{"id":30199,"date":"2025-04-29T16:10:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T23:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-will-cut-funds-to-transportation-projects-with-dei-duffy\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T16:10:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T23:10:23","slug":"dot-will-cut-funds-to-transportation-projects-with-dei-duffy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-will-cut-funds-to-transportation-projects-with-dei-duffy\/","title":{"rendered":"DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy"},"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=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1745948409\/news\/text_to_speech\/dot-cut-transportation-funds-dei-ice_ofahjq.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<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Brief:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In an April 24 letter, Transportation Secretary Sean <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/sites\/dot.gov\/files\/2025-04\/Follow%20the%20Law%20Letter%20to%20Applicants%204.24.25.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Duffy warned DOT funding recipients<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> against engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which he said violate federal law. Duffy also told grantees that they must cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officials or face \u201cenforcement actions.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Grantees who violate those policies could lose their transportation funding, Duffy said. \u201cIt is the policy of the Department to award and to continue to provide Federal financial assistance only to those recipients who comply with their legal obligations,\u201d per the letter.<\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The DOT may audit grantees and take back funding used for unpermitted activities, according to the letter. Duffy urged transportation agencies to contact a DOT representative proactively to ensure they are in compliance.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Insight:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Duffy\u2019s new letter puts DOT funding recipients on notice, citing instances where grantees did not cooperate with ICE and other immigration enforcement investigations or issued driver\u2019s licenses to people in the U.S. illegally, and warns that such actions \u201cmay give rise to civil and criminal liability.\u201d He also told grantees to ensure that they are hiring subcontractors and other businesses that are permitted to work in the U.S. and that exclusively employ legally permitted workers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Since assuming office, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/briefing-room\/us-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-takes-action-rescind-woke-dei-policies-and\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Duffy has authorized a series of actions<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> to advance Trump\u2019s directive to \u201crescind woke policies\u201d and slash regulations, while vowing to give grant preference to regions with <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dot-grant-preference-marriage-birth-rate\/738942\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>higher-than-average birth rates<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Last month, the DOT rolled back a Biden-era policy that included <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/dot-removes-equity-environmental-criteria\/742173\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>environmental and social considerations for projects<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> it funds.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In an April 2 hearing, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/duffy-hearing-transportation-reauthorization-iija\/744753\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Duffy defended the Trump administration\u2019s freeze<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> on already-approved projects so agencies can review them for mentions of climate change, environmental justice or equity. He did not say whether grant awards that are not yet finalized could be rescinded, but promised to enact the will of Congress when it comes to funding infrastructure: \u201cI\u2019m not going to hold up any projects.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Duffy\u2019s letter also said funding recipients must not engage in \u201cdiscriminatory actions\u201d while administering contracts, hiring or in other policies and procedures, and to make personnel decisions based on merit. Grantees are also prohibited from allocating award money \u201cbased on suspect classifications.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhether or not described in neutral terms, any policy, program, or activity that is premised on a prohibited classification, including discriminatory policies or practices designed to achieve so-called \u2018diversity, equity, and inclusion,\u2019 or \u2018DEI\u2019 goals, presumptively violates Federal law,\u201d according to the letter.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In an <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/sean-duffy-says-blue-states-021257943.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>interview Thursday on Fox Business<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, Duffy reiterated that Democrat-led states that don\u2019t comply with the Trump administration\u2019s interpretation of federal law will see their transportation funding cut, AOL reported.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cHopefully, this will incentivize those states to get in line with commonsense American principles and policies, which the president has laid out. If they do, they don\u2019t have a problem,\u201d Duffy said in the Fox interview. \u201cBut if they don\u2019t comply, we\u2019re not going to approve their grants and the flow of billions of dollars into their states.\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\/dot-cut-transportation-funds-dei-ice\/746631\/\" 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. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive &#8230; <a title=\"DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/dot-will-cut-funds-to-transportation-projects-with-dei-duffy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy\">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-30199","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\/30199","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=30199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30199\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}