GOP Congressman Sparks Controversy Labelling Vice President Kamala Harris as a ‘DEI Hire’

A GOP Congressman Labels Kamala Harris as a ‘DEI Hire’

In recent political developments, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee has made a controversial comment about Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling her as a ‘DEI hire.’ The acronym DEI refers to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Burchett’s statement implies that Harris was selected as Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate due to her being a woman of color, not based on her qualifications or experience. These comments have attracted considerable attention, with some political analysts foreseeing them as an indication of aggressive racial tactics that may emerge in the lead up to the 2024 presidential elections.

A Familiar Strategy

The remarks made by Burchett have reminded many of the tactics employed by the Republican party during the 2008 elections, when they spread conspiracies around President Barack Obama’s birthplace. Keith Boykin, a Democratic strategist, compared these recent tactics to the Republican “Southern Strategy” of the 1960s, which was characterized by playing on racial grievances to attract white voters. He stated, “White men were considered regardless of their competence. Meritocracy became a topic only when Black people, women, people of color, and queer people started entering the workforce and public sphere.”

Although Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to these comments, underlining that the current election should center on “policies, not personalities”, Burchett’s comments led to a backlash. It was emphasized that these allegations exploit familiar racist themes about women of color, particularly Black women in the workspace.

Kamala Harris: Highly Qualified and Experienced

Kamala Harris carries an extensive list of qualifications and experience. She holds an elaborate career as a prosecutor, has served as San Francisco’s district attorney, later as California’s attorney general, and then won California’s 2016 US Senate race. In 2020, she became the first Black and South Asian Vice President in the history of the United States.

Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina Democratic state representative, believes that Burchett’s comments “have turned the value of diversity into a slur”. He cautioned that people might not be fully prepared for the kind of campaign strategies Republicans might employ to tarnish Harris’s reputation.

Impact on the Election

According to Glynda Carr, president of Higher Heights for America, which encourages political involvement of Black women in politics, attacks on Harris’ race or gender could actually backfire on the Republicans. In fact, such strategies appear to be rallying Black women and men across the country in support of her candidacy. Carr pointed out that these remarks are “energizing the very voters that Vice President Kamala Harris needs to win”.

“Harris’s record speaks for itself and any suggestion that she’s a ‘DEI hire’ is a distraction,” observed Boykin. He concluded by asking, “How does attacking Kamala Harris as a ‘DEI hire’ help create a single job? How does it tackle inflation? It’s this divide and conquer mentality that they are using to prevent us from coming together.”

In response to these comments, Harris remained focused on her presidential campaign, proudly putting forth her record and experience during her first campaign rally.