President Biden’s day one executive actions
The cancellation of Keystone XL pipeline directly affects Canada
On his first day in office, Biden issued 17 executive orders, presidential memoranda and agency directives, from directing the Covid-19 pandemic response to canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. Nine of the 17 actions directly reverse former President Donald Trump’s policies.
| topic | reversal | summary |
| Immigration | Yes | Undoes Trump’s expansion of immigration enforcement within the United States |
| Coronavirus | Yes | Stops the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, with Dr. Anthony Fauci becoming the head of the delegation to the WHO |
| Immigration | Yes | Reverses the Trump administration’s restrictions on US entry for passport holders from seven Muslim-majority countries |
| Equity | Yes | Rescinds the Trump administration’s 1776 Commission, directs agencies to review their actions to ensure racial equity |
| Census | Yes | Requires non-citizens to be included in the Census and apportionment of congressional representatives |
| Ethics | No | Requires executive branch appointees to sign an ethics pledge barring them from acting in personal interest and requiring them to uphold the independence of the Department of Justice |
| Environment | Yes | Rejoins the Paris climate accord, a process that will take 30 days |
| Equity | No | Prevents workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity |
| Coronavirus | No | Launches a “100 Days Masking Challenge” asking Americans to wear masks for 100 days. Requires masks and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands and by government contractors, and urges states and local governments to do the same. |
| Immigration | Yes | Halts construction of the border wall by terminating the national emergency declaration used to fund it |
| Immigration | No | Fortifies DACA after Trump’s efforts to undo protections for undocumented people brought into the country as children |
| Economy | No | Extends the existing pause on student loan payments and interest for Americans with federal student loans until at least September 30 |
| Economy | No | Extends the existing nationwide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures until at least March 31 |
| Immigration | No | Extends deferrals of deportation and work authorizations for Liberians with a safe haven in the United States until June 30, 2022 |
| Regulation | Yes | Directs OMB director to develop recommendations to modernize regulatory review and undoes Trump’s regulatory approval process |
| Coronavirus | No | Creates the position of Covid-19 Response Coordinator, reporting directly to Biden and managing efforts to produce and distribute vaccines and medical equipment |
| Environment | Yes | Cancels the Keystone XL pipeline and directs agencies to review and reverse more than 100 Trump actions on the environment |
CNN.com