Rep. Mark Takano Condemns Trump Proposal to Eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Moving responsibilities to underfunded EEOC would harm American workers
Washington, DC – Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) today condemned the proposal in the Trump Administration’s FY2018 budget to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and reassign its responsibilities to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Though both are tasked with addressing civil rights issues related to employment, the purposes of the OFCCP and the EEOC are distinct. The OFCCP ensures that federal contractors comply with federal standards related to workplace diversity, pay equity, and civil rights, and deals with complicated federal procurement issues that are well beyond the scope of EEOC policies. Moving the responsibilities of the OFCCP to the EEOC would hinder the enforcement of federal standards, and endanger the rights of federal contractor employees, especially minorities, women, veterans, and LGBT Americans.
“The OFCCP is a proactive agency that holds federal contractors to high standards. It ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent in ways that advance economic opportunities for all Americans, both by establishing strict expectations prior to approving the hiring of federal contractors, and by working with contractors after they are hired to enforce compliance. Its broad powers can only be deployed effectively by an agency that is focused on a very specific mission and staffed by employees with extensive expertise. The EEOC is a reactive agency that responds to complaints regarding private sector employers, and its current funding and staff are not sufficient to take on the work of the OFCCP,” said Rep. Takano.
Among the OFCCP’s responsibilities are enforcing laws that require federal contractors to actively recruit qualified veterans and those that protect against discrimination based on numerous criteria, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Unlike the EEOC, the OFCCP is charged with conducting systemic compliance reviews of federal contractors, and it has the power to proactively request data from contractors.
“Both the OFCCP and the EEOC do essential work and provide important support to American workers. I have long been an advocate for increasing funding for the EEOC to allow it to clear its backlog of complaints. To move the work of the OFCCP to the EEOC would greatly exacerbate the challenges facing the EEOC and harm the workers who depend on the protections guaranteed by both agencies,” said Rep. Takano.
Rep. Takano’s concerns about merging the two agencies have been mirrored by civil and workers’ rights groups, as well as business organizations including the Chamber of Commerce.
Press Contact
Richard McPike, 202-225-2305
Next Article Previous Article