Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced legislation that seeks to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) funding for “transgender apps” and other “woke nonsense” from a key defense tech program.
“The SBIR-STTR programs are supposed to help develop critical technology supporting our national security, not fund woke nonsense,” Ernst said in a written statement to Breitbart News. “Funding transgender apps instead of game-changing innovation is exactly why I have said the status quo of the SBIR-STTR programs is unacceptable. My INNOVATE Act institutes long-overdue reforms by eliminating DEI, safeguarding American intellectual property from Chinese espionage, and most importantly, prioritizing our warfighters.”
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Tech