Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) recently criticized the midwestern state of Iowa for being “too white” during a U.S. House Committee hearing with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. House Republicans had summoned Reynolds to testify on Wednesday about her initiative to reduce the size of her state’s government, mirroring the efforts of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for the federal government.
During the hearing, Pressley took the opportunity to slam the Trump administration’s efforts to fight diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and call out specific aspects of Reynolds’ agenda in Iowa. As the GOP looked at Reynolds’ policies as a model for the rest of the country, Pressley maintained that Iowa was a poor representation of the nation given its lack of diversity.
Pressley said during her remarks before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, “By the hour, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and his enablers advance their extremist, anti-equity, un-American agenda, dismantling decades of civil rights progress, upending livelihoods, incomes, and lives. And adversely affecting something they claim to care about, the GDP, because all data supports that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is actually good business.”
“Governor Reynolds, my Republican colleagues invited you here today to promote what they see as a model of governance,” Pressley continued before injecting race into the conversation. “Simply put, Republicans’ vision of America is to be more like Iowa. Governor Reynolds, let’s learn more about the state. Do you know what percentage of Iowans are white and what percentage are Black?”
Governor Reynolds responded, “I don’t know the exact percentages, no, but by far a larger percentage of white population.” Pressley retorted, “That’s correct, Iowa is 90% white. And only 4.5% Black. So that is drastically different from the national population. So when Republicans suggest Iowa should be a national model, they are advocating for a government that doesn’t reflect our country.”
Slamming Reynolds for moving to eliminate DEI causes, Pressley continued, “So, let’s talk about what this model of governance actually means in practice. In Iowa, you signed State Senate Bill 2385 to eliminate more than 80 state boards and commissions – including those representing Black Iowans, Latinos, women, people with disabilities, and Asian and Pacific Islanders – communities that are marginalized and vulnerable and have fought for decades to have a seat at the table.”
“Now, Republicans call this fiscal responsibility,” the Massachusetts Democrat said, taking a shot at the GOP. “I just call it erasure. Governor Reynolds, the Iowa Legislative Services Agency conducted a non-partisan analysis of that bill. Do you know how much money was “saved” when you eliminated those commissions?”
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Watch a clip from Pressley’s remarks below:
Pressley concluded, “So, let’s be clear about what Republicans are actually doing. You are making people poorer, you are making people hungrier, more vulnerable and gutting their civil rights. These attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, they were never about efficiency. They certainly were never about merit. It’s just a deliberate, calculated attempt to erase marginalized communities from government while eliminating essential services for workers, families, and the people that we are actually elected to protect. They want a country for and by millionaires that advances white supremacy. And that is the real agenda. And I will do everything I can to speak truth to power and stand in the way of that.”
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.