The Transportation Department initiative, which serves an estimated 49,000 contractors, was a key lifeline for many minority- and women-owned businesses.

The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed ending a four-decade-old program that mandates the hiring of minority- and women-owned businesses for federal transportation contracts. It could have major implications for thousands…

The president’s move to revoke a ban on discrimination in federal contracting could have a chilling effect, but it will take an act of Congress to dismantle current programs.