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Speaker urges adoption of HR 2516 to curb DEI in college accreditation
Summary
An unidentified speaker at an unspecified hearing urged colleagues to adopt HR 2516, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, saying accreditors have 'failed in their stewardship' by enforcing DEI standards and that the bill and an amendment would protect religious accreditors and codify a prior executive order.
An unidentified speaker urged colleagues at an unspecified hearing to adopt HR 2516, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, arguing that accreditors have "failed in their stewardship" and that the bill is needed to stop what the speaker called ideological pressure on colleges.
The speaker said accreditation determines which institutions can access federal student aid and warned that accreditors have shifted from evaluating educational outcomes to promoting "divisive and toxic ideologies" under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. "Too many accreditors have failed in their stewardship," the speaker said, adding that some accreditors "have...turned full force institutions they oversee to prejudge their students based on their race, creed, color, or degrees of victimhood." The speaker claimed dissent on these points can be punished with a loss of accreditation and federal funding.
The speaker identified the bill by name and number, calling it the "Accreditation for College Excellence, ACE Act" (HR 2516). According to the speaker, the ACE Act "stops [accreditors'] abuse of power" and would prevent accreditors "from pushing partisan or political beliefs" on institutions. The speaker also said the bill would codify accreditation policies put in place by an executive order issued by President Trump in April, and warned accreditors against attempting to "pause or camouflage" DEI standards.
The speaker described a proposed amendment to HR 2516 intended to "protect religious accreditors" and to make clarifying changes to the underlying bill, and urged colleagues to adopt the amendment and support the bill. "I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment and support the underlying bill," the speaker said before concluding with, "I yield back."
The transcript records no vote or formal outcome on the amendment or the bill in this excerpt. The statements and direct quotes in this report are taken from the speaker's remarks as recorded in the hearing transcript.
