The White House issued a series of executive actions late Friday.
Last week, White House Chief of Staff, Reince Preibus, issued a memorandum to all executive departments and agencies to freeze new or pending regulations — giving the new Administration time to review them, which is a common practice for any incoming administration.
For any regulations that have yet to be sent for publishing in the Federal Register, the memo asks the agency to not send any regulation to the Federal Register until reviewed by someone selected by the President.
The memo makes an exception for “critical health, safety, financial, or national security matters,” and asks agencies to identify any regulations that can’t be delayed for other reasons.
Recently issued research-centered regulations that could be impacted include:
The Office of Federal Relations will continue to monitor actions coming from the Administration.
Some initial actions and comments from the incoming Trump Administration have prompted questions and concerns from faculty, researchers, and the media, regarding federal research. Particularly, questions have pertained to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants.
Here is what we know:
The UW’s Office of Sponsored Programs has information about these issues, including recommendations of what to do with grants in various stages of the process, on its web page under “Announcements.” This page is being vetted through a set of strict criteria.
The Federal Relations team will continue to gather and share information as it becomes available.
During a busy first week in office, the new president continued to issue memorandums a executive orders throughout the entire week. On Wednesday, he issued executive orders related to the building of a new wall along the southern border of the country as well as one partially aimed at punishing “sanctuary” jurisdictions with respect to immigration enforcement.
Border wall
One of the biggest pledges during the Trump campaign was the promise to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico.
The order calling for the “wall” reads, in part, as follows:
[The Secretary of Homeland Security shall… in] accordance with existing law, including the Secure Fence Act and IIRIRA, take all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct a physical wall along the southern border, using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control of the southern border…
The entire text is available here.
One of the controversies that has been triggered by this is the question of how the structure would be paid for. The White House press secretary initially seemed to indicate that it would be funded by a 20-percent tax on Mexican goods coming into the United States. Since then, the new Administration has backed away from being so definitive on how to pay for the wall, now indicating that the tariff proposal is one of many possible sources.
“Sanctuary” jurisdictions
Also on Wednesday, the new Administration issued an order aimed at addressing, among other issues, “sanctuary” cities and other jurisdictions. The order reads, in part:
It is the policy of the executive branch to… ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable Federal law do not receive Federal funds, except as mandated by law…
The order also states the following:
In furtherance of this policy, the Attorney General and the Secretary, in their discretion and to the extent consistent with law, shall ensure that jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373 (sanctuary jurisdictions) are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary. The Secretary has the authority to designate, in his discretion and to the extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The Attorney General shall take appropriate enforcement action against any entity that violates 8 U.S.C. 1373, or which has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prevents or hinders the enforcement of Federal law.
The text of the executive order is available here.
President Donald Trump signed three presidential memos on Monday freezing federal hiring, withdrawing the US from the TPP, and banning US foreign aid from performing or promoting abortions.
First, President Donald Trump moved Monday to make good on a campaign promise to shrink the size of the federal government, issuing a memo to freeze federal hiring. The military was exempted from the memo’s constraints.
Second, President Trump issued a memo to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The move fulfills one of Trump’s signature campaign pledges to get out of the sweeping 12-nation trade deal, which he once called “a rape of our country” and said would hurt US jobs.
Third, President Trump issued a memo that calls for the reinstatement of a policy to prevent the recipients of American foreign aid from performing or promoting abortions. The action comes the day after the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The memo would prohibit NGOs that receive federal funding – including health care providers or organizations – from providing or promoting abortion or from advocating for abortion laws abroad.
On Friday, immediately following President Trump’s inauguration, Trump’s Chief of Staff, Reince Prebus, issued a Memoranda instructing the heads of federal departments and agencies to stop advancing regulations until Trump appointees are able to review them. The memo was issued by Priebus is typical when a new party takes the White House. The memo is in many ways identical to one that then-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sent on Jan. 20, 2009.
Priebus’ memo made exceptions for emergency situations and other urgent health, safety, financial or national security matters allowed by the Office of Management and Budget. It also makes exceptions for regulations implemented to meet a statutory or judicial deadline.
Impacts from that freeze are far reaching and include:
USDA has stalled a final rule published Thursday setting animal welfare standards for poultry and livestock. It was scheduled to take effect March 20, with portions phased in through 2018. The rule is meant to enable the Agriculture Department to certify products as organic. The proposal has divided the poultry industry, with some producers calling the requirements excessive and unnecessary.