West SLC News

Rep. Burgess Owens, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Utah's 4th district, shared several tweets on November 25 and 26, 2024, focusing on education and a recent study about DEI training methods.

On November 25, Rep. Owens tweeted about a productive meeting with University of Utah President Taylor Randall and other leaders from the USHE. He emphasized that they discussed education priorities aimed at benefiting Utah's students and families. He stated that these issues would be "laser-focused" in the new Congress. "Great meeting with University of Utah President Taylor Randall & the USHE higher ed leaders last week! We discussed education priorities that will benefit Utah’s students & families—issues we’ll be laser focused on in the new congress."

Later that day, Owens highlighted education as a matter of national security through another tweet. He warned against not preparing children to become future American innovators, implying a risk of losing competitive advantage to China. "Education is a national security priority. If we do not prepare our children to be the next generation of American innovators, we risk losing out on that future to China."

On November 26, Owens commented on a new study by NCRI and Rutgers University regarding DEI training methods. According to him, the study found that such training causes "psychological harm" and increases "intergroup hostility & authoritarian behavior." He suggested an end to what he termed as "ideological adherence to the woke mob." " New @ncri_io & @RutgersU study: DEI training methods cause 'psychological harm' & increase 'intergroup hostility & authoritarian behavior' over perceptions of prejudice that are not real. The era of ideological adherence to the woke mob is over."