Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by saying the oath of office. Biden’s first week was marked by the extensive number of executive actions he took (Photo courtesy of pool photo via AP and Saul Loeb).
Day One – Undoing the Trump Era and Fulfilling Promises
Similar to past presidents Biden used the first day to roll back many of his predecessor’s executive orders and set the tone for his own presidency. Biden did this by revoking many of Trump’s executive orders, including several related to immigration policy (specifically regarding the U.S.-Mexico border), the controversial “Muslim ban,” his approval of the Keystone pipeline, as well as pulling funds from the border wall. Biden also used the day to set new standards for his administration, committing them to equity in regards to both race and gender, as well as committing them to other social issues, namely climate change. He did this by reentering the U.S into the Paris Climate Agreement while encouraging other agencies to do all they can to fight climate change. Finally, Biden began to show the county how he plans to deal with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. While Biden does not have the legal authority to issue a nationwide mask mandate, he did issue one to the extent of his authority including federal land and interstate travel. He also committed his administration to a unified and unilateral fight against COVID-19 by creating a COVID-19 Response Coordinator and encouraging inter-agency cooperation.