Joe Biden Focuses on Taking Charge Fast

It’s been over a month since President Joe Biden has stepped into office. Though celebrating is one of the few things he did after winning the 2020 Presidential Election, he headed straight to work as president and issued executive actions and orders.  As of February 8, Biden has signed more than 40 executive actions and orders combined during his first presidency.  Compared to previous presidents who have signed a few in a week, Biden managed to sign 29 orders in his first week. Here is a list of some actions/orders categorized into certain groups:

• Covid-19

• Establishing a Covid-19 coordinator 
  • To make sure there is proper distribution of masks, vaccines, and tests
• Requiring facial masks and social distancing on all federal properties
• Requiring facial masks on all airports, buses, and any public transportation
• Limiting and suspending entry into the U.S. from the following countries with a high coronavirus rate: Brazil, South Africa, and some parts of the U.K. This suspension will remain until further notice
• Expanding access to care and treatments for Covid-19 patients 

• Climate 

• Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce global emissions
  • Giving financial support to the countries who need it 
• Establishing a National Climate Task Force 

        – This task force will meet regularly to discuss goals of improving our environment

• Immigration 

• Creating a task force to reunite families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border (Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families)
• Adding undocumented immigrants into the census 
• Attempting to improve the student visa process
• Voiding the Muslim-ban
  • This ban formerly prevented foreign nations from seven Muslim countries from entering the U.S.

• Economic

• Pausing federal student loans and collection and keeping them at a 0% interest rate until September/October 2021
• Addressing the economic crisis due to: closure of businesses, job loss, food and housing insecurity, working families balancing jobs and responsibilities, etc.
  • Relief will be provided to families who been affected by the crisis
• Require federal contractors to pay a minimum wage of $15 

• Equality

• Protecting and combating sex discrimination based on their gender identity and/or sexual orientation by enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination towards both groups
• Voiding former president Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people from serving in the military 
• Promoting racial equity by advancing equity towards all (especially people of color) and those who are being affected by poverty and inequality and being underserved
• Combating racism and xenophobia towards Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders by issuing guidance on cultural competency and sensitivity

To check updated executive actions and/or orders, click on these links:

https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/joe-biden/2021 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/