Several candidates privately told me that people are afraid to talk to them. Jamaal Bowman, who is running for Congress in New York, reportedly struggled to hire young people because they fear retaliation later on in their careers. One consultant admitted to me that she wants to “do something without burning down my business.” Another lamented that it’s going to hinder “the next wave of people doing this work.”

The policy effectively forces voters, consultants and vendors to support candidates whose values run counter to our party’s — Republican-esque people like Representative Dan Lipinski of Illinois, who opposes abortion and voted against the Affordable Care Act. But we are supposed to oppose his Democratic challenger, Marie Newman, who embodies our shared values. That’s also true of Jessica Cisneros, running against Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, a man who opposes abortion and boasts an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association.

While the D.C.C.C. is screening political consulting firms for “incumbency loyalty,” it’s not doing the same for real values. That means firms working for corporate interests — pro-gun, anti-choice, anti-environment, anti-health care — are welcome. A friend from another firm recently bragged about working with the D.C.C.C. and making millions of dollars from oil and gas. That’s why I’m supporting Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for president and her call for “big structural change” to end the corporate stranglehold on much of our party and elected officials.

One night in September, I hosted a group of state legislators for dinner at my home. They were diverse women from all across the country. Although I had never met them before, I discovered that they too were upset by the loyalty oath. Our discussion was filled with outrage. These accomplished lawmakers felt offended and disappointed that the Democratic Party was telling them they had no right to run for higher office.

That’s a shame because if there’s a silver lining to President Donald J. Trump’s devastating election, it is the enormous number of women, young people and other underrepresented people stepping up to run for office. Organizations dedicated to helping elect women, like Emily’s List, Emerge America and She Should Run, are overwhelmed by women seeking their support. Groups like Run for Something, Justice Democrats and the Collective PAC, committed to promoting and electing young and diverse leaders, are thriving. New ventures like Supermajority and She the People, formed to harness the energy of women across our country, are exploding. The Democratic Party should be part of embracing this energy, not creating policies to quash it.