After taking office as President of the United States on Wednesday (20), Democrat Joe Biden must sign at least 17 executive orders to directly overturn policies instituted by Donald Trump and correct what he sees as flaws in the legacy of the United States. Republican, or executive branch boundaries, task agencies and government agencies to implement route changes.
According to the new president’s advisory team, the series of decrees is divided into four broad areas classified as “converging crises”: the coronavirus pandemic, the economic crisis, the environment, and immigration and diversity issues.
Key measures include revoking the declaration of emergency that funded the construction of a U.S. border wall, suspending the World Health Organization (WHO) exit process, and reinstating from advice to the White House to coordinate the response to the coronavirus – this Tuesday (19), the United States exceeded 400,000 deaths by Covid-19.
The plans for the first day of the presidency are just the beginning. “In the days and weeks to come, we will be announcing additional executive actions to address these challenges and deliver on the President-elect’s promises to the American people,” said Jen Psaki, spokesperson for the Biden government.
See the list of major decrees Biden is due to sign this Wednesday:
End of the border wall
Biden must revoke the declaration of national emergency that Trump used as a ploy to fund the construction of a U.S. border wall after Congress did not clear the operation.
Planned to keep immigrants out of the country, the wall was one of the main promises of Trump’s successful 2016 campaign. With Biden’s decree, construction will be halted while the government reviews the legality of the funding and its construction contracts .
According to Biden’s team, this and other Trump administration anti-immigration measures were “deeply inhumane and failed to reflect the values” of the United States.
Return of the United States to WHO
Keeping a campaign promise, Biden must reverse Trump’s decision to remove the United States from the WHO membership list. Anthony Fauci, White House adviser and senior US epidemiologist, will be the US envoy to a WHO executive board meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The United States is the largest donor to the WHO – in 2019, the country disbursed $ 400 million (2.12 billion reais, at current price), or about 15% of the budget of the organization based in Geneva.
Trump has blamed the WHO for an increase in the number of coronavirus cases around the world and criticized the entity’s relationship with China, accusing it of turning a blind eye to Beijing’s actions at the start of the pandemic. If not halted, the process of removing the United States from the membership list would be formally concluded on July 6.
Mandatory use of masks
After being mocked by Trump for wearing “oversized” masks, Biden will determine mandatory use of face protection and physical distance on all interstate travel and federal facilities , as well as for all government officials.
The new president will also recommend that all Americans wear masks for 100 days as the United States moves forward with its vaccination plan.
Although on some occasions, under pressure from advisers, Trump recommended wearing masks, he himself was not very keen on the practice, recognized by the scientific community as an effective way to slow the spread of the coronavirus. .
New coordinated response to the pandemic
Biden is expected to re-establish a division of the U.S. National Security Council that was responsible for anticipating public health emergencies – such as a pandemic.
The Directorate of Global Health Security and Bio-Defense was established in 2016, under the Barack Obama administration, and existed until 2018, when the Trump administration dissolved it in a restructuring process and terminated left the country without an “alert system” for public health threats.
On his first day as president, Biden is also due to appoint Jeff Zientes, the head of the coronavirus task force set up during the transition period, as the official coordinator of the US government’s response to Covid-19. , reporting directly to the President. .
Back to the Paris Agreement
The United States under the Trump administration officially quit the Paris Agreement on November 4, the day after the Americans went to the polls to choose their new president. Now Biden must reverse his decision and resume the United States’ commitment to the treaty which seeks ways to reduce climate change around the world.
According to the new government team, a series of “unprecedented” executive orders are also on the list to ensure the United States achieves 100% clean energy savings and zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Economic aid in the pandemic
Biden will ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several federal agencies to extend moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures that have the government as guarantor until at least March 31.
The Education Department will ask the new president to consider extending federal interest on student loans and the payment freeze until at least September 30.
Immigration policy
Another Trump administration measure that will be revoked by Biden is the plan to exclude from the country’s censuses those who are not considered US citizens.
The Democrat will also seek access to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who already live in the United States, including those in temporary situations and the so-called “dreamers,” who have lived in the country since they are children.
Two Trump decrees banning travelers from various African and predominantly Muslim countries will also be rescinded.
The new government team said the president will ask the State Department to find ways to deal with the damage done to those affected by the Republican government’s actions.