It has been a long year. The ramp up of Trump insanity compounded with the coronavirus has made many feel we’ve been living in the twilight zone. Nonetheless, we persisted. November brought us a new President who has now been rightfully sworn in.
2021 will be a year for renewal and a year, I think, of firsts. Starting right out of the gate with the first female in the vice presidential seat.
My kids didn’t understand why I was reacting this way and it hit me… because I raised them to believe this was normal and acceptable even when I didn’t really think I would live to see it. So, at least in this I might be an okay parent.
Biden came out fighting immediately on the 21st. Signing multiple executive orders, proclamations and memos. You can read them in full on the White House Briefing Room page.
Here are just some of the highlights:
Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Generically states to stop deporting kids and go back to following the Obama administration guidelines.
Reinstating Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians
- Extends the time for Liberians in country (with temporary protected status) to apply for citizenship through 6/30/2022. This was previously extended by Bush, Obama (3/31/2018) and Trump (1/10/2021).
Proclamation on the Termination Of Emergency With Respect To The Southern Border Of The United States And Redirection Of Funds Diverted To Border Wall Construction
- “…building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution. It is a waste of money that diverts attention from genuine threats to our homeland security.”
- “…the national emergency declared by Proclamation 9844, and continued on February 13, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 8715), and January 15, 2021, is terminated…”
- In a nutshell, all efforts to build a wall are defunded and stopped.
Executive Order on Ethic Commitments Executive Branch Personnel
- This is a pretty big deal if it sticks… it forces all appointees after 1/21/2021 to agree (officially sign) to an ethics clause and commitment to public service for the good of the people.
- No accepting lobbyist gifts
- No interaction with partiesprior employers for 2 years after appointment
- No participation in prior lobbying activities
- No working in an area for which they previously lobbied
- No lobbying for 2 years after departure
- No accepting cashsalarypayouts from outside their appointment
- Any hiring will be based strictly on qualifications.
- Any waiver requested must be reviewedapproved by the Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
- Violating the agreement is grounds for dismissal.
Regulatory Review
- “…direct the Director of OMB, in consultation with representatives of executive departments and agencies (agencies), as appropriate and as soon as practicable, to begin a process with the goal of producing a set of recommendations for improving and modernizing regulatory review. These recommendations should provide concrete suggestions on how the regulatory review process can promote public health and safety, economic growth, social welfare, racial justice, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity, and the interests of future generations. The recommendations should also include proposals that would ensure that regulatory review serves as a tool to affirmatively promote regulations that advance these values.”
Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation
- You really need to read Section 1 for yourself – “All persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.”
- “The head of each agency shall, as soon as practicable and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, including the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.), consider whether to revise, suspend, or rescind such agency actions, or promulgate new agency actions, as necessary to fully implement statutes that prohibit sex discrimination…”
Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis
- Another one you really need to read through yourself, there are a lot of details.
- “…It is, therefore, the policy of my Administration to listen to the science; to improve public health and protect our environment…”
- “…take action to address the promulgation of Federal regulations and other actions during the last 4 years that conflict with these important national objectives, and to immediately commence work to confront the climate crisis.”
- Directs all agencies to review and repairrestore all changes, rules, etc to conform to science. Specifically changes made between 1/20/2017 – 1/20/2021. Four categories are called out:
- Reducing Methane Emissions in the Oil and Gas Sector
- Establishing Ambitious, Job-Creating Fuel Economy Standards
- Job-Creating Appliance- and Building-Efficiency Standards
- Protecting Our Air from Harmful Pollution
- In support of this he also recommitted to the Paris Climate Accords, Stopped the XL Pipeline through native lands and stopped oil drilling in Alaskan federal lands.
Executive Order on Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census
- Goes into detail about how the census is used to appoint State Representatives and why the “the whole number of persons in each State” should be counted, to include immigrants.
- Revokes the Trump Presidential Memorandum of July 21, 2020 (Excluding Illegal Aliens From the Apportionment Base Following the 2020 Census) and Executive Order 13880 of July 11, 2019 (Collecting Information About Citizenship Status in Connection With the Decennial Census).
Executive Order on Revocation of Certain Executive Orders Concerning Federal Regulation
- This is a big one reversing many tRump orders that were (a)stupid, (b) harmful, (c) unconstitutional, (D) ALL OF THE ABOVE. Seriously though, all of the revoked orders had removed the ability of the affected agencies to work efficiently by removing or hindering their regulatory powers.
- Revokes the following nonsense (do not be fooled by the names):
- Executive Order 13771 of January 30, 2017 (Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs)
- Executive Order 13777 of February 24, 2017 (Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda)
- Executive Order 13875 of June 14, 2019 (Evaluating and Improving the Utility of Federal Advisory Committees)
- Executive Order 13891 of October 9, 2019 (Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents)
- Executive Order 13892 of October 9, 2019 (Promoting the Rule of Law Through Transparency and Fairness in Civil Administrative Enforcement and Adjudication)
- Executive Order 13893 of October 10, 2019 (Increasing Government Accountability for Administrative Actions by Reinvigorating Administrative PAYGO)
Executive Order on the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities
- 100 day moratorium on all deportations
- Revokes Executive Order 13768 of January 25, 2017 (Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States)
- This order had to do with denying ‘sanctuary cities’ federal grant money. It was challenged in court and found unconstitutional in Nov 2017.
Executive Order on Organizing and Mobilizing the United States Government to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID-19 and to Provide United States Leadership on Global Health and Security
- This is all about creating a “COVID-19 Response Coordinator” who will report directly to the President. This new position is tasked with organizing resources as needed to combat the pandemic. It also resumes our previously abandoned relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO).
- This is another with a lot of detail that’s worth reviewing yourself.
- As of this writing, Jeff Zients has been named coordinator with (3) direct reports:
- Bechara Choucair, vaccine coordinator
- Carole Johnson, testing coordinator
- This is all about creating a “COVID-19 Response Coordinator” who will report directly to the President. This new position is tasked with organizing resources as needed to combat the pandemic. It also resumes our previously abandoned relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO).
- This is another with a lot of detail that’s worth reviewing yourself.
- As of this writing, Jeff Zients has been named COVID-19 coordinator with (3) direct reports:
- Bechara Choucair, vaccine coordinator
- Carole Johnson, testing coordinator
- TimManning, supply coordinator
- SOURCE
Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing
- “It is the policy of my Administration to halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures. Such measures include wearing masks when around others, physical distancing, and other related precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
- Immediately enforces mask-wearing and social distancing on all Federal workers and properties.
Proclamation on Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to The United States
- Revokes discriminatory tRump crap:
- Again, folks, don’t read into the names given to these blatantly racist and illegal orders.
- Executive Order 13780 of March 6, 2017 (Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States)
- Proclamation 9645 of September 24, 2017 (Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats)
- Proclamation 9723 of April 10, 2018 (Maintaining Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats)
- Proclamation 9983 of January 31, 2020 (Improving Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats)
Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
- “It is therefore the policy of my Administration that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government.”
- Among other things this calls for an assessment of all agencies rules and procedures to ensure they are meeting the ‘new’ standards of equity.
- You have to read it all yourself, but I leave you with this:
- “Sec. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order: (a) The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.”
Regulatory Freeze Pending Review
- A very typical action to stop any regulations in the works pending review of the new administration.
And there have more orders issued already this morning. I highly recommend you read these for yourself on the White House Briefing Room page. Being an American means staying informed and holding our leaders to account. This administration is giving you the details on what they are doing in a transparent and easily accessible way. Check into the briefing room frequently to get the FACTS. All the press releases, speeches, etc will also have full transcripts published there. Don’t rely on the media for this stuff… even the well meaning ones tend to take things out of context or put their own bias or spin on it.
We need to repair all the damage that has been done the last four years and even going back to the founding of our nation. The science is in folks, even if you don’t like it — race, nationality, sexuality, gender, religion (or lack of) are not grounds for discrimination, intimidation, exclusion or otherwise.
We all bleed red.
One more thing. Equality and equity for all does not take from you, it shares with others what you already had in abundance. Your faith is not being impeded or removed in any way. You are free to worship as you please, in your home or house of faith or with your like-minded community. No one is taking that from you. What you don’t get do, what you have never been granted by our Constitution, is the right to force your beliefs on others or take part in hate speech or violent protests against ‘non-believers’. Everyone else gets the same privilege to worship or not to worship as they see fit so long as it falls inside legal conduct. That means you don’t get to shoot people because they don’t buy into your version of God or morality without legal consequences. It also means that you don’t get to tell me what I can do with my body or who I can love.
