House’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Shutters

The U.S. House Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) has been closed.

The shutter is the result of changes to legislative branch appropriations in a bill passed March 22 by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dr. Sesha Joi Moon“On behalf of ODI, it has been an honor to serve you as our office worked to ensure that the United States Congress embodied a qualified and representative workforce that reflected the country's vast tapestry,” said ODI Director Dr. Sesha Joi Moon in a statement following the bill’s passage.

ODI reported a $4.5 million annual operating budget for FY23.

The office was established in March 2020 to help create and cultivate a representative and qualified congressional workforce reflective of the American people. Within three years of its inception, the office had referred over 6,441 resumes for consideration to hiring managers and helped roughly 730 jobseekers land congressional careers, according to the 2023 ODI Annual Report.

ODI’s tasks are expected to transfer to the Office of Talent Management within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, which will get a share of nearly $325 million for compensation and expenses of officers and employees, according to the appropriations bill.

Moon thanked the Office of the Speaker of the House, Office of the House Democratic Leader, and Committee on House Administration as well as the entire House community for their support in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. She said ODI’s website, mailboxes, and social media platforms will remain active until further notice.