{"id":28721,"date":"2025-01-23T23:40:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T07:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/despite-trumps-orders-dbe-not-dead-yet\/"},"modified":"2025-01-23T23:40:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T07:40:09","slug":"despite-trumps-orders-dbe-not-dead-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/despite-trumps-orders-dbe-not-dead-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite Trump\u2019s orders, DBE not dead yet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/images\/audio_icon.svg?482016190122\" alt=\"-\"><\/p>\n<p>        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1737665330\/news\/text_to_speech\/trump-impact-dbe-construction_xjanne.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Programs that carve out participation goals for traditionally underrepresented workers on federal construction contracts may be under fire, but they\u2019re not dead yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>That was the take from an attorney who focuses on these kinds of government initiatives after President Donald Trump issued several executive orders this week to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government and revoked a ban on discrimination in federal contracting.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Chris Slottee, an attorney at Schwabe in Anchorage, Alaska, who specializes in federal contracting, said because the programs were created by Congress, it will take congressional action to eliminate them.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The executive orders certainly indicate a certain hostility to disadvantaged business programs, and the agencies will take their lead from the President,\u201d Slottee said in an email. \u201cBut, the programs have not been, and cannot be, as they have been enacted by Congress, ended by executive order.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chris Slottee is an attorney at Schwabe in Anchorage, Alaska.\" data-imagemodel=\"151042\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/2sPGf4Gwl3LHdVjCzDIDhCLqPK3dDn_jABG7hunLEL4\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9TY3JlZW5zaG90XzIwMjQtMDEtMDhfYXRfMS40OC4wMl9QTS5wbmc=.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Chris Slottee<\/p>\n<p>Courtesy of Schwabe<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>A slew of orders<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Slottee\u2019s comments came after Trump on Tuesday rescinded an executive order issued by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 during the Civil Rights Movement to ban discrimination in federal contracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>That move followed several other executive orders signed Monday aimed at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrdive.com\/news\/trump-dei-executive-orders\/737810\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>eliminating the DEI priorities of the federal government<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> set by former President Joe Biden. On Tuesday, Trump extended that focus to include private businesses, directing agencies to create plans to \u201cencourage the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrdive.com\/news\/trump-orders-agencies-to-target-private-sector-dei\/738044\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>private sector to end illegal discrimination<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and preferences, including DEI.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On Wednesday, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/01\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-protects-civil-rights-and-merit-based-opportunity-by-ending-illegal-dei\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>White House issued a memo saying<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> that Trump\u2019s action \u201cprotects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity by terminating radical DEI preferencing in federal contracting and directing federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Small Business Administration\u2019s 8a program and the Department of Transportation\u2019s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program set aspirational goals for women and other traditionally underrepresented groups to receive portions of government construction contracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Those <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dbe-injunction-more-states\/732223\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>programs have faced legal challenges<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> since the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in university admission practices in 2023. While the challenges put the programs under fire, they also prompted changes that could give them stronger legal footing.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For example, the SBA\u2019s 8a program, and to some degree, DOT\u2019s DBE program, no longer presume individuals are disadvantaged based on their sex or race, Slottee said. By eliminating race and sex as a basis for automatic participation, the programs could be shielded from Trump\u2019s orders.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cAccordingly, the current small business contracting programs for disadvantaged businesses no longer involve race as a factor, and therefore may not be directly impacted,\u201d Slottee said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Diminished support<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Although the changes may give the targeted programs cover, in general, Slottee said they will likely be weakened under the new administration.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>We can potentially see second order impacts on those programs, based on changing leadership at the SBA and the DOT, with a potential change in focus or lessening of support for these programs,\u201d Slottee said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>There could be other impacts for contractors that work on federally funded projects from Trump\u2019s actions this week as well, Slottee said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cPresidents have historically used their ability to issue executive orders to attach strings to federal contracts, be it the obligation to have an affirmative action plan for employment, to mandated sick leave for Service Contract Act employees,\u201d Slottee said. \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s executive orders may have the result of doing away with some of those regulatory requirements, thereby lessening the administrative burden on government contractors.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/trump-impact-dbe-construction\/738159\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. 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Programs &#8230; <a title=\"Despite Trump\u2019s orders, DBE not dead yet\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/despite-trumps-orders-dbe-not-dead-yet\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Despite Trump\u2019s orders, DBE not dead yet\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28721\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}