Florida Senator Marco Rubio sent a letter to John Deere Chairman and CEO John May highlighting the need for patriotic companies to prioritize American workers and their families.
John Deere, the world’s largest tractor manufacturer, is a staple of American business and a crucial supplier for the hard working Americans who grow our food.
Recently, after receiving public backlash, John Deere ended several ridiculous Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies.
“John Deere was correct to roll back some of its divisive DEI policies and programs, which included race-based hiring practices and diversity quota targets, mandatory DEI employee trainings, encouraging employees to state their preferred pronouns in all communications, fostering of race- and LGBTQ-based employee identity groups, and funding of LGBT pride events for children,” the Republican Senator wrote. “These initiatives did not meaningfully improve your employees’ wages, benefits, or skills, and they actively undermined your company’s trust with its customers.”
Meanwhile, the company has laid off 2,000 American workers as it shifts production from the United States to Mexico. According to Senator Rubio, John Deere has laid off a staggering 15 percent of its wage workers in the United States since November 2023. The Republican’s letter points out that John Deere managed to find $7.2 billion in its budget to spend on stock buybacks last year, an average of $3.6 million per worker laid off.
“America needs a strong manufacturing sector to build the tractors, combines, and other implements that make our country’s agricultural self-sufficiency and leadership possible,” Florida Senator Marco Rubio wrote. “American corporations, like John Deere, have a duty to their workers, nation, customers, and shareholders.”
Here’s the full letter from Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio to John Deere Chairman and CEO John May:
Rubio_JohnDeereletter
