Trump admin tells agencies to stop considering DEI when handing out govt contracts

The Trump administration revised federal acquisition rules this week requiring the government to stop considering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) when awarding contracts. This change aligns with the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) broader efforts to fundamentally transform federal operations.

The General Services Administration (GSA) on Tuesday announced changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) that are meant to align with the president’s executive order aimed at restoring meritocracy and ending discrimination in the public and private sectors. The move reverses previous Biden administration executive orders that made it mandatory to consider DEI when reviewing contract proposals. 

Elon Musk, who has been leading the charge to radically reform the government, praised the move on X, formerly Twitter, in advance of the GSA’s formal announcement about the changes. “Major FAR reform is needed,” Musk said in a post highlighting GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian’s announcement about the changes. 

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“These actions are the first steps in transforming the FAR into a sensible, common sense guideline to ensure that the federal government is working with industry as an attractive partner for business,” Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. 

“Coming from private industry, I know how convoluted working through government regulations that don’t make sense can be. We’re going to streamline the FAR and make it industry friendly, more efficient, and deliver cost savings and better value.”

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Trump’s Day One executive order, which the GSA is aligning its actions with, directed the federal contracting process to “be streamlined to enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil-rights laws.” The order also commanded the Office of Federal Contract Compliance to “immediately cease” promoting “diversity,” as well as any encouragement of federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in affirmative action-like efforts that consider race, color, sex,…