Trump administration targets certain words, and the bureaucracy pushes back

The following article by Juliet Eilperin and Lena H. Sun was posted on the Washington Post website December 21, 2017:

The Trump administration is prohibiting HHS agencies from using certain words and phrases in official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget. (Monica Akhtar, Juliet Eilperin, Lena Sun/The Washington Post)

The Trump administration is waging a linguistic battle across official Washington, seeking to shift public perception of key policies by changing the way the federal government talks about climate change, scientific evidence and disadvantaged communities.

The push drew fresh attention after employees at the Department of Health and Human Services were told to avoid certain words — including “vulnerable,” “entitlement” and “diversity” — when preparing requests for next year’s budget. But the effort to disappear certain language and replace it with other terms is much broader, sparking resistance from career officials in federal agencies, outside experts and congressional Democrats. Continue reading “Trump administration targets certain words, and the bureaucracy pushes back”