Rep. Murphy’s Fight For Fairness and Free Speech In Congress

Should medical schools force students or faculty to believe in “diversity, equity, and inclusion”? For that matter, should any institution of higher education? The obvious answer is a resounding “no,” yet federal law isn’t so clear. So kudos to Rep. Greg Murphy from North Carolina for fighting to enshrine fairness and free speech in the laws of the land.

Rep. Murphy, who’s a licensed doctor, recently introduced an amendment to the appropriations bill for Labor and Health and Human Services. The shorty amendment reads:

“None of the funds made available by this Act may be provided to a public institution of higher education that conditions admissions to any student applicant, or the hiring, reappointment, or promotion of any faculty member, on the applicant or faculty member pledging allegiance to or making a statement of personal support for or opposition to any political ideology or movement, including a pledge or statement regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, or related topics.”

This amendment is needed because medical schools and other institutions of higher education are doing exactly that. To choose just one example: The Indiana University School of Medicine requires all faculty seeking promotion or tenure to submit a so-called “DEI Statement.” These statements show the faculty member’s commitment to this divisive and discriminatory ideology. It’s a blatant political litmus test, gutting free speech and corrupting medical education in service to a political belief system.

Many if not most medical schools (along with colleges and universities) now require similar DEI statements from faculty, staff, and/or students. If an institution of higher education is going to engage in this infringement on free speech, they shouldn’t receive taxpayer money. Rep. Murphy should be praised for championing this commonsense policy.