President Biden signed 15 executive orders and two directives yesterday, on his first day in office. The orders reverse several key policies of the Trump administration and focus on themes including immigration, climate change, racial equity, and managing the coronavirus pandemic. Key highlights include:
- Rejoining the Paris Climate accord (will take 30 days before effective)
- Halting the withdrawal process from the World Health Organization
- Ending a travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries
- Revoking a permit for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline
- A temporary moratorium on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- A mask mandate on federal property
- Extending student loan payment and eviction moratoriums
More context: The first-day tally is historically high for a new president. After two weeks in office, Trump signed 8 executive orders, Obama 9, Bush 2, and Clinton 3.
Extra: Here are the White House press briefings for the executive actions.
