Trump’s budget isn’t just about massive tax cuts for rich and major cuts in assistance for the poor. He also wants to roll back civil rights. Under his proposed budget:
1. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice – which has long investigated hate crimes, voter suppression, and other forms of discrimination – would lose at least 121 positions.
2. The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program – in charge of policing against discrimination by companies with federal contracts – would be eliminated altogether. That’s 600 positions. (Just last September, the office reached a $1.7 million settlement with tech giant Palantir for discriminatory hiring practices.)
3. The Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice program – which combats higher rates of pollution in communities of color – would be eliminated.
4. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights – charged with investigating discrimination in America’s schools – would be drastically cut. The Trump administration itself has admitted these cuts will hamper its ability to conduct investigations.
Trump has made clear his priorities: Benefit the most comfortable Americans and stick it to the most vulnerable.
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Robert Reich, President Clinton’s former Labor Secretary is a prolific writer and activist who is spending a lot of time educating the resistance. See all of his articles here.