Trump dismantles equality programs – decree hits poorest

Among Donald Trump’s most controversial January decisions is the cancellation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Analysts fear that the presidential order will exacerbate the problem of unequal aid to victims of natural disasters. Does Trump’s decree favor whites and the rich at the expense of poor minorities?

The end of equality in the US

The history of fighting for fair treatment for all social groups, regardless of race, identity or disability, has a long history in the United States. As early as President Kennedy supported the Equal Employment Opportunity Decree in the public sector with his signature. Subsequent presidents have expanded support for social diversity, and Joe Biden has signed a whole series of equality and inclusion documents at at least 25 federal agencies, including the Department of Defense.

Donald Trump, however, began his second term by fighting the DEI program, calling it radical and wasteful. The repercussions of this decision are wide-ranging and also affect the operation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has been assisting victims of hurricanes, floods or fires for decades. In 2022. It adopted the Equality Action Plan, which aims to ensure equal access to support before, during and after natural disasters.

FEMA on Trump’s target

Trump’s new executive order is not the only move to diminish FEMA’s position. While traveling in California to assess the effects of the January wildfires, the president said he would get rid of the federal agency so that aid could go directly to the affected states. He called its actions very slow and bureaucratic, and while still in the election campaign accused the organization of illegally spending money on behalf of immigrants.

The fact is that FEMA’s very mechanism of operation has already faced criticism in the context of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. The agency, which received a $20 billion budget from Congress last year, activates only when, at the urging of any governor, the US president declares a state of emergency. At that time, FEMA reimburses local governments for expenses related to cleaning up damage and rebuilding roads or public buildings. In addition, assistance is offered to individual citizens who provide the required documentation.

How did FEMA want to combat inequality in aid delivery?

Adopted in 2022, the plan was intended to ensure that FEMA’s assistance before, during and after natural disasters is also directed to neglected and marginalized communities. It singled out those discriminated against on the basis of race, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability and religion, as well as rural residents. Planned activities included:

• Improving communication with people who are not fluent in English;
• facilitation for people living in residential trailers in proving the title necessary to receive support;
• Increase assistance to those with the lowest incomes to cover costs, such as transportation or child care.

These were not drastic undertakings, but rather small steps in the right direction. Trump’s January executive order unequivocally derails these aspirations, ordering the cancellation of the plans in pursuit of equality.

A history of social injustice

The equity plans, which were developed during the Biden era not only at FEMA, but also at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), were designed to redress historic inequalities in access to aid. For decades, federal support had been structured so that funds for disaster recovery from natural disasters went primarily to the wealthier segments of society – people who were educated, spoke perfect English, were able to meet the demands of the bureaucracy, and were wealthy enough to take legal advice.

Inequality in aid was also due in large part to such stipulations as the need to present a title to property or have creditworthiness. Poor, ethnic minorities could not meet the conditions for support, which, in the face of devastating disasters, only increased social inequality.

Post-disaster aid is directed to the rich

In August 2017, Houston was hit by Hurricane Harvey, which caused at least $125 billion worth of damage. Ethnic minorities in particular suffered, and according to analysis by the University of Houston, the level of recovery from the disaster among them was the lowest. This thesis was corroborated in their study by a team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, who showed that both FEMA grants and SBA loans disadvantaged households with debt and no insurance, and thus were at a significant disadvantage right from the start.

The results of a study published in 2018 by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh indicated that the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters is increasing social inequality in the United States. It surveyed 3,400 households in the regions most affected by disasters between 1999 and 2013. It found that white residents increased their wealth by an average of $126,000 during this period, while African-American, Hispanic and Asian households lost an average of $27,000, $29,000 and $10,000 each.

Inequality in the provision of aid also became apparent after Hurricane Katrina. According to data collected by homeowners in the state of Louisiana, the federal program to help rebuild after the disaster unfairly treated the poorest segments of society. Their representatives even filed a lawsuit on the matter in court, suing the government, but the whole process was muted by a settlement proceeding. Seventeen years after Katrina’s attack, the media published analyses showing that the poorest citizens of New Orleans, with average incomes of less than $15,000, bore 30 percent of the costs during the reconstruction, while households with incomes of more than $75,000 subsidized only 20 percent. If the aid had been distributed fairly, less wealthy families would have received an average of $18,000 more.

What can be expected from Trump’s presidency?

Trump’s new executive order is not a law, but a recommendation – Congressional approval is needed to abolish FEMA and other federal agencies and place responsibility for recovery from natural disasters in the hands of individual states. However, the 47th US president has already made a name for himself as firm and radical, so voices of legitimate concern are being heard from many quarters. Will states that did not vote for Donald Trump be disadvantaged in the fight against natural disasters?

The current issue is support for California residents affected by the massive fires. The media has publicized the dramas of Hollywood actors, but little has been said about the fact that the homes of poor, African-American communities have also burned. Meanwhile, Trump has announced that aid from the government is contingent on releasing water from California’s dams – a dispute over these resources has been going on for a long time.

As proof of his inflexibility, the American president on January 31 ordered the discharge of approx. 20 billion liters of water from two dams over three days, which local authorities said created a huge risk of flooding surrounding farms. The move is aimed at reducing the fire problem, but its scale is a source of controversy.

What assistance can California residents count on? So far, both FEMA and the SBA have announced a call for applications for assistance. However, Trump’s executive order lifting the principle of equality does not offer much hope for the poorest and most vulnerable groups.