'Squad' member Rep. Pressley fumes over GOP’s anti-DEI bill: Keep MLK’s name ‘out of your mouths’

Progressive lawmaker and subordinate of "The Squad," Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., ripped House Republicans past week for promoting a caller measure that would weaken diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives wrong the government.

During a House Oversight Committee proceeding connected Wednesday, Pressley ripped the proposed authorities successful a speech, accusing its GOP proponents of denying the past of racism successful the United States, arsenic good arsenic its existent prevalence. 

"And I’d besides conscionable similar to instrumentality a idiosyncratic enactment of privilege to say, delight support Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s sanction retired of your mouths," Pressley told the bill’s supporters, adding that they’ve made a "perversion of his words" successful advancing their agenda.

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US Representative Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., trashed GOP congressmen for their caller "Dismantle DEI Act" this week.  ((Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images))

As pointed out by the bill’s creator, Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, during the hearing, the Dismantle DEI Act seeks to destruct DEI offices successful the national government, extremity DEI requirements for national contractors and assistance applicants, and supply oversight to guarantee taxation dollars aren’t being utilized to wage for race-based policies and different likewise divisive initiatives.

In his remarks, Cloud argued DEI "undermines the advancement we’ve made – advancement that took generations, hard-fought battles, and adjacent a Civil War to achieve. From the abolition of slavery to the victories of the civilian rights movement, Americans person worked tirelessly to close the wrongs of discrimination."

Despite the measure being passed by the House Oversight Committee successful a 23-17 vote, Pressley mounted an impassioned takedown of the bill, during which she insisted Republican lawmakers bash not admit America’s racist roots and are utilizing bills similar this 1 to artifact attempts to rectify radical inequalities.

She began, "This bill, titled The Dismantling DEI Act, is an utter disgrace… Now, I’ll enactment with anyone superior astir advancement who wants to halfway the radical who telephone this state home. This isn’t it."

The lawmaker continued, pointing retired what she perceived was an inconsistency successful the bill. 

"But we are debating authorities that denies the entity is blue, h2o is wet, and racism is real. The large proviso of the measure says to prohibition thing that acknowledges racism. And a fewer pages later, successful the nonstop aforesaid bill, determination are aggregate provisions discussing the beingness of racism," she said.

"This Republican attack is arsenic predictable arsenic it is nonsensical."

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Pressley went connected to impeach the GOP of not knowing America’s past of racism and discrimination.

"Do you each cognize your history? Do you cognize American history?" she asked. "The archetypal Constitution counted enslaved individuals arsenic three-fifths of a person. During World War II, the national authorities forcibly relocated and incarcerated 110,000 Japanese Americans. The FHA practiced redlining successful the 1930’s and 60’s to contradict mortgages to Black Americans, which is wherefore we person a radical wealthiness spread today."

She went on, stating, I could spell on, the GI Bill, which is expected to beryllium contention neutral denied entree to Black Americans, denying them adjacent entree to acquisition and lodging benefits, which is wherefore we bash not person generational wealth."

Pressley past warned her absorption to ne'er notation King Jr., adding, "Your perversion of his words and his ngo erstwhile his children person asked you to halt invoking his sanction and perverting his enactment erstwhile helium was a arrogant and unapologetic Black antheral warring for equality for Black Americans and each marginalized people."

During the aforesaid hearing, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, besides slammed Republicans characterizing DEI arsenic "oppression" of Americans’ rights. 

She stated, "There has been nary oppression for the White antheral successful this country. You archer maine which White men were dragged retired of their homes. You archer maine which 1 of them got dragged each the mode crossed an water and told that ‘You are going to spell to work. We are going to bargain your wives. We are going to rape your wives.’ That didn't happen. That is oppression."

Pressley's bureau did not instantly reply to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

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