Congressional Inquiry Into Science and Technology Agency Offices of Civil Rights

Keith’s be aware: in accordance with a press launch from House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology “House SST Committee Investigates Alleged Misconduct in Agency Civil Rights Offices” letters have been despatched to a quantity of businesses (together with NASA) “following disturbing reports of potential obstructionism within agencies’ Office of Civil Rights (OCRs). The letters seek to determine the scope of this obstructionism and to inform appropriate oversight measures to ensure OCRs are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.” More Below.

Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin and Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Rich McCormick despatched letters to the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Science Foundation following disturbing reviews of potential obstructionism inside businesses’ Office of Civil Rights (OCRs). The letters search to find out the scope of this obstructionism and to tell acceptable oversight measures to make sure OCRs are fulfilling their statutory tasks.

In the letters, the Chairmen emphasize that “While differing slightly in structure across agencies, OCRs play a critical role in ensuring that agencies and their funding recipients comply with federal civil rights law.” The Committee warns that any breakdown in these features would undermine the elemental function of these workplaces.

They additionally highlighted that “certain OCR leaders have actively discouraged career staff from pursuing investigations into civil rights violations involving federal grant programs,” together with considerations about whether or not some workplaces have didn’t overview or examine selections made underneath the Biden Administration. The letters additional be aware that some OCR leaders could also be falsely claiming they lack the authority to conduct required oversight.

The Chairmen burdened that, if true, these reviews “suggest a potentially troubling pattern that could compromise the integrity of civil rights enforcement across federal agencies.” The letters request detailed info on civil rights enforcement actions, whistleblower considerations, inner accountability mechanisms, and compliance critiques performed since January 20, 2025.

Agencies are requested to reply no later than December 19, 2025.

To learn the letters to every company, please click on the hyperlinks beneath:

December 9, 2025

Sean Duffy
Acting Administrator
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
300 Hidden Figures Way S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20546
Dear Acting Administrator Duffy:

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has not too long ago acquired disturbing reviews concerning potential obstructionism inside businesses’ Offices of Civil Rights (OCRs).¹ As stewards of taxpayer sources and overseers of company operations, we’re alarmed that OCRs’ management could also be delaying investigations and failing to uphold their statutory tasks, thereby undermining the elemental statutory function of these workplaces. The Committee goals to find out the scope of this obstructionism and develop acceptable oversight measures.

While differing barely in construction throughout businesses, OCRs play a vital function in making certain that businesses and their funding recipients adjust to federal civil rights legislation. Such legal guidelines embrace Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and, extra not too long ago, Executive Order 14151 (“Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing”) and Executive Order 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit Based Opportunity”).² Any sample of inner resistance to civil rights enforcement, suppression of whistleblower complaints, or obstruction of official inquiries, whether or not inner or exterior, warrants speedy scrutiny. We are significantly troubled by allegations that sure OCR leaders have actively discouraged profession workers from pursuing investigations into civil rights violations involving federal grant applications. The Committee’s preliminary overview means that this management could also be falsely claiming that they lack the authority to conduct statutorily mandated oversight.

These reviews recommend a doubtlessly troubling sample that might compromise the integrity of civil rights enforcement throughout federal businesses. To correctly assess the extent of these points and perceive how your company is addressing or stopping such issues, we ask that you just reply to the next questions.

1. What substantive civil rights enforcement actions has NASA’s Office of External Civil Rights Compliance (ECR) accomplished since January 20, 2025?
   • a. Please present particular enforcement actions associated to grants complying with
     Justice40.
   • b. If few or none, what elements are stopping ECR from initiating or finishing
     statutorily mandated investigations?
2. Has ECR performed critiques of applications enacted underneath the earlier administration for compliance with the Civil Rights Act?
3. Has ECR performed critiques of applications enacted underneath the earlier administration for compliance with Executive Order 14151 (“Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing”)?
4. Has ECR performed critiques of applications enacted underneath the earlier administration for compliance with Executive Order 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”)?
5. Has any ECR workers member confronted adversarial personnel actions after elevating considerations about the necessity to conduct related investigations?
6. Does your ECR require particular approval from company management to provoke or conduct statutorily mandated investigations or compliance critiques?
7. What oversight and accountability mechanisms are at present in place to make sure ECR management fulfills its statutory obligations?
   • a. How are these mechanisms monitored for effectiveness?
8. Are you conscious of any complaints, formal or casual, concerning ECR management’s dealing with of civil rights enforcement tasks since January 20, 2025?

Please reply to those questions, in numbered order, no later than December 19, 2025. We respect your consideration to this essential matter and sit up for working collaboratively to make sure the integrity, transparency, and performance of your company’s ECR. If you’ve got any questions, please contact the Committee’s majority workers at (202) 225-6371. Sincerely,

Brian Babin
Chairman
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Rich McCormick
Chairman
House Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Space, and Technology Investigations and Oversight

cc: Zoe Lofgren, Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology;
Emilia Sykes, Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight; Sarah Nelson, Acting Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Energy

¹ While most businesses’ related workplaces are named such, NASA’s is known as the Office of External Civil Rights Compliance (ECR).
² See, e.g., 14 C.F.R. pt. 1250 (granting NASA the authority to implement civil rights legislation).