WASHINGTON – Today, more than 40 congressional Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, sent a letter to Fortune 1000 executives, underscoring the proven business case for remaining steadfast to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments and initiatives. The congressional letter comes on the heels of a pointed letter from 20 national civil rights organizations calling on corporate executives to reject far-right divisiveness around DEI programs.

The congressional letter makes clear that DEI initiatives lead to business success:

“Fostering a culture of equality allows your companies to remain competitive, letting them recruit and retain the best employees from our country’s increasingly diverse and talented workforce. Research shows that the companies whose workforces reflect our nation’s gender and racial diversity are more likely to outperform all other companies. These policies and practices also increase employee productivity and improve retention.”

Letter co-signers include: Congresswoman Alma Adams, Congresswoman Becca Balint, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Congressman André Carson, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Congressman James E. Clyburn, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Congressman Danny Davis, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congresswoman Pramila Jaypal, Congressman Henry Johnson, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Congressman Daniel Kildee, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Summer Lee, Congressman Ted Lieu, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Congresswoman Eleanor Norton, Congressman Scott Peters, Congressman Mark Pocan, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, Congressman Mark Takano, Congressman Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Congressman Paul Tonko, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman Susan Wild, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, and Congressman Jimmy Gomez.

The congressional letter follows statements by Fortune 500 executives Jamie Dimon at J.P. Morgan, David Cordani at The Cigna Group, Tim Murphy at Mastercard, Inc., and Ryan Lance at ConocoPhillips, in support of their companies’ DEI efforts and the role they play in their financial success and achieving their business objectives. Additionally, shareholders are weighing options to push back against the handful of companies scaling down their DEI efforts.

The data on diversity and inclusion is clear:

• Washington Post Poll: 6 in 10 Americans support diversity and inclusion programs.

• McKinsey: Companies in top quartile for gender and ethnic diversity significantly outperform their competitors.

• According to new data from Edelman, 60 percent of people say an inclusive work culture with a well-supported diversity program is critical to attracting and retaining them as an employee. That’s up 9 points from 2022.

• August 2024 data from the HRC Foundation LGBTQ+ Climate Survey found that 80% of LGBTQ+ consumers are not only opting to boycott companies that are rolling back inclusion initiatives, but more than half will urge others to do so also, taking their concerns to social media or sharing negative company reviews. For employees at companies walking back their commitments to inclusion, nearly 20% of LGBTQ+ employees said that they would quit working for that company or start looking for a new job and one-third of LGBTQ+ employees said their productivity would suffer.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.