NEW YORK — A group of Democrats in Congress appealed to the largest U.S. companies Tuesday to hold onto their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying such efforts give everyone a fair chance at achieving the American dream.

The 49 House members, led by Rep. Robert Garcia of California, shared their views in a letter emailed to the leaders of the Fortune 1000. The move comes after several major corporations said in recent months that they would end or curtail DEI initiatives.

“Inclusion is a core American value, and a great business practice,” the lawmakers wrote. “By embracing this value, you create safer and fairer workplaces without sacrificing quality or financial success.”

A handful of U.S. companies, including Ford, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Lowes and Molson Coors, dialed back their DEI initiatives over the summer. The retreats came in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court outlawing affirmative action in college admissions and after conservative activists targeted the prominent American brands over their diversity policies and programs.

DEI policies typically are intended as a counterweight to discriminatory practices. Critics argue that education, government and business programs that single out participants based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unfair and the same opportunities should be afforded to everyone.

The opponents have had several legislative and legal victories, and dozens more cases are currently in the courts.

“These efforts to roll back rights are happening everywhere. They’re happening at the workplace. They’re happening in state legislatures,” Garcia told The Associated Press. “And it needs to stop. And we’ve got to push back and be vocal. We can’t just sit by and allow this to happen.”

The lawmakers’ letter states that growing numbers of American consumers spend their money with businesses that champion inclusion and are unlikely to continue supporting companies that they see backing down on commitments to bring people together.

The letter comes on the heels of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announcing it filed 110 lawsuits in the past year alleging that employers sexually harassed teenagers, discriminated against workers over sexual orientation and gender identity, engaged in patterns of discrimination and violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, among other violations.

The lawsuits represent a small fraction of the complaints lodged with the EEOC. The agency received more than 81,000 charges of workplace discrimination in fiscal year 2023, which was a 10% increase over 2022, EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows said.

For every complaint, the EEOC notified the employer and launched an investigation. Many involved allegations of racial harassment or religious discrimination, Burrows said.

Groups like the American Alliance for Equal Rights have pushed back on affirmative action at universities and diversity, equity and inclusion policies run by corporations.