RELEASE: REP. RO KHANNA REINTRODUCES BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE GENDERED PRONOUNS FROM NATIONAL ARCHIVES CODE

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Katie Porter (D-CA) to replace outdated language in Title 44 of the United States Code. 

Title 44 outlines the responsibilities of the Archivist and other senior officials at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). By changing the language in Title 44 to gender-neutral terms like "the Archivist," "the Director," and "the President," this bill will allow the important work being done by everyone at NARA to be recognized.

To date, three women have served as “Acting Archivist” in an interim capacity, with Dr. Colleen Shogun becoming the first fully appointed Archivist in May, 2023. U.S. Code should reflect this: women archivists deserve the dignity of equal consideration and representation under the law. This is an incredibly simple fix that would ensure such equality, as well as create consistency in the Code.

"It is past time that everyone, regardless of gender, is given the same recognition at the National Archives," said Rep. Khanna. "Replacing this outdated language helps us acknowledge the valuable contributions of thousands who have worked at NARA since its creation in 1934 and thousands more who will work there in the future. I strongly encourage my fellow members of Congress to support this legislation."