NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester and Congressman Nadler Lead 10 Democratic Lawmakers Demanding the EEOC Resume Demographic Data Collection  - Lisa Blunt Rochester

E EOC’s latest actions further Trump’s agenda, eliminating protections for women and workers of color Washington, DC – Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) led 10 lawmakers in demanding the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) immediately resume full demographic data collection. The bicameral letter comes amid actions from Republicans and Trump administration officials to implement Project 2025—gutting the EEOC and eliminating protections for vulnerable workers. Last week, every Republican on the House Appropriations Committee voted down a Democratic amendment to protect the collection of critical demographic data known as EEO-1. Additionally, last week, the EEOC formally proposed ending the collection of EEO-1, which since 1966, has been used to collect data from certain large employers annually to support EEOC enforcement efforts. In addition to eliminating the EEO-1, the EEOC also seeks to eliminate the collection of data on union membership demographics, data on state and local government employee demographics, and data on public school workforce demographics. These moves are an attempt to hide data across the private and public sectors, stripping workers of protections by eliminating the tool to identify potential discrimination. “The EEOC’s mission to ‘advance equal opportunity for all’ can only be achieved through demographic data collection that offers a look into the practices of American workplaces,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “The Trump Administration’s attempt to end this effort threatens to upend the progress we’ve made to protect American workers. Demographic data collection is a core function of the EEOC and critical to federal efforts to root out workplace harassment and discrimination,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “This data has been collected annually since 1966, and for the first time in almost six decades, Donald Trump’s hand-picked lackeys are ignoring and emboldening employment discrimination. Failure to collect timely and accurate demographic data is a slap in the face to millions of American workers who rely on the EEOC to fulfill its obligation to protect and support workers.” Lawmakers who cosigned the letter include: U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12); Senators Patty Murray (Wash.), Bernie Sanders (Ver.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Ron Wyden (Ore). Read the full text of the letter HERE .