(CNN)President Joe Biden is finalizing 17 executive moves just hours after his inauguration Wednesday, moving faster and more aggressively to dismantle his predecessor's legacy than any other modern president.
Biden is signing a flurry of executive orders, memorandums and directives to agencies, his first steps to address the coronavirus pandemic and undo some of former President Donald Trump's signature policies.
"There's no time to start like today," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office as he began signing a stack of orders and memoranda. "I'm going to start by keeping the promises I made to the American people."
With the stroke of a pen, Biden has halted funding for the construction of Trump's border wall, reversed his travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries and embraced progressive policies on the environment and diversity that Trump spent four years blocking.
Biden also reversed several of Trump's attempts to withdraw from international agreements, beginning the process of rejoining the Paris climate accord and halting the United States' departure from the World Health Organization -- where Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, will lead the US delegation.
His first action was to impose a mask mandate on federal property, a break in approach to dealing with the pandemic from Trump, who repeatedly downplayed the virus. Biden also installed a coronavirus response coordinator to oversee the White House's efforts to distribute vaccines and medical supplies.
Press secretary Jen Psaki and other top Biden officials had told reporters on the eve of his inauguration that the first-day actions are only part of what will be a series of moves to undo Trump policies and implement Biden's campaign promises in his first weeks in office.
He plans to follow Inauguration Day by centering each day of January on a specific theme, according to a draft of a calendar document sent to administration allies and viewed by CNN.
Thursday, Biden's first full day in office, will be focused on the coronavirus pandemic, and Friday will highlight Biden's push for economic relief -- including executive orders restoring federal employees' collective bargaining rights and directing agency action on safety net programs, including Medicaid and unemployment insurance.
The themes next week will be "Buy American," with a Monday executive order beefing up requirements for government purchases of goods and services from US companies; equity on Tuesday, coupled with a push to eliminate private prisons; climate on Wednesday with an executive order kicking off regulatory actions reestablishing the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and combating climate change; health care on Thursday, a day on which Biden will rescind the so-called Mexico City Policy blocking federal funding for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion services; and immigration on Friday, when Biden plans to sign executive orders focused on border processing and refugee policies and establish a family reunification task force.
February will focus on what's identified in the calendar document as "restoring America's place in the world."
Here's a look at the 17 actions Biden took on his first day in office:
President Joe Biden took 17 executive actions on Day One
On his first day in office, Biden issued 17 executive orders, presidential memoranda and agency directives, from directing the Covid-19 pandemic response to canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. Nine of the 17 actions directly reverse former President Donald Trump's policies.
|
|
|
Coronavirus |
No |
Launches a "100 Days Masking Challenge" asking Americans to wear masks for 100 days. Requires masks and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands and by government contractors, and urges states and local governments to do the same. |
Coronavirus |
Yes |
Stops the United States' withdrawal from the World Health Organization, with Dr. Anthony Fauci becoming the head of the delegation to the WHO |
Coronavirus |
No |
Creates the position of Covid-19 Response Coordinator, reporting directly to Biden and managing efforts to produce and distribute vaccines and medical equipment |
Economy |
No |
Extends the existing nationwide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures until at least March 31 |
Economy |
No |
Extends the existing pause on student loan payments and interest for Americans with federal student loans until at least September 30 |
Environment |
Yes |
Rejoins the Paris climate accord, a process that will take 30 days |
Environment |
Yes |
Cancels the Keystone XL pipeline and directs agencies to review and reverse more than 100 Trump actions on the environment |
Equity |
Yes |
Rescinds the Trump administration's 1776 Commission, directs agencies to review their actions to ensure racial equity |
Equity |
No |
Prevents workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity |
Census |
Yes |
Requires non-citizens to be included in the Census and apportionment of congressional representatives |
Immigration |
No |
Fortifies DACA after Trump's efforts to undo protections for undocumented people brought into the country as children |
Immigration |
Yes |
Reverses the Trump administration's restrictions on US entry for passport holders from seven Muslim-majority countries |
Immigration |
Yes |
Undoes Trump's expansion of immigration enforcement within the United States |
Immigration |
Yes |
Halts construction of the border wall by terminating the national emergency declaration used to fund it |
Immigration |
No |
Extends deferrals of deportation and work authorizations for Liberians with a safe haven in the United States until June 30, 2022 |
Ethics |
No |
Requires executive branch appointees to sign an ethics pledge barring them from acting in personal interest and requiring them to uphold the independence of the Department of Justice |
Regulation |
Yes |
Directs OMB director to develop recommendations to modernize regulatory review and undoes Trump's regulatory approval process |
Source :
CNN