Published 21:02 IST, January 20th 2021
Joe Biden's first executive order will make face masks mandatory in all federal properties
Biden will begin his presidency by signing 1st executive order, ‘100 Days Masking Challenge’, which will symbolise the admin’s sharp turn from Trump era.
US President-elect Joe Biden is expected to sign a flurry of executive orders after taking the oath of office on January 20. Biden will begin his presidency by signing his first executive order, the ‘100 Days Masking Challenge’, which will symbolise the administration’s sharp turn from the Trump era by emphasising recommendations by public health experts. Under the order, Biden will be asking Americans to wear a face mask for 100 days and requiring their use on federal property.
According to CNN, Jeff Zients, who is Biden administration’s COVID-19 response coordinator, said that the executive action will direct the agencies to take action to require compliance with CDC guidance on mask-wearing and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands and by federal employees and contractors. He added that the incoming President will call on governors, public health officials, mayors, business leaders and others to implement masking, physical distancing and other public measures to control the deadly virus.
It is worth noting that a President cannot tell states and cities what to do, however, a federal mandate will affect all federal offices, federal lands and will also urge states to do the same. Meanwhile, during his term, Trump had pointedly refused to wear a mask in public throughout his presidency and his political appointees across federal agencies had also discouraged mask use among their staff. But Biden, on the other hand, has planned to make the coronavirus pandemic his top priority.
Biden to sign 17 orders and actions
Along with ‘100 Days Masking Challenge’, the incoming President is also set to undo a lot of policies introduced by Donald Trump. He has planned to kickstart the policies of his administration by signing at least 17 orders and actions to dismiss the policies of his predecessor. As per reports, Biden’s Day 1’s move will end Trump’s controversial ban on visitors from several majority-Muslim countries and suspend the construction of the border wall that was Trump’s major agenda throughout his four-year presidency that ends at noon on January 20.
The ban was introduced by Trump in 2017 when he acquired the office prohibiting people of predominantly Muslim countries from entering the States. However, the order was reworked numerous times as it faced many legal challenges. Meanwhile, Biden is expected to enhance COVID-19 restrictions along with allowing people to gain citizenship. Reportedly, soon-to-be the 46th US President plans to introduce a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration aiming to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the United States without legal status.
Updated 21:02 IST, January 20th 2021