LTP News Sharing:

Does CEO Giovanni Caforio Have Any Idea What’s in the Equality Act He Supports?

Washington, D.C. – After being pressed by the Free Enterprise Project (FEP) about his company’s support for the ill-named Equality Act, Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Giovanni Caforio defended his position with a statement that casts doubt on whether he understands the far-reaching impacts of the left-wing legislation.

Justin Danhof

Justin Danhof, Esq.

“If a company is going to take a position on highly partisan legislation that would have a dramatic impact on American culture, it is incumbent upon that company’s leaders to apprise themselves of the basics of that proposed law. Bristol Myers Squibb lacks such informed leadership,” said Justin Danhof, Esq., who serves as General Counsel and FEP Director at the National Center for Public Policy Research, and who questioned Caforio at today’s annual meeting of Bristol Myers Squibb shareholders.

At the meeting, Danhof submitted this question:

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Bristol Myers Squibb supports the Equality Act. First, is that true? And second, in light of criticism from scholars and legal experts that the law would eviscerate female sports and cancel federal religious freedom protections, does the company support the entire Equality Act or just portions of it? If you could elaborate with specifics, that would be great.

Caforio responded by confirming that the company does indeed support the Equality Act and claiming that “we stand against discrimination of any kind.”

Danhof’s question and Caforio’s response can be heard here.

“Caforio is simply lying. Bristol Myers Squibb is actively discriminating against women and girls, specifically female athletes,” said Danhof. “In states such as Connecticut that allow biological males to compete against females in school athletics, the results have been disastrous: two males regularly finish first and second in Connecticut’s girls high school track competitions. The Equality Act would extend this insanity nationwide. Do all Bristol Myers Squibb employees really want to see the end of female athletics? If not, they should speak up and let management hear from them.

“The company is also aggressively discriminating against Americans of faith,” continued Danhof. “The Equality Act specifically writes the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act out of the equation, putting religious Americans in great jeopardy. Does Bristol Myers Squibb have any employees with deeply-held religious convictions? If so, they ought to ask the folks in the C-suite why the company is pursuing an agenda of canceling them.”

Today’s meeting marks the 15th time FEP has participated in a shareholder meeting in 2021. To schedule an interview with a member of the Free Enterprise Project on this or other issues, contact Judy Kent at (703) 477-7476.

Conservative investors can learn how to oppose leftism in corporate America by downloading FEP’s new 2021 Investor Value Voter Guide. The new website Stop Corporate Tyranny also provides tools for engagement with corporate leaders.

Today’s meeting marks the 15th time FEP has participated in a shareholder meeting in 2021. To schedule an interview with a member of the Free Enterprise Project on this or other issues, contact Judy Kent at (703) 477-7476.

Launched in 2007, the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project focuses on shareholder activism and the confluence of big government and big business. Over the past four years alone, FEP representatives have participated in over 100 shareholder meetings – advancing free-market ideals about health care, energy, taxes, subsidies, regulations, religious freedom, food policies, media bias, gun rights, workers’ rights and other important public policy issues. As the leading voice for conservative-minded investors, it annually files more than 90 percent of all right-of-center shareholder resolutions. Dozens of liberal organizations, however, annually file more than 95 percent of all policy-oriented shareholder resolutions and continue to exert undue influence over corporate America.

FEP activity has been covered by media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Variety, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, Drudge Report, Business Insider, National Public Radio and SiriusXM. FEP’s work is prominently featured in Stephen Soukup’s new book The Dictatorship of Woke Capital: How Political Correctness Captured Big Business (Encounter Books) and Kimberley Strassel’s 2016 book The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech (Hachette Book Group).

The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 60,000 active recent contributors.

Sign up for email updates here. Follow us on Twitter at @FreeEntProject and @NationalCenter for general announcements. To be alerted to upcoming media appearances by National Center staff, follow our media appearances Twitter account at @NCPPRMedia.

Author: The National Center