As he promised, President Joe Biden spent the first day of his term walking back Donald Trump’s legacy and establishing a new order through a flurry of executive actions.
He signed 17 in total, more than half of which reversed a Trump-era policy. Here is the full list:
The “100 Days Masking Challenge”
In a 180-degree pivot from Trump’s dismissal of the most basic coronavirus safety measures, Biden is asking all Americans to commit to 100 days of mask-wearing. While Biden doesn’t have the power to mandate such a thing at the state or local level, this executive action will require masks and social distancing in all federal buildings and lands and by all federal contractors.
Stopping the withdrawal from WHO
Biden is halting the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization, which Trump was in the middle of doing. The former president had announced those plans in May, baselessly accusing WHO of inadequately responding to the coronavirus because China has “total control” over the organization.
Centralizing COVID-19 roles
Biden is creating an official COVID-19 response coordinator, who will report to the president on vaccines, testing and other responses to the pandemic. The president has appointed Jeff Zients, who was overseeing the presidential transition team’s coronavirus plans, for the role. Biden is also reestablishing an Obama-era position called the directorate for global health security and biodefense, which was first created in the wake of the 2014 Ebola epidemic. Trump had divided the duties of that role among other positions.
Extending eviction and foreclosure moratorium
This action extends the current moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through at least March 31, ensuring protections for Americans at risk of losing their homes during the pandemic.
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