Senate Votes to Re-Confirm EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Chair Charlotte A. Burrows to a third term on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), with the term expiring July 1, 2028.

First nominated in 2014 and unanimously confirmed for a second term in 2019, President Biden designated Burrows as EEOC Chair on Jan. 20, 2021. Her current nomination was sent to the Senate June 21, and her nomination was reported favorably out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee on Oct. 25.

“I’m honored and grateful to be able to continue to serve at the EEOC. I look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues on the Commission and throughout the agency to advance our mission,” Burrows said. “The EEOC’s work upholds our nation’s core values of equal opportunity, dignity, and respect for all. We must use all the tools at our disposal to enforce and realize the promise of our civil rights laws.”

During her tenure as EEOC Chair, Burrows has advocated for strong civil rights protections and robust cooperation between the Commission, employers, and employees to advance equal opportunity in the workplace. She has worked to strengthen inter-agency collaboration through the HIRE, AI and Algorithmic Fairness, and Anti-Retaliation Initiatives. While at the Commission she has also worked to increase the agency's outreach to Native Americans, vulnerable immigrant and migrant communities, and other traditionally underserved populations.

She seeks to enhance the Commission's enforcement of all laws within its jurisdiction, with a keen focus on strengthening and deepening the agency’s systemic discrimination work. She will continue to support employer efforts to implement and foster lawful and appropriate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices that proactively identify and address barriers to equal employment opportunity, help employers cultivate a diverse pool of qualified workers, and foster inclusive workplaces.

Prior to her appointment to the EEOC, Burrows served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as General Counsel for Civil and Constitutional Rights to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee and later on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. During her time on Capitol Hill, she worked on a variety of legislative initiatives, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008.

Before working on the Hill, she held several roles in the Civil Rights Division's Employment Litigation Section at DOJ, including Deputy Chief of the Section. There, she represented the United States in all phases of civil litigation, including trial, to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Earlier in her career, she served as a judicial clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP. Burrows received an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.