Biden administration declines to defend affirmative action programs
==========
The Biden administration has chosen not to appeal court rulings against two affirmative action programs: the Minority Business Development Agency and the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The Justice Department decided to quietly undo fundamental aspects of these programs' missions instead of fighting the adverse court rulings. The administration's decision is seen as a strategy to prevent the dismantling of Biden's racial equity agenda. The legal retreat marks a significant turn in the nation's debate over racial preferences. The court cases come amid a legal battle between the Biden administration and conservative legal groups. The administration has backed down from defending these programs despite its efforts to promote racial equity and expand opportunities for minorities. The decision has disappointed representatives of minority-owned businesses who believe it undermines diversity and inclusion initiatives. The decline to appeal the court rulings is seen as a cost-benefit analysis, as the Justice Department risks losing on appeal and setting precedents that could disqualify other diversity programs. The two programs affected are the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program, which provides set-asides and sole-source contracts for socially and economically disadvantaged companies, and the Minority Business Development Agency, which helps minority-owned businesses access capital and government contracts. The court rulings found that the programs' use of broad racial categories to direct benefits to minorities violated the Constitution's equal protection clause. The Biden administration's decision not to appeal is seen as a strategy to avoid conservative-leaning appeals courts and prevent further undermining of programs that serve historically discriminated-against minorities.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/07/26/affirmative-action-sba-mbda-biden-court/
The Washington Post /
npub1nw…97m8h
2024-07-26 17:40:20
Author Public Key
npub1nwad78hejfewj63p264uf2sxh0a5az753pw7auscrlupefjtr27sp97m8hPublished at
2024-07-26 17:40:20Event JSON
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"content": "Biden administration declines to defend affirmative action programs\n==========\n\nThe Biden administration has chosen not to appeal court rulings against two affirmative action programs: the Minority Business Development Agency and the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The Justice Department decided to quietly undo fundamental aspects of these programs' missions instead of fighting the adverse court rulings. The administration's decision is seen as a strategy to prevent the dismantling of Biden's racial equity agenda. The legal retreat marks a significant turn in the nation's debate over racial preferences. The court cases come amid a legal battle between the Biden administration and conservative legal groups. The administration has backed down from defending these programs despite its efforts to promote racial equity and expand opportunities for minorities. The decision has disappointed representatives of minority-owned businesses who believe it undermines diversity and inclusion initiatives. The decline to appeal the court rulings is seen as a cost-benefit analysis, as the Justice Department risks losing on appeal and setting precedents that could disqualify other diversity programs. The two programs affected are the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program, which provides set-asides and sole-source contracts for socially and economically disadvantaged companies, and the Minority Business Development Agency, which helps minority-owned businesses access capital and government contracts. The court rulings found that the programs' use of broad racial categories to direct benefits to minorities violated the Constitution's equal protection clause. The Biden administration's decision not to appeal is seen as a strategy to avoid conservative-leaning appeals courts and prevent further undermining of programs that serve historically discriminated-against minorities.\n\n\n\nhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/07/26/affirmative-action-sba-mbda-biden-court/",
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