BIDEN’S MISSION: ROLL BACK TRUMP’S POLICIES
The new President is seeking to undo the damage done by Donald Trump. Here are some key decisions lined up on Day One
SCRAPPING THE MUSLIM BAN
Biden’s administration is scrapping Trump’s travel ban on several Mideast, Central Asian and African countries, most of them with majority Muslim populations that Trump had labelled as terror threats
PATCHING UP WITH W.H.O.
Biden is looking to rejoin the World Health Organization, which Trump exited in May saying China exerted too much pressure on the agency. He’ll send Anthony Fauci to represent the US at the WHO’s executive board meeting on Thursday
MANDATE ON FACE MASKS
Biden’s 100-day mask mandate will require face coverings in federal buildings and on federal lands. He wants the government to lead by example after Trump flouted Covid-19 safety measures
BACK TO THE CLIMATE PACT
He is making key moves to restore efforts by the Obama administration to combat the climate crisis, including re-joining the Paris Agreement, which calls on close to 200 countries to create and follow ambitious emission control targets
BIG ‘NO’ TO KEYSTONE XL
Biden is revoking permits for projects he feels aren’t in the interest of the US - including the Keystone XL pipeline mission with Canada, which was rejected by Obama, only for Trump to approve it
SAY ‘NO’ TO THE WALL, TOO
He is all for repealing the national emergency on the US-Mexico border, halting funding for Trump’s signature border wall that symbolised his crackdown on undocumented immigrants
RELIEF FOR STUDENTS
Another crucial act from Biden is to instantly halt the accrual of interest and principal payments on federal student loans until September 30 this year