Since taking office on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden has made Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives a cornerstone of his administration. Critics argue that these efforts, launched via executive orders, have taken precedence over pressing national issues like border security and the fentanyl crisis, diverting billions of taxpayer dollars toward controversial programs across federal agencies.
Biden’s first executive order signaled his commitment to “racial equity” across the federal government. While proponents hail the move as a step toward inclusivity, detractors argue that it prioritizes equal outcomes over equal opportunities, aligning with ideologies often linked to communism. The June 2021 follow-up order expanded the DEI agenda further, mandating every federal agency to create DEI plans, hire dedicated departments, and even bring in private contractors to implement these directives.
The DEI agenda has come with an enormous financial burden. Agencies like NASA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and even the Defense Department have spent millions on DEI consulting, training, and other related services. In many cases, contracts were awarded without competitive bidding, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
Here are some notable examples of DEI-related spending:
- Deloitte Consulting: $7.1 million for DEI consulting at HHS’s Medicaid Services. Deloitte also supports transgender agendas, including donations to organizations promoting child gender transition surgeries.
- CALCO Enterprises: $8 million for DEI training for the Labor Department’s Job Corps program.
- Tyler Federal, LLC: $3.2 million for DEI database services with the Defense Department.
- Accenture Federal Services, LLC: $2.8 million for DEI implementation at the Treasury Department. Accenture provides “transgender-inclusive” health care benefits, including funding for gender transition surgeries.
- LMI Consulting: $2.4 million to integrate DEI initiatives into NASA’s operations, sparking employee calls for reform in wasteful spending.
These contracts, along with others totaling billions of dollars, have funded DEI initiatives often criticized as ideological indoctrination rather than practical governance.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides a striking example of how DEI priorities have infiltrated federal agencies. NIH’s Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office has funded projects exploring the nuances of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. One study redefined terms like “male” and “female,” distinguishing them from “man” and “woman,” and called for more inclusive language in scientific research.
The NIH also hosted webinars promoting radical ideas, including the claim that “cisgender women” are not the only people who can get pregnant. These events featured pro-abortion messaging and advocates for “gender-affirming” care for youth, which opponents refer to as child mutilation.
Speakers at these sessions frequently linked issues like patriarchy and heteronormativity to systemic oppression, further embedding ideological perspectives into federal training programs. Critics argue that such initiatives misuse taxpayer funds and push divisive narratives instead of focusing on science or effective public policy.
Biden’s DEI agenda has sparked significant opposition, particularly among those who view it as an extension of cultural Marxism. Detractors point to the hiring of DEI contractors through sole-sourced agreements as evidence of favoritism and inefficiency. In many cases, these contracts appear to prioritize ideological alignment over merit or value to taxpayers.
The HHS, often described as the “most woke” government agency, has spent over $57.4 million in taxpayer funds on DEI initiatives. These include mandatory cultural sensitivity training and DEI-related performance measures for senior executives. Critics argue that such spending detracts from the agency’s primary mission of providing health services to Americans.
NASA has also come under scrutiny, with DEI expenditures coinciding with layoffs of nearly 1,000 employees at its Jet Propulsion Lab. Employees have called on leadership to redirect funds toward core missions rather than divisive DEI projects.
Critics argue that Biden’s DEI initiatives have done little to address systemic issues while siphoning billions from taxpayers. They claim that prioritizing ideological goals over efficiency and merit-based hiring undermines federal agencies’ ability to serve the public effectively.
Proponents of defunding DEI point to the lack of competitive bidding in contract awards, the ideological tone of training sessions, and the ballooning costs as evidence that the program needs to be scaled back or eliminated entirely. They believe a return to merit-based hiring and spending on practical solutions will better serve Americans and address pressing national concerns.
As the debate over DEI continues, one thing is clear: Biden’s executive orders have reshaped federal agencies, sparking controversy over the role of government in promoting social ideologies. Whether this approach will endure—or be reversed by future administrations—remains to be seen.