Donald Trump's DOT will prioritize areas with higher 'marriage and birth rates'

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Department of Transportation Headquarters in Washington, DC

The memo directs DOT employees to "give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average."

A new Department of Transportation memo orders agency staff to "give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average."

The memo from the office of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, obtained by HuffPost, encompasses all existing grants, loans, and contracts through the DOT, directing employees to prioritize projects for areas home to more “families with young children.”

"To the maximum extent permitted by law, DOT-supported or -assisted programs and activities, including without limitation, all DOT grants, loans, contracts, and DOT-supported or -assisted State contracts, shall prioritize projects and goals that: ... mitigate the unique impacts of DOT programs, policies, and activities on families and family- specific difficulties, such as the accessibility of transportation to families with young children, and give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average (including in administering the Federal Transit Administration's capital Investment Grant program)," the memo states.

The only states with both marriage and birth rates higher than the national average are South Dakota and Utah, according to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The same provision "prohibit[s] recipients of DOT support or assistance from imposing vaccine and mask mandates," as well as "require[s] local compliance with Federal immigration enforcement," meaning that sanctuary cities could risk losing federal transportation funding if they do not comply with immigration officers.