COPAA has signed with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and stakeholders to urge House and Senate leadership and appropriators to oppose provisions in and [potential] amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills that would prohibit the use of federal funds for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). The letter, signed by over 75 organizations, describes the “attacks on DEIA” by the Administration and some members of Congress as falsely claiming that DEI is illegal and anti-American. Together, LDF and advocates assert that in fact, “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts are essential to ensuring federal programs serve all communities with fairness and dignity.” The letter urges House and Senate leaders to reject any legislative effort that would “severely hinder the federal government’s ability to serve all people equitably and uphold its commitment to equal opportunity and civil rights” and to support the programs designed [by Congress] to “legally break down barriers for Black, white, Latino, Asian American, and Indigenous people; women; LGBTQ+ people; people with disabilities; and other groups.”