Summary
Donald J. Trump was inaugurated yesterday as the 47th President of the United States and wasted no time issuing a plethora of Executive Orders focused on immigration, energy and government reform policies, and rescinding most of President Biden’s policies and orders. Among the most high-profile actions include:
- Declaring a national emergency to deploy the military to the border and putting a pause on allowing asylum seekers into the country.
- An end to birthright citizenship for the children of noncitizens, which has already been countered by a lawsuit;
- Directing the federal government to only recognize two sexes-males and females including on all government documents, such as passports and visas.
- Reversing all of President Biden’s federal DEI initiatives.
- Withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Ordering a hiring freeze across the federal government until the completion of a broader plan for reducing the federal work force. He also required that all federal employees return to in person work five days a week.
- Rescinding Biden Administration COVID-19 executive orders including revoking a mandate that federal employees be vaccinated against COVID.
- Rescinding an October 2023 artificial intelligence (AI) executive order deploying federal agencies to study AI’s risks and benefits.
- Withdrawing from the Paris Climate accords.
It is clear that this Administration is not wasting any time, and further actions are expected in the coming days and weeks.
The House and Senate are both in session this week as both the House and Senate are expected to vote on their versions of the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act, which requires health practitioners to exercise all medical actions necessary to save the fetus of a failed abortion or attempted abortion. The Senate will also continue to work to confirm President Trump’s nominees, though we are still waiting for a hearing to be scheduled for HHS Secretary nominee RFK, Jr. Committees in the House and Senate will also continue to hold organizing meetings for the 119th Congress.
HHS Leadership: President Trump named Dorothy Fink to be the Acting Secretary of HHS until his nominee, RFK, Jr., is confirmed. Ms. Fink currently directs the HHS Office on Women’s Health. It is further expected that Sara Brenner will be named acting commissioner of the FDA until Dr. Marty Makary is able to be confirmed. Last week, the Trump Administration announced a slew of appointees for the Department of Health and Human Services. Impact Health Policy will soon be putting out a comprehensive guide to the new appointees.