Democratic Women’s Caucus Leadership Urged Senate HELP Committee to Reject Andrea Lucas’s Nomination as EEOC Commissioner Over Anti-Women Record

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in advance of the hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on the nomination of Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas to the EEOC, Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Vice Chairs Hillary Scholten (MI-03) and Emilia Sykes (OH-13) sent a letter calling on the Members of the HELP Committee to reject the nomination of Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. In their letter, DWC leadership cited deep concerns over Lucas’s record of undermining workplace protections for women, pregnant workers, and marginalized communities.

In their letter, DWC leadership highlighted how Lucas has weaponized the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to push an extreme political agenda instead of fulfilling its mission to enforce civil rights in the workplace. Under her leadership, the EEOC has abandoned its core duties-targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, threatening the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), and is attempting to dismantle vital protections against harassment and discrimination.

“Acting Chair Lucas has used her position not to protect women workers, but to advance an extreme ideological crusade,” said DWC leadership. “Her confirmation would hand the reins of the EEOC to someone determined to dismantle its core functions and roll back decades of progress for women’s rights in the workplace.”

If Lucas is confirmed, working women would face the elimination of DEI initiatives and protections for women and pregnant workers in the workplace:

“Acting Chair Lucas has repeatedly attempted to weaken protections against discrimination and gut civil rights enforcement to root out so-called ‘DEI-related discrimination.’ Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices help to prevent workplace discrimination by eliminating barriers to opportunity. For instance, these programs might include compensation analyses to ensure workers receive equal pay for equal work; employee resource groups to provide networking and mentorship opportunities; and efforts to expand recruitment at women’s colleges and HBCUs,” DWC leadership explained in the letter.

“If confirmed, Acting Chair Lucas would have the power to unravel the PWFA from the inside out. She has already signaled her intent to revise the PWFA final rule and weaken its protections for workers once the Commission has a Republican majority. This would be a betrayal of not only Congressional intent, but of the millions of workers, especially women who earn low-wages and women of color, who depend on these protections to work safely while pregnant or recovering from childbirth. To roll back these protections would put women’s lives in danger,” DWC leadership continued.

“The Acting Chair also voted against the EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, which protects women and all workers against harassment. The guidance is a key tool that enables employers to better prevent and address harassment while empowering workers to know their rights,” DWC leadership explained.

The Democratic Women’s Caucus leadership calls on the Senate to reject this nomination: 

“Acting Chair Lucas has used her position not to protect women workers, but to advance an extreme ideological crusade… The stakes for working women, especially pregnant women, could not be higher,” DWC leadership concluded. “We urge you and your colleagues on the Senate HELP Committee to reject her nomination.”

You can read the full letter from the Democratic Women’s Caucus here.