FCC’s Gomez Defends DEI Against Government Intrusion

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2025 — Anna M. Gomez, a Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, criticized government intervention in corporate hiring practices during a speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Summit, warning that regulatory pressure is discouraging businesses from implementing diversity initiatives.

“Private businesses all over the country are under attack,” Gomez said Tuesday. “Creeping government intervention is making companies think twice about the way they describe internal diversity programs.”

She argued that companies fear retaliation for voluntary policies aimed at fair hiring practices.

Gomez cautioned against what she called a rollback of civil rights-era progress, suggesting that current policies distort the principle of fairness. She also compared recent regulatory actions to government overreach in other countries, warning that increased intervention could have long-term economic and social consequences.

“Government should have no business trying to roll back these efforts. It is not only detrimental to small businesses and companies that know exactly what their customers want, it is also dangerous. Many of you are the children of parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents who escaped countries where aggressive government intervention in the private sector and government censorship led to disastrous consequences,” Gomez said.

A press release by Gomez’s office said the FCC is leveraging its regulatory authority to discourage diversity programs and impose additional burdens on companies seeking approvals for mergers and other transactions. Gomez said that such measures could hinder economic growth.