U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has sent a letter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) President Jeffrey Balser, alleging that the institution is concealing its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs instead of complying with President Trump’s executive orders aimed at eliminating such initiatives in federally funded institutions.
In the letter, dated April 15, 2025, Blackburn claims that VUMC has removed public references to DEI programs from its website and password-protected related web pages. However, she asserts that offices dedicated to health equity, diversity, and inclusion remain active.
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“For the benefit of Tennesseans and all Americans who rely on VUMC for lifesaving care and research, I urge you to end all DEI programs and fully comply with the President’s executive action,” Blackburn wrote.
The senator also criticized VUMC’s past involvement in performing sex-change surgeries on minors, a program that was later suspended following public backlash. She further highlighted the substantial federal funding VUMC receives, stating that the institution has received over $66 million in NIH awards this fiscal year. Blackburn alleges that previous funds, including over $17 million allocated to a DEI and Belonging Program, were misdirected from core medical research.
“VUMC has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars of federal taxpayer funds,” Blackburn stated. “Instead of using funding to advance core medical research, over $17 million has been invested in VUMC’s DEI and Belonging Program, which was formed to hire ‘diverse biomedical researchers.’”
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Blackburn cited President Trump’s recent executive orders, which prohibit DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and redefine gender identity according to biological sex. She argued that VUMC, as a recipient of federal funding, has a responsibility to adhere to these orders.
“As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President’s executive orders and return to a focus on lifesaving research as opposed to woke DEI initiatives,” Blackburn said.
The senator concluded her letter by urging VUMC to immediately cease all DEI initiatives and comply with President Trump’s directives.
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