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Joe Biden plans immediate executive actions as Donald Trump era ends
- Biden to start undoing Trump policies from day one
- Trump leaves the White House with legacy of chaos
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In his first hours as US president, Joe Biden will aim to strike at the heart of Donald Trump’s policy legacy, signing at least 15 executive actions that reverse his predecessor’s orders on immigration, climate change and handling of the coronavirus pandemic, kicking off what will likely be the most difficult transfers of power in US history.
Biden will end construction on Trump’s Mexico border wall, end the ban on travel from some Muslim-majority countries, rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization (WHO), and revoke the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, aides said. The new president was planning to sign the orders almost immediately after taking the oath of office at the Capitol, pivoting quickly from his pared-down inauguration ceremony to enacting his agenda.
These actions will be followed by dozens more in the next 10 days, aides said.
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The executive actions were an attempt to essentially rewind the last four years of federal policies with striking speed. Only two recent presidents signed executive actions on their first day in office – and each signed just one. But Biden, facing the debilitating coronavirus pandemic that left more than 400,000 Americans dead, was intent on demonstrating a sense of urgency and competence that he argues has been missing under Trump.
Complicating matters, Biden administration officials were met with varying levels of cooperation from Trump appointees across departments.
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“Transition is not a priority” for the US Trade Representative’s office, USTR Robert Lighthizer’s chief of staff told a Biden official, Politico reported, citing a person familiar with the conversation, a situation that will likely leave the incoming team to manage disorganisation instead of the tasks at hand.
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