Press Releases

In a signing statement issued on May 5th concerning the omnibus spending bill, Donald Trump indicated he may no longer fund a decades old program that helps finance construction projects for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, asserting they  “allocate benefits on the basis of race, ethnicity, and gender,” and that his administration would treat those programs “in a manner consistent with the requirement to afford equal protection of the law under the Due Process Clause of the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.”’

In response, Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following joint statement:

“In his signing statement on the Omnibus appropriations bill, Trump signaled that he may not implement construction funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities due to supposed constitutional concerns.  Trump’s statement is not only misinformed factually, it is not grounded in any serious constitutional analysis.  For a President who pledged to reach out to African-Americans and other minorities, this statement is stunningly careless and divisive.  We urge him to reconsider immediately.”