Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration’s efforts to weaken the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) make more than 150 million American workers more susceptible to discrimination in their workplaces. A new Center for American Progress issue brief outlines the EEOC’s critical role, the current threats to its work, and what Americans stand to lose.
The EEOC protects all employees and job seekers—nearly 153 million Americans—from discrimination. It protects both government and private sector workers alike from discrimination and illegal employer actions, and it guarantees equal pay for equal work. This issue brief analyzes how weakening the EEOC hurts workers. Additionally, it outlines the dangers of the Trump administration weaponizing the commission to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and transgender workers, as well as prioritizing enforcement against “anti-American” hiring bias instead of protecting immigrant workers.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on the EEOC are attacks on Americans’ ability to earn a living free from discrimination and harassment,” said Molly Weston Williamson, senior fellow at CAP and author of the issue brief. “Hollowing out the EEOC while taking a wrecking ball to the rest of the nation’s civil rights infrastructure will unleash discrimination while depriving workers of the power to fight back when their employers break the law.”
Read the issue brief: “The Trump Administration Has Made 150 Million American Workers Newly Vulnerable to Workplace Discrimination” by Molly Weston Williamson
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