Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 1, 2025 – Andrea Lucas was confirmed to serve a second term on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) following a Senate vote Thursday. Lucas has been serving as acting chair of the EEOC since January and was initially appointed to the commission during the first Trump administration. The EEOC is an essential agency established to prevent unlawful discrimination in the workplace and advance equal opportunity for all workers.
“While it is unsurprising that the majority-Republican Senate voted to confirm Andrea Lucas to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the news is yet another blow to the lives and livelihoods of workers, as the Trump administration’s actions continue to wreak havoc for working people throughout our country.
“In her short time as the acting chair, Lucas’ actions have spoken much louder than her rhetoric and words. During her tenure as acting EEOC chair, Lucas has overstepped the boundaries of her authority, diluted the independence of the agency, sought to intimidate employers with inflammatory statements about their efforts to foster greater diversity and inclusion in their workplaces, and hired top advisors with a record of undermining our civil rights. Lucas has also taken the rare and troubling step of withdrawing the EEOC from its representation of workers alleging gender identity discrimination, forcing these workers to seek new representation in the midst of their cases.
“The work of the EEOC to combat discrimination should not take a back seat to the political agenda of an administration peddling narratives aimed at eroding protections for women, people of color, LGBTQ and disabled folks, older workers and many others. Workers across the United States need to know that they can depend on EEOC Commissioners, regardless of their political affiliation, to respect the rule of law and ensure that the law is enforced to its fullest extent to vindicate the rights of workers whether they agree with that law or not. Lucas has made clear that she is incapable of fulfilling that most basic role and is undeserving of the privilege of serving on the EEOC. With her elevation, the National Partnership will be working even harder to advocate for the workplace rights of women, people of color, disabled people, the LGBTQI+ community – and their families.”
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