitate the development and sharing of guidance, data, and best practices for providing government services fairly, and would be required to solicit input directly from those receiving such services; and
• Establish statutory requirements for an Agency Equity Advisory Team within each federal agency, led by the agency’s Performance Improvement Officer and with representation from key internal agency offices.

Co-sponsors of the Equity in Government Act include Representatives Alma Adams, Joyce Beatty, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Shontel M. Brown, André Carson, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette D. Clarke, James Clyburn, Danny K. Davis, Cleo Fields, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Sylvia R. Garcia, Steven Horsford, Jonathan  L. Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Robin L. Kelly, Timothy M. Kennedy, Summer L. Lee, Stephen Lynch, LaMonica McIver, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Lateefah Simon, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velazquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.

The bill is endorsed by the following organizations: AAPI Victory Alliance, ACLU, African American Policy Forum, American Oversight, Common Cause, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inclusive America, Interfaith Alliance, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Action Network, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, National Urban League, National Black Justice Collective, Popular Democracy, Public Citizen, and SEIU.

In April 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Administration officials at a White House event to announce the executive orders, which followed calls from Congresswoman Pressley and then-House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney for robust data collection, assessment tools, and stakeholder engagement to ensure the success of the initiative. Video of the event is available here.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities, and transform the criminal legal system to center the dignity, humanity, and equality of everyone who calls America home —especially during the second Trump Administration.

On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the placement of DEI employees on leave ahead of their eventual layoffs.

In February, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, legislation to establish a federal commission to examine the lasting legacy of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.

In May, she and Senator Paul Tonko led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Booker are the lead co-sponsors of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.

Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

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