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Boosting the economy was the key issue during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
Plans to reduce inflation, cut taxes, create good jobs, reviving American manufacturing and others were part of the national policy platform greenlit by the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
But affirmative action for businesses isn’t part of that plan, which some say leaves many minority communities behind.
The Republican National Committee didn’t include any minority contracting or U.S. Small Business support programs as part of its policy agenda. But the Trump campaign says that he will create policies to build generational wealth for minority families.
“By reducing regulations, implementing tax cuts, lowering inflation, and creating quality jobs, his administration created a more favorable environment for entrepreneurship and job growth in our communities,” said Janiyah Thomas, the Black Media Director for the Trump Campaign in a statement to WHYY News.
Likewise, senior campaign advisor Steven Cheung said in a statement, Trump “created an environment where diversity, equal opportunity, and prosperity were afforded to everybody.”
The Republican National Committee’s policy platform includes sweeping changes meant to spur the economy that mirror Trump’s plans: curbing inflation, industry deregulation, restoring the American manufacturing sector and tax cuts.
“The Republican Party must return to its roots as the party of industry, manufacturing, infrastructure and workers,” according to the RNC’s policy framework.
But it’s unclear what the Republican National Committee’s stance might be on affirmative action policies for businesses — such as minority contracting goals for federal agencies — because the 28-page document doesn’t address it.
The Trump campaign’s policy platform includes the same issues as the Republican National Committee policies, which do not directly address any minority contracting programs, contract set-asides or access to capital support.
