The new president acts to place the US back in the global climate deal and to rejoin the international body on health.
Hours after being sworn in as the 46th US president, Joe Biden will sign a series of executive orders to reverse a number of decisions made by Donald Trump’s administration.
The new orders will include action on the COVID 19 pandemic, Climate Change and racial inequality
It will see the US rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, which came into force in 2016, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Mr Trump withdrew the US from the WHO, which is a UN agency responsible for global public health, despite the coronavirus pandemic continuing to surge across the world.
His decision to take the US out of the Paris climate deal was met with fierce opposition and came as worsening extreme weather events continues to impact on millions of people.
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The US is the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China. During his four years in office, Mr Trump dismissed climate science and rolled back environmental regulation to promote fossil fuel development.
But Mr Biden promised he would reverse these decisions when he was on the campaign trail in a move which will be welcomed by other world leaders.
His decisions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans, will also, come in stark contrast to those of Mr Trump who falsely claimed on multiple occasions it will “disappear”.
Mr Biden will also begin work to “root out systemic racism” and will rescind the 1776 Commission, which was recently issued by Mr Trump as part of his plan for a “patriotic curriculum”.
Here is a breakdown of the executive orders:
Coronavirus relief
Mr Biden will:
Launch a “100 day masking challenge” by signing an executive order requiring masks and social distancing in all federal buildings, federal lands and by federal employees and contractors.
Rejoin the World Health Organization.
Create the position of a COVID-19 response co-ordinator that would report directly to the president and restore the National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense.
Economic relief and helping working families
Ask Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to consider immediately extending the federal eviction moratorium until at least 31 March 2021.
Ask Department of Education to consider immediately extending the pause on interest and principal payments for direct federal loans until at least 30 September 2021.
Climate change
Direct all agencies and departments to review and take actions to address federal regulations and other executive orders that were harmful to public health, the environment, science and other national interests.
Direct agencies to consider revising vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards.
Direct Department of Interior to protect national treasures and place temporary moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the Trump administration had recently opened to development.
Re-establish the Interagency Working Group.
Revoke, revise or replace additional executive orders, presidential proclamations, memorandum and permits signed over the past four years that do not serve the national interest – including revoking the presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL oil pipeline project from Canada.
Racial equity
Begin work to embed equity across federal policymaking and root out systemic racism and other barriers.
Rescind the Trump administration’s 1776 Commission.
Reverse Mr Trump’s order excluding undocumented immigrants from the reapportionment count.
Preserve and fortify protections for DREAMers (which allows protections for people illegally brought to the US as children).
Reverse the Muslim Ban.
Stop border wall construction.
Extend Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians Presidential Memorandum.
Preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
Reinvigorating government trust
Restore public trust by making sure all appointees sign an ethics pledge.
Presidential memorandum: Withdraw the Trump administration’s regulatory process executive order to remove needless obstacles to regulating in the public’s interest.
Issue a regulatory freeze to pause any new regulations from moving forward and give the Biden administration an opportunity to review any Trump administration regulations.
