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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 10 sepTember 2024
Black Caucus issues new guidelines for DEI policies and urges

firms to help reduce racial wealth gap

By MATT BROWN like,” Horsford said, citing
Associated Press the study’s title: “What Good
WASHINGTON (AP) — Corpo- Looks Like: A Corporate Ac-
rate policies meant to ad- countability Report on Diver-
vance diversity and inclusion sity, Equity and Inclusion.”
in the workplace are legal Since the Supreme Court’s
and should be expanded to ruling, more than a dozen Re-
promote broad economic publican attorneys general
prosperity and reduce racial have sent letters to Fortune
wealth inequities, according 500 corporations threaten-
to a new report by the Con- ing legal action over DEI
gressional Black Caucus. policies. Earlier this year, GOP
The report released Monday lawmakers in multiple states
offers guidelines to corpora- pursued restrictions on diver-
tions on the best practices to sity and inclusion efforts in the
adopt to advance diversity, workplace, and conservative
equity and inclusion policies legal groups have directed
in the workplace and calls lawsuits at organizations fo-
on companies to recommit cused on advancing under-
to advance racial justice in represented groups. Some
the workplace. The docu- companies have backed
ment also includes a road- away from DEI policies they
map for advancing wealth once promoted in the wake
creation in Black communi- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, center, speaks with Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Floyd’s death.
ties and closing the racial members of the Congressional Black Caucus as they visit the site of George Floyd’s death in south Such policies can be as
wealth gap. Minneapolis on June 4, 2020. broad or narrow as an or-
“In the wake of the death of Associated Press ganization decides and can
George Floyd, corporations porations to “reaffirm their an increasingly fraught politi- Supreme Court’s June deci- focus on any demographic.
pledged $50 billion to racial commitments to DEI” and cal and legal environment. sion overturning affirmative In the immediate wake
equity and strengthening work with the CBC to fulfill It cited corporations facing action programs in college of the Supreme Court rul-
DEI policies,” said Rep. Ste- pledges on racial and eco- a backlash to such policies admissions, which did not ing, the Democratic chair
ven Horsford, D-Nev., chair nomic inequality. from conservative activists directly address corporate of the Equal Employment
of the Congressional Black The study is the result of the and lawmakers. DEI policies. Opportunity Commission, a
Caucus, in an interview. ensuing monthslong dia- Horsford condemned “far “There is nothing under the federal agency focused on
“DEI is now under attack, logue between the caucus right actors who are at- law that is illegal or unconsti- civil rights policies in the work-
but the response from cor- and nearly half of Fortune tempting to bully corporate tutional about corporations place, stated that the deci-
porate America has been 500 companies, as well as America” to back away advancing DEI policies. I sion “does not address em-
overwhelming.” academics and business from DEI policies. He add- commend the corporations ployer efforts to foster diverse
The findings follow a Decem- analysts, to develop guide- ed that it was “erroneous” that answered our call. We and inclusive workforces or
ber open letter the caucus lines that promote DEI and for corporations to rescind are now giving the road- to engage the talents of all
issued that called on cor- Black economic mobility in DEI policies because of the map for what good looks qualified workers.” q

New York site chosen for factory to build high-speed trains for Las

Vegas-California line

HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (AP) facturing capabilities, with Officials say the aim is for ansen bullet trains. That The trains would run faster
— Trains for what is be- a deep, proud history pio- the trains to exceed speeds would cut the travel time than those on other high-
ing called the nation’s first neering the rail industry and of 186 mph (300 kph) com- from four hours by car to speed lines in the U.S., in-
true high-speed rail line be- a community that is excit- parable to Japan’s Shink- just over two hours. cluding Amtrak’s Acela be-
tween Las Vegas and the ed to get to work building tween Boston and Wash-
Los Angeles area will be America’s future,” Schumer ington, D.C., which can top
built at a new factory in up- said in a statement. 150 mph (241 kph).
state New York, Senate Ma- Construction on the $12 bil- The New York factory is ex-
jority Leader Chuck Schum- lion passenger bullet train pected to begin building
er announced Monday. service is underway and is the new trains in 2026. Sie-
Siemens Mobility will expected to be finished in mens Mobility has agreed
construct the Ameri- time for the Summer Olym- that workers at the facility
can Pioneer 220 trains pics in Los Angeles in 2028. will be represented by the
at a 300,000-square-foot Brightline West will build International Association of
(28,000-square-meter) fa- more than 218 miles (351 Machinists and Aerospace
cility in Horseheads, which kilometers) of new track Workers.
is near the Pennsylvania along the Interstate 15 cor- “Bringing high-speed rail
line, said Schumer, a New ridor between Las Vegas to America is no longer a
York Democrat. About 300 and Rancho Cucamonga, dream, but a reality,” Marc
jobs will be created, he California, where it will link Buncher, chief executive
said. to a commuter rail con- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks with officer of Siemens Mobility
“Upstate New York is un- nection to downtown Los reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 9, 2024. North America, said in a
matched in rail car manu- Angeles. Associated Press statement.q