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NWLC Responds to Trump’s Executive Order Repealing 60-Year-Old Civil Rights Workplace Protections
WASHINGTON, DC (Jan. 22) – In the cloak of darkness, President Donald Trump rescinded a decades-old executive order that protected workers hired by federal contractors from discrimination and promoted the creation of equal employment opportunities.
The executive order he released last night also targets private businesses and organizations who undertake diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. And on his first day in office, he issued a separate executive order to dismantle all government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Fatima Goss Graves, CEO and president of the National Women’s Law Center, released the following statement in response:
“In less than 48 hours in office, President Donald Trump has eviscerated his promise to be a champion of workers, gutting basic workplace equal opportunity protections that have been in place for 60 years. These protections were enforced by the Department of Labor, and by removing this important watchdog, Trump has opened up workers to workplace discrimination.
“Using his extreme Project 2025 playbook as a guide, Trump and his cronies are doubling down on their attacks against women, people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community, and opening millions of people up to lower pay, hostile workplace environments, and other types of discrimination and harassment. This order is an open invitation for federal contractors – who are paid with taxpayer dollars – to deny opportunities to the very people whose hard work line their pockets.
“Despite his best attempts to consolidate power in the hands of his donors and the wealthy few, Trump cannot undo years of anti-discrimination law with a stroke of his pen. Laws passed by Congress make clear that workplace discrimination is still illegal, and Trump’s attempts to eliminate basic civil rights will not go unchecked by the courts. The Law Center will always be at the forefront of efforts to defend core sex discrimination protections for working people.”
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