Trump’s budget would cut funds to center Ivanka visited

In February, Ivanka Trump made a quiet visit to the Raymond V. Haysbert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Greater Baltimore Urban League, part of an effort to better understand economic policy as it affects minority-owned small businesses.

Her father, President Trump, has proposed eliminating one of the agencies that funds that center, the Economic Development Agency (EDA) in the Commerce Department.

“It would eliminate the center. It would make it impossible for us to move forward,” said Urban League CEO Marc Morial.

Trump wants to eliminate the $251 million program, which is designed to provide assistance to economically distressed communities. A $300,000 EDA grant matched by private donations helped the Urban League found the Haysbert Center last year. 

{mosads}“When Ivanka came to visit, part of it was to help her see the work we are doing,” Morial said. 

“I think that Ivanka was favorable to the people and favorable to what we were able to do. Programs like this grow jobs, and marry public and private dollars,” he added.

At an Appropriations hearing Thursday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) lamented the proposed closure of the EDA and noted that Ivanka Trump had spoken favorably of the center that benefited from it.

“She talked about the important work that was being done at that center to encourage economic activity,” he said.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross agreed that the program’s elimination was an “unpleasant and difficult choice” given that it had been “effective.”  

Morial said he hopes the program will be saved in congressional budget deliberations. 

“I don’t think this is the last word. I think this is the opening proposal for the White House,” he said.