Washington, D.C. — Senators John Kennedy (LA) and Eric Schmitt (MO) introduced a companion version of the EDUCATE Act to eliminate federal funding for medical schools and accrediting institutions that embrace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

“Discriminatory DEI practices have rapidly permeated medical schools across the country at great harm to the field of medicine,” said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. “Political ideology has no place in the classroom, especially when lives are on the line. While I agree we must increase the racial diversity of the workforce, we cannot do so by embracing exclusionary practices. I appreciate Senators Kennedy and Schmitt for recognizing the detrimental impact these initiatives will have on the future of American healthcare.” 

“Woke universities are forcing America’s future doctors to care more about race and gender than saving lives,” said Senator John Kennedy (LA). “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.” 

“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,” said Senator Eric Schmitt (MO). “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.” 

Background

The EDUCATE Act would cut off federal funding to medical schools that force students or faculty to adopt specific beliefs, discriminate based on race or ethnicity, or have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or any functional equivalent. The bill would also require accreditation agencies to check that their standards do not push these practices, while still allowing instruction about health issues tied to race or collecting data for research.

Read the bill here.