US Capitol Police closes its equity and inclusion office

The United States Capitol Police has closed its office devoted to equity and inclusion, an agency spokesperson confirmed late last week.

The spokesperson told the news outlet Roll Call that the office was phased out “over the last couple of weeks.” 

So-called diversity, equity and inclusion offices have their roots in the 1960s civil rights movement and became more prominent following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement that followed. 

The Capitol Police department’s office was closed following questions from Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., about its mission and roughly $1 million budget.

“I’m having a hard time because OEI sounds a lot like DEI,” Mullin, chairman of the Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, said during a hearing in May, also according to Roll Call. 

Exactly when the office was permanently closed is unclear, but earlier this summer the department’s website included a “diversity” tab on its careers web page.