Rep. Cisneros Statement on President Placing all Federal DEI Employees on Leave

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. released the following statement after President Trump ordered all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employees to be placed on paid leave starting today: 

“The President’s decision to place all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion employees on paid leave is atrocious. As the former and first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of the Department of Defense, I know firsthand how diverse teams perform better, including in combat situations. In addition, the Department of Defense has the research and data to prove it. Diversity is about creating opportunity where none exists – finding that diamond in the rough and giving it a chance to shine.

“No one advances through the ranks because of their gender identity or skin color. Military advancement has always been based on merit. The President's outrageous belief that military leadership belongs only to white men and that women or people of color who rise through the ranks are mere DEI hires is as repugnant as it is ignorant. I refuse to sit idly by and remain quiet while good leaders get tossed aside simply because they don’t fit the narrow, antiquated vision of what President Trump believes America should look like.”

Rep. Cisneros is a Navy veteran, the former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and previously served in the 116th Congress. He also served as the Department of Defense’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer to further advance the Department’s goals of ensuring its workforce is representative and inclusive. He currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and sits on the Military Personnel Subcommittee.

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