President Joe Biden signed a series of executive actions on Tuesday that aim to advance racial equity policies throughout several departments of the federal government.
The actions include measures to reform the prison system and eliminate discriminatory housing policies. Biden also issued decrees that will help strengthen the sovereignty of Tribal governments and combat xenophobia against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who’ve faced a surge of harassment since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Every White House component and every agency will be involved in this work because advancing equity has to be everyone’s job,” Biden said during a White House press conference.
This afternoon, I’ll be taking action to advance racial equity for Americans who have been underserved and left behind for far too long. Tune in. https://t.co/1W3cHLeBMf
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 26, 2021
During his first week in office, Biden reversed several Trump-era policies and issued orders lifting the U.S. military ban on transgender service members and expanding Indigenous communities’ access to the Strategic National Stockpile, a public health repository of medical supplies.
“These aren’t feel good policies. The evidence is clear. Investing in equity is good for economic growth,” Susan Rice, head of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council, told reporters Tuesday. “And it creates jobs for all Americans.”
