President Donald Trump on Wednesday revoked a 60-year-old executive order that banned discrimination in federal government hiring practices, marking his latest action aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
The White House described the move as “the most important federal civil rights measure in decades,” as it revoked Executive Order 11246 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, commonly known as Equal Employment Opportunity order 1965, which prohibited discriminatory practices in government contracting.
Trump’s order asserts that it “protects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity.” It eliminates references to diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal contracting and spending, instead focusing on “speed and efficiency” to reduce costs.
“The order says the office overseeing contracts would be prohibited from “pushing contractors to balance their workforce based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual preference or religion.””
The administration has swiftly moved to eradicate all federal government programs and practices aimed at addressing systemic inequities. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order effectively eliminating all diversity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives ordered by former President Joe Biden.
The Office of Personnel Management ordered agency heads to place all DEI-related personnel on administrative leave by the end of Wednesday and devise plans to lay them off by the end of the month.
Trump also issued another order Tuesday directing the Federal Aviation Administration to halt hiring practices that sought diversity, equity, and inclusion, claiming that such practices have endangered airline passengers. The administration alleged that under Biden, the agency “betrayed its mission by elevating dangerous discrimination over excellence,” citing a deactivated website containing the agency’s mission statement of hiring a more diverse employee pool.
“Our diversity and inclusion vision is to create opportunities that garner the talents of a diverse, multilevel workforce that contributes to the continuous development of superior innovation, technological advancements and excellence in global aviation,” the website stated.
“The order added that DEI practices also penalize “hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color.””
