US President Joe Biden signed 15 executive actions shortly after being sworn on Wednesday. He undid policies put in place by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. Biden made his first moves on the pandemic and climate change, he lifts the Muslim Ban as well.
The new US president signed several actions in front of reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon. Biden said there was “no time to waste” in issuing the executive orders, memorandums and directives.
“Some of the executive actions I’m going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis. We’re going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far and advance racial equity and support other underserved communities” said Biden. “These are just all starting points”
Aides said the actions the Democratic president signed included a mask mandate on federal property and for federal employees. It includes an order to establish a new White House office coordinating the response to the coronavirus. It also includes halting the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization.
Biden signs 15 executive actions
Biden signed a document to begin the process of re-entering the Paris climate accord. He issued a sweeping order tackling climate change, said Reuters. It included revoking the presidential permit granted to the contentious Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Joe Biden revoked Trump’s emergency declaration that helped fund the construction of a border wall. Biden also lifts a travel ban on some majority-Muslim countries.
Biden is the 46th president of the US. He had told Muslims that as president, Islam will be treated like other faiths under him. Biden’s promise to Muslims had won many hearts.
The Day One plans were just a flurry of executive actions Biden would take soon, said press secretary, Jen Psaki.
“In the coming days and weeks, we will be announcing additional executive actions that confront these challenges and deliver on the president-elect’s promises to the American people,” Psaki said.
Further actions would include revoking the ban on military service by transgender Americans. Also reversing a policy that blocks US funding for programs overseas linked to abortion.
On the economic front, Biden asked the US Centers for Disease Control. He asked for Prevention to extend a moratorium on evictions until the end of March. He asked the Department of Education to suspend student loan payments until the end of September.
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