LDF and Over 30 Organizations Oppose Trump Administration Proposal Tying Federal Funding to Divisive Ideology

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Yesterday, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) led a coalition of over 30 civil rights and racial justice organizations in filing public comments opposing a proposal by the General Services Administration (GSA) that would require recipients of federal funding, including nonprofits, to attest to vague, ideological statements from the Trump Administration before accessing federal funding opportunities.

In today's letters, the coalition notes the proposal would require groups seeking federal funding to complete vague certification requirements regarding federal antidiscrimination laws and agree to misleading federal guidance related to lawful diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs under threat of legal action. The certification requirements also seek to chill organizations that serve immigrant communities and engage in lawful activism and protest.

"GSA's proposed certification requirements would cause issues for many, but it's clear the changes would have outsized harm for Black communities and other underserved groups. Federal funding should aim to assist the country's most vulnerable, advance civil rights, and ensure equal access to opportunity. Funding should not be used as a political tool," said Demetria McCain, Director of Policy at LDF. "Burdening organizations with vague compliance requirements would significantly hinder recipients' ability to make sure resources actually get to those who need them. The administration's attempts to target and penalize those who make sure our neighbors have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and the medicines they need to survive is abhorrent. They are also legally questionable, and we've seen similar attempts to impose such requirements blocked in court. We urge GSA to withdraw its proposed changes immediately."

The letters also highlight how state and local governments, hospitals, PK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and nonprofits, among others, would bear the burden of compliance. The group's comments also explain how Black communities and other communities of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other underserved communities who rely on the services these organizations provide will suffer the most significant harm.

The full letters can be found here and here.

###

Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.