Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, just introduced the EDUCATE Act into the Senate. That bill, if passed, would slash federal funding for those medical schools that include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in their admission policies or instruction. His introduction of the bill into the Senate comes alongside similar legislation recently introduced in the House.
Announcing the move on Thursday, April 11, and describing what the bill is meant to do, Sen. Kennedy’s office noted, “Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today introduced the Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act to block federal funding for medical schools and accrediting institutions that force students to affirm ideological beliefs and prioritize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).”
The press release went on to note that the bill would eliminate funding for any medical schools that “Direct, compel or incentivize students, faculty or staff to affirm or adopt certain ideological tenets,” “Take any action that would deprive a student of educational opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his or her status as a student on the basis of race or ethnicity,” “Require a course of instruction that directs or compels students, faculty or staff to affirm or adopt certain ideological tenets, “Maintain a DEI or equivalent office within the medical school,” or “Require or incentivize an individual to complete a diversity statement that affirms or capitulates to DEI as a condition of the person’s being admitted to or employed by a school.”
Sen. Kennedy, for his part, said, “Woke universities are forcing America’s future doctors to care more about race and gender than saving lives. The EDUCATE Act would make sure taxpayer dollars don’t fund medical schools that discriminate against talented students or peddle progressive nonsense at the expense of science.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt, who is co-sponsoring the legislation, spoke about the bill and its importance as well. “The medical field has traditionally been one driven by core tenants of merit, academic excellence, and superb scientific achievement, but that has not stopped the left from their malpractice of injecting DEI into every aspect of education in America,” he said.
He continued, explaining the potential havoc DEI could wreak inside medical schools and the medical profession, “To cheapen medical schools with woke politics and DEI would be to put the lives of countless Americans in danger as students of extraordinary achievement and meticulous discipline in the field will be cast aside in the name of social justice and equity.”
Similarly, Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina, who introduced the House version of the EDUCATE Act, explained its importance in a statement, noting that America’s medical schools must focus on merit to retain their preeminent place in the world. He said, “American medical schools are the best in the world and no place for discrimination.”
Continuing, Rep. Murphy added, “The EDUCATE Act compels medical schools and accrediting agencies to uphold colorblind admissions processes and prohibits the coercion of students who hold certain political opinions. Diversity strengthens medicine, but not if it’s achieved through exclusionary practices. Medicine is about serving others and doing the best job possible in every circumstance. We cannot afford to sacrifice the excellence and quality of medical education at the hands of prejudice and divisive ideology.”
The DEI in medical school issue is not one that only legislators are worried about. Elon Musk broached the subject during his ill-fated interview with Don Lemon, explaining the potential problem with DEI programs inside medical schools, much to Lemon’s consternation. Watch that here:
Featured image credit: By C-SPAN – http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/311354-7, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130734292
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