Fond Du Lac Times

Congressman Glenn Grothman and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna have introduced the Ending Racism in Government Contracting Act, aiming to eliminate race-based quotas, mandates, and preferences in federal contracting. Senator Mike Lee is leading similar legislation in the Senate. The bill has support from several representatives, including Dan Crenshaw, Debbie Lesko, Ralph Norman, Burgess Owens, Tom Tiffany, Randy Weber, and Bob Good.

Since the 1970s, federal policies have increasingly focused on diversity mandates that prioritize contracts based on business owners' identities rather than their ability to deliver quality results. Proponents argue these practices undermine American values and waste taxpayer dollars. The proposed legislation seeks to eliminate current quotas and prevent future identity-based preferential treatment in government contracts while maintaining prioritization for veteran-owned businesses.

"I was happy to introduce the House version of this bill because racial preferences in government contracting are fundamentally unfair, costly, and unpopular," said Congressman Grothman. "Contracts should be awarded based on merit, not race."

Senator Mike Lee commented that "race-based contracting undermines equal opportunity and results in inefficient, costly projects." He emphasized that the bill aims to ensure federal contracts are awarded on merit.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna stated that politicians who prioritize DEI over excellence have created a system favoring racial favoritism over merit. She expressed her support for Grothman's bill as it seeks to restore common sense by focusing on competence.

The legislation has garnered endorsements from organizations such as Heritage Action, Manhattan Institute, Claremont Institute, Pacific Legal Foundation, and American Alliance for Equal Rights.

Joshua Thompson from Pacific Legal Foundation remarked that "the Ending Racism in Government Contracting Act is long overdue," highlighting its alignment with constitutional principles. Edward Jay Blum from the American Alliance for Equal Rights expressed enthusiastic endorsement for restoring civil rights principles.

Judge Glock of the Manhattan Institute noted that race-based contracting costs taxpayers billions and affects national security and infrastructure development. Ilya Shapiro added that recent legal debates underscore the need for such reform in government contracting. Chris Rufo also supported ending racial preferences through this legislative effort.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman represents Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District and is serving his fifth term in Congress.