Biden orders federal mask mandate and STOPS building Trump’s border wall with 15 executive orders
Joe IMMEDIATELY rips up Trump’s legacy: New President will STOP building border wall, order federal mask mandate, scrap ‘Muslim’ ban, rejoin climate accord and dissolve anti-woke 1776 Commission
- Joe Biden’s first act as president on Wednesday will be signing 15 executive orders essentially undoing much of President Donald Trump’s legacy
- One order will stop construction of the southern border wall – one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises to stop the flow of illegal immigration
- He will also sign a mandate for all federal employees to wear masks and issue an order that all federal buildings and lands require the same
- Other orders include ending the ‘Muslim Ban’, reentering the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Accord and dissolving the new 1776 Commission
Joe Biden’s first act as president Wednesday will center around signing a flurry of executive actions undoing much of what Donald Trump implemented through his own executive orders – like stopping border wall construction, implementing a mask mandate and ending the ‘Muslim Ban.’
After being sworn into office in his noon inauguration ceremony Wednesday, Biden will 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, Biden will also issue a mandate ordering mask wearing and social distancing in all federal buildings and by federal employees while they are working.
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.
Joe Biden’s first act as president on Wednesday afternoon and evening will be signing a series of executive orders essentially undoing much of Donald Trump’s legacy
One order is issuing a mask mandate and social distancing requirements in all federal buildings and lands and for all federal employees
Biden will also sign an order stopping construction of the southern border wall – one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises to stop the flow of illegal immigration by way of Mexico
Biden will take the oath of office Wednesday afternoon on the steps of the Capitol. The ceremony will not include much of the pomp and circumstance of past inaugurations as Trump flees Washington at 8:00 a.m. and refuses to greet the incoming president.
There will also not be the usual crowd for Biden’s swearing in as the pandemic prevails and threats emerged for lawmakers and the incoming administration after the storming of the Capitol earlier this month by a mob of pro-Trump protesters.
After becoming president, Biden will immediately begin work on signing at least 15 executive orders he promised would take priority from the moment he entered the White House.
IMMIGRATION
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.
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.
CORONAVIRUS
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.
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.
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.
One of Trump’s first orders of business when he took office in 2017 was signing an executive order banning all travel from seven Muslim-majority countries (pictured). Biden plans to reverse that action
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
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.
Biden also will reenter the U.S. in the Paris Climate Accord, an organization focused on reducing fossil fuel emissions, and he will revoke a presidential permit for the Keystone XL oil and gas pipeline
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.
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.
The incoming president also wants to set in motion an evaluation of Trump’s cut in protections for some national monuments.
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.
