First actions are to dismantle the legacy of predecessor

New president issues flurry of executive orders aimed at reversing Trump’s most controversial policies

JOE BIDEN last night began dismantling the legacy of his predecessor faster than any other incoming president in the modern era.

He signed 17 executive orders on his first evening in the Oval Office – far more than other recent presidents – which were aimed at halting or reversing some of Donald Trump’s most controversial policies. That is set to turn into a flood of actions over Mr Biden’s first 10 days as he seeks to implement measures without waiting for approval by Congress.

Mr Biden’s immediate priority was the pandemic, and his first action was an executive order that all US government employees wear masks, and that face coverings become mandatory on federal property. “There’s no time to start like today,” Mr Biden said as he signed the actions in the Oval Office.

Mr Biden also revealed that Mr Trump had left him a “very generous” letter, in keeping with tradition.

“Because it was private, I won’t talk about it until I talk to him. But it was generous,” he told reporters at the White House.

Immigration was a major focus, with at least six of his orders addressing the issue. One ended Mr Trump’s ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries. Another will stop the building of the former president’s wall on the Us-mexico border, ending a national emergency declaration that allowed Mr Trump to divert government money for its construction.

In addition, Mr Biden intended to immediately announce an immigration bill that would open an eight-year path to citizenship for many of the estimated 11million illegal immigrants in the US.

According to aides, the orders intended to show Mr Biden’s determination to “re-engage in the world”. His first orders also included a move to rejoin the Paris climate accord and a reversal of Mr Trump’s decision to take the US out of the WHO. “We are going to combat climate change in a way we have not done so far,” Mr Biden said.

While swearing in nearly 1,000 federal appointees and staff in a virtual ceremony, Mr Biden said that if any of his appointees treated a colleague with disrespect, he would fire them “on the spot”. He also reminded his federal appointees and staff they “work for the people” and called on them to be “decent, honourable and smart”.

Mr Biden also planned to nominate a new US surgeon general, following the resignation of Jerome Adams, who was appointed by Mr Trump.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious diseases expert, who had a fractious relationship with Mr Trump, will deliver a speech today to the WHO, setting out how the Biden administration will proceed on the pandemic.

Mr Biden’s actions were intended to send a signal that he wanted to hit the ground running.

None of his immediate predecessors signed more than one executive order on their first day in office, instead attending celebratory inaugural balls.

Mr Trump, on his first day in 2017, signed a single executive order – to reverse Obamacare. Barack Obama signed none on his first day.

Mr Biden was set to sign further executive orders relating to the pandemic, and aides said he would move “aggressively” toward safely reopening schools and businesses, including through an expansion of testing.

In the following days, he will sign measures that include revoking a ban on transgender military service.

On Monday, he plans to issue an executive order requiring the US government to “Buy American”.

The next day, he will issue an order against private prisons.

There will be further actions relating to climate change, immigration, refu

gee policies and healthcare in his first 10 days. Mr Biden will also start measures aimed at reuniting families separated at the Mexico border under the Trump administration.

He then plans to spend February “restoring America’s place in the world,” according to a schedule that has been roughed out.

In a joint statement, Republican members of Congress said Mr Biden’s plans showed he was being dragged to the Left by his own party.

They said: “The Biden administration has made it clear that on ‘day one’ they will immediately cater to the far Left instead of working to help all Americans and move our country forward.”