President Trump on Wednesday rescinded a 60-year-old executive order banning discrimination in employment practices in the federal government, the latest action aimed at watering down commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. .
The president's order, which the White House called “the most significant federal civil rights action in decades,” rescinds Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The executive order prohibits discriminatory practices in employment and government contracts and asserts the government's commitment. To affirmative action.
Trump's order says his actions will “protect the civil rights and expand individual opportunity for all Americans.”
Among its provisions is removing references to diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal contracts and spending.
The government will instead focus on “speed and efficiency,” according to the order. It is intended to reduce the cost of federal contracts and requires contractors doing business with the government to follow an interpretation of civil rights law. The order prohibits the office that oversees contracts from “pressuring contractors to balance their workforce based on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion.”
This measure fully reflects Mr. Trump's declaration that he would return the country to a “results-based'' and “color-blind'' society when he took office. The administration moved quickly to eliminate all federal programs and practices aimed at addressing systemic inequities.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order that effectively abolished diversity and inclusion efforts ordered by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
In implementing this order, the Office of Personnel Management has ordered agency heads to develop plans to place all DEI-related employees on administrative leave by Wednesday evening and terminate them by the end of the month.
Trump also issued another order Tuesday directing the Federal Aviation Administration to end diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices that endanger airline passengers. He claimed to have exposed it.
The Trump administration claims that under the Biden administration, the agency “betrayed its mission by elevating dangerous discrimination over excellence,” and that the agency's mission statement to hire a more diverse workforce was revised. It was noted that the posted website had been deactivated.
“Our diversity and inclusion vision is to create opportunities to bring together the talent of a diverse, multi-level workforce that contributes to the continued development of great innovation, technological advancement and excellence in global aviation.” is stated on the website.
In the executive order, Trump said the Biden administration has “sought to specifically recruit and hire individuals with severe disabilities that may affect their ability to perform critical lifesaving tasks.” No examples are given.
The order added that DEI practices also penalize “hard-working Americans who wish to serve at the FAA but are unable to do so because they lack a requisite disability or color.”
