Staff Reports
President Joe Biden has made it clear that he takes a hard stance against three newly introduced bills by Republicans aiming to combat the rise of “wokeness” in various sectors of American life. His opposition to the End Woke Higher Education Act, the Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act, and the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act demonstrates a commitment to maintaining government meddling in the lives of students and investors.
The proposed legislation comes as part of a larger GOP strategy to rein in the absurdities of the woke culture that has seeped into everything from academia to your retirement funds. However, Biden’s reaction is reminiscent of someone refusing to leave a buffet, insisting that more dessert is required even as the main course is ruining everyone’s appetite. He believes these bills are unnecessary and, shockingly, claims they would interfere with the fundamental services the government was never supposed to provide.
The Biden-Harris administration spent the last 4 years pushing DEI and ESG mandates through every part of the federal government.@HouseGOP is pushing back this week with legislation to dismantle the woke agenda and defend your constitutional freedoms. https://t.co/AuVRDOBvTk
— Rep. Burgess Owens (@RepBurgessOwens) September 18, 2024
Take the End Woke Higher Education Act, for example. President Biden argues that this bill would micromanage colleges and universities and undermine diversity. It’s remarkable how “diversity” now seems to mean anything but “diversity of thought.” The proposed legislation aims to ensure that schools abide by First Amendment principles and prevents accreditors from enforcing ideological litmus tests. But to Biden, safeguarding free speech is apparently viewed as an impediment to creating a student body that looks “more like America.” One wonders whether America now includes a hefty dose of indoctrination.
Then there’s the Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act, which aims to limit the number of woke factors—like environmental and social governance—federal fiduciaries can use when making critical investment decisions. Instead of viewing it as an opportunity to safeguard retirement accounts, Biden appears to care more about ensuring that ideological considerations run rampant in the investment sphere. He warns that limiting fiduciaries is detrimental to decision-making, yet insists that current regulations are sufficient. Strangely, these same “sufficient” regulations have led many Americans to question whether their retirement savings are being judiciously managed or hijacked by political agendas.
Lastly, the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act goes after the SEC, which has developed quite a taste for infusing woke policies into the financial system. Biden, however, argues that this bill would hinder federal regulators’ ability to safeguard consumers. It’s amusing to see a sitting president promote the notion that limiting government intervention is somehow contrary to protecting American interests. One could argue that reducing bureaucracy in financial matters may not be the worst idea.
In a political landscape where control of Congress hangs in the balance, it’s easy to expect that these bills won’t even see the light of day during Biden’s presidency. Democrats still hold sway in the Senate, leaving Republicans with an uphill battle that may be more of a messaging exercise than a genuine legislative showdown. It’s not a bad play, ensuring that the anti-woke warriors are rallying their base and exposing the president’s clear reluctance to ditch the ever-growing appetite for government overreach and political correctness.
