Biden vows to reverse Trump’s legacy in his first tweet as president

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Joe Biden vowed just minutes after he was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States that he will spend his first day in office undoing much of Donald Trump’s legacy through executive actions.

‘There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face,’ Biden sent in his first tweet as president. ‘That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.’

After laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a tradition for just sworn-in presidents, Biden plans to take his place in the Oval Office and immediately sign 15 executive orders reversing what Trump implemented through his own orders issued over the last four years.

Among the priorities on Day One, Biden plans to sign orders stopping border wall construction, end the ‘Muslim ban’, implement a mask mandate in all federal buildings and reenter the Paris Climate Accord and World Health Organization.

Biden will immediately put an end to the national emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border, which allowed Trump to divert billions from the Defense Department to construction of the southern border wall.

In a promise to stop the spread of coronavirus, the mask mandate will require face coverings and social distancing in all federal buildings, lands and and by all federal employees while they are working.

Indicative of his commitment to mask wearing, all attendees at the inauguration wore masks the whole time other than when they were speaking.

Biden’s team also announced as part of the executive orders spree Wednesday, the incoming president plans to dissolve Trump’s 1776 Commission.

Just two days before the presidential election, Trump established the commission by executive order, claiming the goal of the 18-member group is to write a report on the ‘core principles of the American founding.’

Trump announced he was establishing the commission following a slew of Black Lives Matter demonstrations – and he blamed the school system, claiming ‘the left-wing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools.’

Essentially the commission was created in a rebuttal to schools implementing history curriculum implying systematic racism in American institutions. 

Biden took his oath of office just before noon on Wednesday on the steps of the Capitol.

The ceremony did not include much of the pomp and circumstance of past inaugurations as Trump fled Washington at 8:00 a.m. and refused to greet the incoming president.

Instead of the usual massive crowd at inaugurations, Biden’s swearing in was observed by a much smaller group of lawmakers, former presidents and Washington insiders.

In the midst of the pandemic and emerging safety threats after the storming of the Capitol earlier this month by a mob of pro-Trump protesters, the National Mall was filled with flags rather than people.

After becoming president, Biden immediately began working on signing at least 15 executive orders he promised would take priority from the moment he entered the White House.

IMMIGRATION  

END THE ‘MUSLIM BAN’

‘A priority for Biden is nixing the ban on those traveling to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries – one of Trump’s first orders as president, which was dubbed the ‘Muslim travel ban.’

While Biden plans to reverse the order, his administration vows to improve screening of visitors by strengthening information sharing with foreign governments.

HALT THE WALL 

During Trump’s presidency, more than 400 miles of border wall have been built, whether that be new portions of the wall or improvements to existing fencing. 

Biden will immediately halt ongoing construction of the wall, but will need to review active contracts and how that money could potentially be redirected.

So far, $15 billion in taxpayer dollars have been allocated for more than 700 miles of border wall. It is still unclear how many miles are under contract and what penalties the government would have to pay if they were canceled now.

DACA IS BACK

His orders also seek to fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, a signature effort during the Obama administration that provided hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants protection from deportation and a pathway to citizenship. 

CORONAVIRUS

MASK MANDATE 

Biden’s team has repeatedly promised to take the coronavirus pandemic more seriously and implement more strict public health measures they claim will stop the spread of the disease.

Biden is mandating mask wearing and social distancing in all federal buildings, on federal lands and by federal employees and contractors. He is also challenging Americans to wear a face covering for the first 100 days of his administration.

VACCINE MOVES 

He also shared in unveiling his coronavirus team that his goal is to distribute and administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days as president.

EVICTIONS, FORECLOSURES STAYED AND STUDENT LOAN PAUSE 

On Day One, Biden also plans to extend a moratorium on foreclosures and extend the pause on federal student loan payments, both initiatives started by Trump and extended a few times already in the midst of the pandemic.

BACK INTO WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 

During Trump presidency, he withdrew from several foreign organizations and pacts, which Biden plans to reenter – including the World Health Organization. 

The president withdrew from the World Health Organization in 2020 after accusing it of incompetence in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He also claimed it caved to Chinese pressure over COVID-19 and lamented the U.S. helped fund the group too much.

Biden’s incoming White House coronavirus coordinate Jeff Zients announced top infectious disease experts at National Institute of Health, Dr. Anthony Fauci, will deliver a speech Thursday to the WHO.

In the speech as the new head of the U.S. delegation to WHO, Fauci, who often sparred with Trump over the last year, will lay out how Biden’s administration plans to work with the group on reforms.

CLIMATE  

BACK INTO PARIS ACCORD 

Trump also withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, lamenting it wasn’t fair that the U.S. was funding much of the program aimed at cutting global fossil fuel emissions while other countries, like China, contribute much more to these emissions.

Biden will sign an executive order to rejoin the Paris climate accord, fulfilling a campaign pledge to get back into the global climate pact on Day One.

It will take 30 days for the U.S. to officially be back in. 

CANCEL KEYSTONE XL

In an effort to roll back more of Trump’s climate-related orders, Biden will also revoke a presidential permit for the Keystone XL oil and gas pipeline.

BAN ON ARCTIC DRILLING IS BACK AND EMISSIONS STANDARDS ARE REVIEWED

He also plans to implement a temporary moratorium on new oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and review Trump’s freeze on vehicle and emission standards. 

NATIONAL MONUMENTS ROLLBACK FROZEN 

The incoming president also wants to set in motion an evaluation of Trump’s cut in protections for some national monuments.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON ALL DECISIONS 

Federal agencies under Biden’s presidency will also be issued a new requirement to consider the impact that fossil field emissions have on climate change and how that will affect disadvantaged communities and future generations.  

GOVERNMENT

ETHICS

A pointed order will compel federal employees to take an ethics pledge that commits them to upholding the independence of the Justice Department.

CENSUS: EVERYONE WILL BE COUNTED 

He will revoke a Trump order that sought to exclude illegal immigrants – and other non-citizens who are usually included – from the census.

RACE AND ENVIRONMENT MARCHING ORDERS 

Biden will order a review of all Trump regulations and executive actions that are deemed damaging to the environment or public health. 

He will order federal agencies to prioritize racial equity and review policies that reinforce systemic racism.