By February 1, Joe Biden had signed an unprecedented 42 executive orders in just the first few days of his administration. These included executive orders which looked to expand socialized medicine, provide taxpayer funding for foreign abortions, destroy American energy jobs, rejoin meaningless and counterproductive international agreements and organizations, further the promotion of ahistorical mischaracterizations of the United States, and to call for transgender rights in school sports — to name a few.
Despite Biden’s use of the executive branch to bypass the legislature since entering office— after reaching the White House while calling for national unity — the new president has continued to add to this list. Since the beginning of February, Biden has signed an additional nine executive orders and actions, putting his running tally at an unbelievable 52 executive orders and actions after just 20 days in office.
This is the same Joe Biden who, prior to winning the election in November, described ruling by executive order as dictatorial, reminding us that “we’re a democracy.”
@JoeBiden in October: “I have this strange notion, we are a democracy … if you can’t get the votes … you can’t [legislate] by executive order unless you’re a dictator. We’re a democracy. We need consensus.” pic.twitter.com/7UotJCXSm3
Here is an overview of what the nine executive orders and actions signed this month actually mean for the country and, in some cases, the world:
A Proclamation on Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into The United States
This order calls for the reversal of President Trump’s decision to remove tariffs on aluminum imported from the United Arab Emirates. Trump’s initial decision had been part of an economic reward following UAE’s peace agreement with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords. The proclamation cites “national security interests,” arguing that “imports from the UAE may still displace domestic production, and thereby threaten to impair our national security.”
Memorandum on Maximizing Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Reaffirms ongoing efforts regarding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and directs the Department of Homeland Security to assist state and local governments by leveraging FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), stating “it is the policy of my Administration to combat and respond to COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal Government to protect and support our families, schools, and businesses, and to assist State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to do the same.”
Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans
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This begins the process of reviewing (with the presumed eventual goal of removing) the “public charge rule,” which involved the denial of visas to immigrants classified as likely or liable to become a Public Charge — defined by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service as “a person who has received one or more public benefits for more than 12 months within any 36-month period.”
Such changes are justified as follows: “Consistent with our character as a Nation of opportunity and of welcome, it is essential to ensure that our laws and policies encourage full participation by immigrants, including refugees, in our civic life; that immigration processes and other benefits are delivered effectively and efficiently; and that the Federal Government eliminates sources of fear and other barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to them.”
Executive Order on Creating a Comprehensive Regional Framework to Address the Causes of Migration, to Manage Migration Throughout North and Central America, and to Provide Safe and Orderly Processing of Asylum Seekers at the United States Border
President Biden promises to “coordinate place-based efforts in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (the ‘Northern Triangle’) to address the root causes of migration” by “combating corruption, strengthening democratic governance, and advancing the rule of law; promoting respect for human rights, labor rights, and a free press; countering and preventing violence, extortion, and other crimes perpetrated by criminal gangs, trafficking networks, and other organized criminal organi… (Read more)
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