Airport Alert: President-elect Biden Outlines Day One Executive Actions
January 20, 2021
Of note, the President-elect will launch a "100 Day Masking Challenge" and require effective today masks and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands, and by federal employees. We expect a similar requirement for masks for interstate travel as early as tomorrow that will likely follow guidance issued by the CDC.
On the regulatory front, the new administration will direct all executive departments and agencies to immediately review and take appropriate action to address federal regulations and other executive actions taken during the last four years that were "harmful to public health, damaging to the environment, unsupported by the best available science, or otherwise not in the national interest." Additionally, the President-elect will "re-establish the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and direct the issuance of an interim social cost of GHG schedule to ensure that agencies account for the full costs of GHG emissions, including climate risk, environmental justice and intergenerational equity." Finally, the Biden Administration will act to "withdraw the Trump Administration's regulatory process executive orders, direct OMB to develop recommendations for improving and modernizing regulatory review, and issue a regulatory freeze that will pause for review any new regulations the Trump Administration tried to finalize in its last days." These actions are likely to impact ongoing efforts to reform the NEPA process, put a bigger focus on GHG emissions, and eliminate the Trump "2-for-1" executive order that required agencies to rescind two regulations for every one that was created.
The incoming President will also act to reverse the Muslim travel ban, which initially applied to Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. Last year, the list was expanded to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Additional information included in the document released this morning follows:
Launch a "100 Days Masking Challenge" and Leading by Example in the Federal Government
Today, President-elect Biden is launching his "100 Days Masking Challenge," asking the American people to do their part - their patriotic duty - and mask up for 100 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that masks "are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease." President-elect Biden is also doing his part by issuing an Executive Order today requiring masks and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors. He is also asking the Department of Health and Human Services and Center for Disease Control to engage with state, local, Tribal, and territorial officials to implement masking, physical distancing, and other CDC public measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Roll Back President Trump's Environmental Actions in Order to Protect Public Health and the Environment and Restore Science
Today, President-elect Biden will sign an Executive Order that takes critical first steps to address the climate crisis, create good union jobs, and advance environmental justice, while reversing the previous administration's harmful policies. The order jumpstarts swift, initial action to tackle the climate crisis by:
Regulatory Process Executive Order and Presidential Memorandum
Regulations are an important tool for the federal government to address the crises facing the nation. The Trump Administration unnecessarily hamstrung this critical tool by creating arbitrary obstacles to regulatory action. Today, the president-elect will issue a Presidential Memorandum withdrawing the Trump Administration's regulatory process executive orders to remove those needless obstacles to regulating in the public's interest. And, the president-elect will direct the Director of the OMB to develop recommendations for improving and modernizing regulatory review. These recommendations will create a process to advance regulations that promote public health and safety, economic growth, social welfare, racial justice, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity, and the interests of future generations.
Today, the White House Chief of Staff will also issue a regulatory freeze memo that will pause any new regulations from moving forward and give the incoming Administration an opportunity to review any regulations that the Trump Administration tried to finalize in its last days. The memo directs all agencies to confer with the Director of OMB before renewing any regulatory activity. This action will allow the Biden Administration to prevent any detrimental so-called "midnight regulations" from taking effect, while ensuring that urgent measures in the public's interest can proceed.
Reverse the Muslim Ban
The president-elect will sign an Executive Action putting an end to the Muslim Ban, a policy rooted in religious animus and xenophobia. It repeals Proclamations 9645 and 9983, which restrict entry into the United States from primarily Muslim and African countries, and instructs the State Department to restart visa processing for affected countries and to swiftly develop a proposal to restore fairness and remedy the harms caused by the bans, especially for individuals stuck in the waiver process and those who had immigrant visas denied. This is an important step in providing relief to individuals and families harmed by this Trump Administration policy that is inconsistent with American values. The Executive Action also provides for the strengthening of screening and vetting for travelers by enhancing information sharing with foreign governments and capacity building with our partners, and directs reviews of other Trump Administration "extreme vetting" practices.
Of note, the President-elect will launch a "100 Day Masking Challenge" and require effective today masks and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands, and by federal employees. We expect a similar requirement for masks for interstate travel as early as tomorrow that will likely follow guidance issued by the CDC.
On the regulatory front, the new administration will direct all executive departments and agencies to immediately review and take appropriate action to address federal regulations and other executive actions taken during the last four years that were "harmful to public health, damaging to the environment, unsupported by the best available science, or otherwise not in the national interest." Additionally, the President-elect will "re-establish the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and direct the issuance of an interim social cost of GHG schedule to ensure that agencies account for the full costs of GHG emissions, including climate risk, environmental justice and intergenerational equity." Finally, the Biden Administration will act to "withdraw the Trump Administration's regulatory process executive orders, direct OMB to develop recommendations for improving and modernizing regulatory review, and issue a regulatory freeze that will pause for review any new regulations the Trump Administration tried to finalize in its last days." These actions are likely to impact ongoing efforts to reform the NEPA process, put a bigger focus on GHG emissions, and eliminate the Trump "2-for-1" executive order that required agencies to rescind two regulations for every one that was created.
The incoming President will also act to reverse the Muslim travel ban, which initially applied to Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. Last year, the list was expanded to include Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Additional information included in the document released this morning follows:
Launch a "100 Days Masking Challenge" and Leading by Example in the Federal Government
Today, President-elect Biden is launching his "100 Days Masking Challenge," asking the American people to do their part - their patriotic duty - and mask up for 100 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that masks "are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease." President-elect Biden is also doing his part by issuing an Executive Order today requiring masks and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors. He is also asking the Department of Health and Human Services and Center for Disease Control to engage with state, local, Tribal, and territorial officials to implement masking, physical distancing, and other CDC public measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Roll Back President Trump's Environmental Actions in Order to Protect Public Health and the Environment and Restore Science
Today, President-elect Biden will sign an Executive Order that takes critical first steps to address the climate crisis, create good union jobs, and advance environmental justice, while reversing the previous administration's harmful policies. The order jumpstarts swift, initial action to tackle the climate crisis by:
- Directing all executive departments and agencies to immediately review and take appropriate action to address federal regulations and other executive actions taken during the last four years that were harmful to public health, damaging to the environment, unsupported by the best available science, or otherwise not in the national interest, including agency actions identified on the attached list;
- Directing agencies to consider revising vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards, methane emissions standards, and appliance and building efficiency standards to ensure that such standards cut pollution, save consumers money, and create good union jobs;
- Directing the Department of Interior to protect our nation's treasures by reviewing the boundaries and conditions of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Bears Ears, Northeast Canyons, and Seamounts Marine National Monuments and placing a temporary moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
- Re-establishing the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and directing the issuance of an interim social cost of GHG schedule to ensure that agencies account for the full costs of GHG emissions, including climate risk, environmental justice and intergenerational equity; and
- Revoking, revising, or replacing additional Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, Memoranda, and Permits signed over the past 4 years that do not serve the U.S. national interest, including revoking the Presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Regulatory Process Executive Order and Presidential Memorandum
Regulations are an important tool for the federal government to address the crises facing the nation. The Trump Administration unnecessarily hamstrung this critical tool by creating arbitrary obstacles to regulatory action. Today, the president-elect will issue a Presidential Memorandum withdrawing the Trump Administration's regulatory process executive orders to remove those needless obstacles to regulating in the public's interest. And, the president-elect will direct the Director of the OMB to develop recommendations for improving and modernizing regulatory review. These recommendations will create a process to advance regulations that promote public health and safety, economic growth, social welfare, racial justice, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity, and the interests of future generations.
Today, the White House Chief of Staff will also issue a regulatory freeze memo that will pause any new regulations from moving forward and give the incoming Administration an opportunity to review any regulations that the Trump Administration tried to finalize in its last days. The memo directs all agencies to confer with the Director of OMB before renewing any regulatory activity. This action will allow the Biden Administration to prevent any detrimental so-called "midnight regulations" from taking effect, while ensuring that urgent measures in the public's interest can proceed.
Reverse the Muslim Ban
The president-elect will sign an Executive Action putting an end to the Muslim Ban, a policy rooted in religious animus and xenophobia. It repeals Proclamations 9645 and 9983, which restrict entry into the United States from primarily Muslim and African countries, and instructs the State Department to restart visa processing for affected countries and to swiftly develop a proposal to restore fairness and remedy the harms caused by the bans, especially for individuals stuck in the waiver process and those who had immigrant visas denied. This is an important step in providing relief to individuals and families harmed by this Trump Administration policy that is inconsistent with American values. The Executive Action also provides for the strengthening of screening and vetting for travelers by enhancing information sharing with foreign governments and capacity building with our partners, and directs reviews of other Trump Administration "extreme vetting" practices.
