In a House hearing on education today, Democrat Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) advocated for DEI policies and suggested conservatives just want to weaponize the term during a Committee on Education and Workforce Hearing titled "Breaking Trust: Attacks on Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, and Legal Abuses in America’s Schools."
If you wondered what DEI looks and sounds like in Congress, Rep. Summer Lee just gave an excellent rundown:
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) June 10, 2026
• "This hearing is trying to legitimize a dangerous idea of what equitable and inclusive education looks like."
• "Equity policies are necessary to reverse harm caused… pic.twitter.com/PIaPUrVI3Y
During the hearing, Lee said that equity policies are necessary to reverse harm caused by systemic oppression, and falsely claimed that "only white supremacists" are against them.
During the monologue, Lee claimed that our public education system provides young people with the critical foundation needed to be full participants in our multiracial democracy and competitive in the global economy. This is a blatant lie — the public education system is actively failing our next generation of leaders.
A report just came out of Philadelphia, quoting over two dozen teachers who say they have been pressured to pass students who do not show up to class and barely complete their work. Proficiency rates in reading and math across the country are astoundingly low: just 35 percent for high school seniors and even lower for eighth- and fourth-graders. 88 percent of those students still graduate, despite lacking the fundamental educational skills that Lee claims were provided.
Summer Lee sat before Congress today to defend soft policies that cushion education statistics and lack accountability, and package them as equity. Teachers in Philadelphia saw this in action by having to give diplomas to students who rarely showed up and could not comprehend the material. That doesn't close an opportunity gap, it falsely depicts DEI as a successful policy that helps kids get ahead. Schools must prioritize merit-based policies that promote intellectual diversity rather than obsessing over race and fighting for a failed, ineffective DEI culture.
