Last week, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a progressive politician and member of "The Squad," blasted House Republicans for proposing a bill that would, in her opinion, undermine federal efforts to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Pressley delivered a speech during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, in which she criticized the proposed legislation, accusing its GOP backers of ignoring the nation's racist past and present, as Fox News reported.

"And I’d also just like to take a personal note of privilege to say, please keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s name out of your mouths," Pressley told lawmakers supporting hte bill.

The progressive Democrat added that those who speak on the words of the late civil rights advocate and Baptist preacher made a "perversion of his words" in order to advance their agenda.

On the Bill

During her passionate criticism of the bill, Pressley emphasized that Republican lawmakers are utilizing measures like this to obstruct efforts to address racial disparities and refuse to recognize America's racist history.

She began, "This bill, titled The Dismantling DEI Act, is an utter disgrace… Now, I’ll work with anyone serious about progress who wants to center the people who call this country home. This isn’t it."

This is despite the fact that the measure was passed by the House Oversight Committee with a vote of 23-17. The lawmaker continued by identifying what she considered an inconsistency in the bill.

"But we are debating legislation that denies the sky is blue, water is wet, and racism is real. The major provision of the bill says to ban anything that acknowledges racism. And a few pages later, in the exact same bill, there are multiple provisions discussing the presence of racism," she said.

From the Bill's Creator

During the hearing, Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), who introduced the Dismantle DEI Act, informed the audience that its goals include doing away with federal DEI offices, doing away with DEI requirements for federal contractors and grant applicants, and instituting oversight to prevent the use of taxpayer funds for racial policies and other contentious endeavors.

In his comments, Cloud argued DEI "undermines the progress we’ve made – progress that took generations, hard-fought battles, and even a Civil War to achieve.

"From the abolition of slavery to the victories of the civil rights movement, Americans have worked tirelessly to right the wrongs of discrimination."

Reguardless of that, Pressley said of the bill, "This Republican approach is as predictable as it is nonsensical."

More Accusations

Pressley continued his attack on the GOP, saying they were ignorant of America's racist and discriminatory past.

"Do you all know your history? Do you know American history?" she asked. "The original Constitution counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person. During World War II, the federal government forcibly relocated and incarcerated 110,000 Japanese Americans. The FHA practiced redlining in the 1930’s and 60’s to deny mortgages to Black Americans, which is why we have a racial wealth gap today."