Biden reinforces racial equity goals of federal agencies

President Biden with Asian American lawmakers when he signed the first racial equity order.

Two years into his term, President Joe Biden signed his econd Executive Order on racial equity Feb. 16.

The Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the federal government order is designed to address systemic barriers that hold communities of color back from prospering.

Biden said in a statement, “members of underserved communities — many of whom have endured generations of discrimination and disinvestment — still confront significant barriers to realizing the full promise of our great Nation, and the Fgederal government has a responsibility to remove these barriers.”

The executive order "will build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s extensive and historic whole-of-government efforts to strengthen racial equity, support underserved communities, and create an America where everyone has full access to the American Dream," said Democratic Congressmember Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Under the executive order, federal agencies will be required to investigate and address any discrimination in technology services, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and improve language access services.

It also requires federal agencies to improve their community engagement strategies which includes involving the diffeent communities during the development of the Equity Action Plans, funding opportunities, budget proposals and regulations.

The order also sets a goal of increasing the share of federal contracting dollars going to small disadvantaged businesses by 50% by 2025 and directs agencies to expand opportunities for these businesses to procure grants from the historic investments within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

"Communities of color, and AANHPI communities in particular, will benefit from the Administration’s efforts to develop and strengthen partnerships with community groups, promote data equity, and address emerging civil rights risks and language accessibility,” said Chu.

Although Biden signed the first equity order on Day One of his administration, federal agencies have been slow in implementing some of the policies. Anyone who has worked in government know that building momentum for some of the required changes is a slow process.

"Advancing equity is not a one-year project—it is a generational commitment that will require sustained leadership and partnership," said Biden.

“It is imperative to reject the narrow, cramped view of American opportunity as a zero-sum game,” Biden said. “When any person or community is denied freedom, dignity, and prosperity, our entire Nation is held back.  But when we lift each other up, we are all lifted up."

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