Currents News Staff
With a pile of executive orders on his desk, President Joe Biden got to work.
“With the state of the nation today, there’s no time to waste,” President Biden said. “Get to work immediately.”
And that he did, signing several executive orders on his first day on the job, of which many targeted former-President Trump’s policies.
“We’re going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far,” Biden said.
Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. The system stretches thousands of miles through several states carrying crude oil from Canada into the U.S. He also rejoined the Paris climate agreement, which was a deal he negotiated when he was vice president.
Catholic leaders praised the move and also welcomed the new administration’s decision to scrap Trump’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville released a statement saying in part that it:
“…will help ensure that those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge or seeking to reunify with family in the United States will not be turned away because of what country they are from or what religion they practice.”
As far as the U.S. Mexico border wall is concerned, President Biden ordered an immediate pause on construction which was a serious blow to what Trump called “one of his major accomplishments.” There’s also now a 100-day moratorium on certain deportations.
The administration says it’s all part of Biden’s plans for immigration reform.
Biden also wants to restore America’s economy. He’s extending bans on evictions and foreclosures for Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He also rejoined the World Health Organization, making the fight against coronavirus a top priority for his administration. Such initiatives include a mask mandate for those on federal property and the launching a 100-day mask challenge.
“The issue that he wakes up every day focused on is getting the pandemic under control,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “The issue he goes to bed every night focused on is getting the pandemic under control.”