In his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed several executive actions, some of which reversed the decisions of his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
Executive action will make changes to the U.S. response to COVID-19 and try to alleviate some of the financial pressure from Americans resulting from the pandemic. But other executive actions are directly targeted at Mr. Trump’s actions and undo them the environment, immigration, the U.S. Census and Regulatory Changes.
Biden signed three executive orders in the presence of journalists: the implementation of a mask mandate on federal property, increased support for underserved communities, and incorporation into the Paris climate agreement.
“I thought there was no time to wait. Start working immediately,” he told reporters.
Evan Vucci / AP
Biden called the letter Trump left him “generous,” but said he would not divulge the contents because they are “private.”
The main incoming advisers from the White House in Biden outlined and described the actions in a press conference Tuesday evening. Biden’s aides also promised there would be more to come.
“In the coming days and weeks we will announce additional executive actions to meet these challenges and fulfill the promises of the president-elect to the American people, including the repeal of the ban on military service by transgender Americans and the reversal of policy. of Mexico City “. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Below is a breakdown of CBS News of Mr. Biden’s first 15 executive orders and the two executive actions he was expected to sign on Wednesday:
Answer COVID-19
Start a “100-day masking challenge.” requesting a national face mask and a social distancing warrant on federal buildings, on federal land, and by federal employees and contractors.
Restructure federal government coordination for the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden White House recovers an Obama-era position, called the “Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense,” which was organized with additional staff within the National Security Council after the Ebola epidemic of 2014. This leadership office dispersed into other functions during the Trump administration, but Biden and his campaign advisers argued that the measure diminished the federal government’s readiness for the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden will also formally implement a “response coordinator” who will inform the president about the production, supply and distribution of personal vaccine protection equipment, testing and personal protection. Biden has appointed Jeff Zients, who has been overseeing Mr. Bovid’s COVID-19 team. Biden for the presidential transition.
Meet at the World Health Organization (WHO), that the Trump administration was in the process of abandoning. Biden also wants to re-establish the US as an active WHO leader.
Financial relief for Americans
Extend eviction and foreclosure moratoriums. To do so, Biden will ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to re-implement and extend the moratorium that has already disappeared until at least March 31. The new president will also convene the departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development and Veterans. Issues to extend federal-backed mortgage foreclosure moratoriums. “These emergency measures are important,” said Brian Deese, Mr. Deese’s chief economic adviser. Biden, in the call with reporters, “there are more than 11 million mortgages secured by the VA, the Department of Agriculture and the HUD that would be extended.”
Continue to “stop” student loan payments until September 30th. Biden advisers continue to say Biden still supports campaign commitment to cancel $ 10,000 student loans, but this will take time as it will have to go through Congress.
Natural environment
Meet the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris climate negotiations were conducted under the Obama administration and were led by incoming climate change tsar John Kerry when he was secretary of state. This will take 30 days to take effect.
Complete the Keystone XL pipeline and revoke oil and gas development at national wildlife monuments. To do so, Biden climate adviser Gina McCarthy explained that the Biden administration will rule out or refer more than 100 “harmful” presidential proclamations, memoranda, or permits signed by the Trump administration that the new administration considers harmful. for the environment.
Revocation of permits will effectively remove the Keystone pipeline. Biden will also reverse the Trump administration’s 2020 decision to allow land development at the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monuments in New England, which were destined for life. savage protection of former President Obama in 2016. Other changes include directing agencies to “consider revising economic and vehicle fuel emission standards” and placing federal working groups to deal with greenhouse gases. greenhouse effect, according to a scheme of executive orders.
Human rights
Actions to promote racial equity through the federal government. Susan Rice, an incoming national policy advisor, explained that President Biden wants all federal agencies to review equity in their programs and actions. For example, with this executive action, the Office of Management and Budget will analyze whether federal money is distributed equitably to communities of color and other places of need, it was said in the executive action scheme. Rice also said Trump’s “noxious” 1776 commission, the 18-member board he formed in September, would be halted. The commission’s goal was to study the president’s concern that the U.S. education system adopt an overly liberal approach to American history.
Recount non-US Census citizens. This reverses President Trump’s order in July 2020 not to count undocumented Americans, which would affect federal money allocation and federal representation. Rice, in Wednesday’s press conference, said Trump’s was an “approach that violates the Constitution and the Census Act and is inconsistent with our nation’s history and our commitment to representative democracy.” The Biden team’s outline of the executive order said Biden “will ensure that the Census Bureau will have time to complete an accurate population count for each state” and that it will “present to Congress a fair distribution and it is necessary for federal resources to be efficient and distributed fairly for the next decade. ”
Strengthen protections against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In agencies, this expands federal protections against sex discrimination to include LGBTQ Americans.
Immigration
He advocates for the “Dreamers” program for undocumented young Americans. Mr. Biden, in this executive order, calls on Congress to grant permanent status and a path to citizenship to the Dreamers, nearly one million undocumented youth who were brought into the country as children and protected from deportation by the president Obama. The Trump administration challenged the law, but the Supreme Court upheld it.
End the so-called “Muslim travel ban” that in 2017 it restricted travel and immigration to the U.S. from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, before adding Eritrea, Nigeria, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, and Tanzania in 2020. State Department to restart visa applications. for these countries.
Change Trump’s arrest priorities for immigration and customs (ICE) ). This executive order will repeal the changes Mr. Trump made in the first week of his presidency in 2017 to make domestic immigration control much stricter. Few details were detailed in the executive order outline, but the incoming Biden White House team stated that the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with other agencies, will establish immigration enforcement policies. that better protect the American people and are in line with our values and priorities. ”
It stops the construction of border walls. Biden will end the national emergency statement cited by the Trump administration to divert money to the South Wall building.
Keep protections for a group of Liberians in the country. Liberians who have been in the United States for many years will be able to stay longer. His “exit from the deferred application” will be extended one more year, until June 30, 2022. President Trump briefly considered ending this postponement before extending the program.
Regulation
Freeze the Trump administration’s regulatory actions at the last minute. Technically, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain will be in charge of carrying it out and a presidential note will formally set out the regulations that will be frozen.
Ethics
Formulate the ethical doctrine of the Executive Branch. Mr Biden wants all members of the executive branch to sign a promise of ethics. The promise also requires federal employees to pledge to “maintain the independence of the Justice Department,” the executive order structure indicates.