Biden to sign executive orders to ‘advance racial equity’

The orders Biden is expected to sign today are to enshrine "equity policy" in policing, prisons, and public housing.

These orders are set to create a commission on policing and to disallow the US military from selling used equipment to local police departments. Private prisons will be eliminated from federal use. There will be an order "disavowing discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community," according to CNN, which obtained a leaked copy of the President's calendar for Tuesday.

Under the new orders, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be directed to "promote equitable housing politics."

An executive order that Biden signed on Jan. 20, entitled "Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government," stated that:

"It is therefore the policy of my Administration that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government. Because advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity."

It went on to say that: "By advancing equity across the Federal Government, we can create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone. For example, an analysis shows that closing racial gaps in wages, housing credit, lending opportunities, and access to higher education would amount to an additional $5 trillion in gross domestic product in the American economy over the next 5 years.

'The Federal Government’s goal in advancing equity is to provide everyone with the opportunity to reach their full potential. Consistent with these aims, each agency must assess whether, and to what extent, its programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved groups. Such assessments will better equip agencies to develop policies and programs that deliver resources and benefits equitably to all."

Equity was there defined as: "...the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality."

Despite his statement that executive orders were not the appropriate way to govern in a democracy, Biden has signed 33 executive orders since taking office on Jan. 20, and is on track to sign many more. This is many, many more than any other president has signed in such a short time in office.