Congressional Black Caucus blasts Trump DEI action as step backward

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), one of the largest in Congress, blasted President Trump on Wednesday for rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government.

Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action admissions in colleges, CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said, “MAGA Republicans have set their sights on cutting off access to economic opportunity for Black and minority communities in the federal government, on college campuses, and in corporate America.”

“This executive order is nothing short of an attempt to take our country backward and does nothing to help our communities grow economically or address the costs of living for hardworking American families,” Clarke said.

Trump’s executive order, signed Monday, calls on the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to coordinate with federal agencies to terminate “all discriminatory programs.”

The order directs the assistant to the president for domestic policy to have monthly meetings with deputy secretaries to assess DEI programs and determine ways to end them.

Ahead of November’s election, Trump and Republicans vowed to end DEI and labeled such programs as discriminatory.

At his rally in D.C. ahead of his inauguration, Trump said the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action means “the United States is allowed to go by the merit system, which is what made us great in the first place.”

The CBC, which welcomed its largest class ever this year, represents some 20 million Black Americans around the nation.

The group has been an ardent supporter of DEI policies and programs, often citing studies that show diversity initiatives improve the government and corporations' ability to better serve communities.

The CBC is now calling for Republicans to stand by them and the rest of the Democratic Party “rather than working to take away opportunities for our communities.”

“Under the Biden Administration, Democrats worked to prioritize racial equity with a whole of government approach. President Trump’s executive actions undermine that progress and will only make our country less prosperous,” Clarke said.

Topics

Conflicting accounts on congressional Republicans' approach to Trump's agenda

Trump and Vance brainstormed with top congressional Republicans on a path to execute the president’s ambitious agenda amid narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.
ABC News - 52m
Trump set to dismantle DEI within federal government in first day executive action

Incoming President Donald Trump will issue an executive order that would dismantle all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the federal government.
ABC News - 1d
Congressional leadership enters Trump’s inauguration

Ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, Congressional leaders entered the Capitol rotunda for the ceremony.
NBC News - 2d
Why Sen. Schmitt blasted military DEI practices during Hegseth's hearing

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) blasted DEI practices in the military during his questioning of Pete Hegseth at his Senate confirmation hearing for the secretary of defense post. Hegseth responded ...
CBS News - Jan. 14
Freedom Caucus members to huddle with Trump on strategy

Members of the House Freedom Caucus say they will make the case for their preferred policies and strategy when they meet with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday to discuss his ambitious ...
The Hill - Jan. 10
Andy Harris steers hard-line Freedom Caucus into the Trump era

House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) has taken the famously confrontational group in a slightly more agreeable direction as it prepares for a Trump-controlled Washington, where the goal ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
Freedom Caucus holds its fire on Johnson’s strategy for passing Trump agenda

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are holding their fire despite Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) bucking their preferred strategy for passing President-elect Trump’s agenda, arguing ...
The Hill - Jan. 7
O'Malley touts endorsements of current, former Congressional Black Caucus members in DNC chair bid

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Monday touted the endorsements of current and former Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members in his Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair bid. “I am ...
The Hill - Jan. 6
Takano to take helm of Congressional Equality Caucus

Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) will take the reins of the Congressional Equality Caucus, a coalition of House Democrats supportive of LGBTQ rights, in the 119th Congress, the group announced Friday. ...
The Hill - Jan. 3