Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
President Trump signed Proclamation 10064 on May 15, 2020, designating the week of May 17-23, 2020 as World Trade Week. The proclamation calls for observance of the week to recognize the importance of trade to the U.S. economy. It has no direct regulatory impact on Americans beyond recognizing the designated week.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13921 on May 7, 2020, directing federal agencies to expand aquaculture production and reduce regulatory barriers for domestic seafood industries. The order tasked the Department of Commerce and other agencies to streamline permitting processes for fish farming operations and increase market access for American seafood products. The confirmed direct effect was the initiation of federal review processes to accelerate aquaculture facility approvals and modify existing environmental review timelines for seafood operations.
On April 28, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13917, delegating authority under the Defense Production Act to the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize and allocate food supply chain resources during the COVID-19 national emergency. The order authorized the Secretary to require food producers and suppliers to prioritize orders from the federal government and to allocate resources as deemed necessary. The confirmed effect was expansion of federal authority over food production and distribution during the pandemic, with direct application to meat processing facilities, grain mills, and other food supply chain entities.
Executive Order 13918 was signed on April 28, 2020, establishing an interagency labor committee to monitor and enforce labor provisions under Section 711 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. The committee was tasked with coordinating federal efforts to enforce labor standards and monitor compliance across the trilateral trade agreement. The direct impact on Americans includes potential changes to labor enforcement mechanisms related to goods imported from Mexico and Canada, though the specific enforcement outcomes depend on committee operations.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13916 on April 18, 2020, invoking national emergency authority to temporarily extend deadlines for certain estimated tax payments and other federal deadlines. The order allowed businesses and individuals to defer estimated payment deadlines without penalties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The confirmed direct impact was that affected taxpayers gained additional time to submit estimated payments without incurring late fees or penalties during the declared emergency period.
On April 10, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum authorizing the Secretary of Defense and other agency heads to exercise authority under Public Law 85-804, which grants the President power to authorize contracts and expenditures without regard to certain federal procurement laws during national emergencies. The memorandum delegated this authority to federal officials to expedite procurement of supplies and services deemed necessary for the national emergency response. This expanded procurement authority allowed federal agencies to bypass standard competitive bidding and other procurement requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 2, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memorandum establishing an order of succession for the director position at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal agency that insures private-sector pension plans. The memorandum designated specific officials to assume the director role in the event of a vacancy or incapacity. This affects the governance structure of the PBGC, which manages pension benefits for approximately 35 million American workers and retirees covered by private pension plans.
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13912 authorizing the Secretary of Defense to order members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to active duty without a declaration of war or national emergency by Congress. The order granted the Secretary discretionary authority to activate reserve and ready reserve military personnel. The confirmed effect was the activation of approximately 24,000 reserve service members to support COVID-19 response operations, including medical personnel and logistics support across the United States.
On March 20, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum delegating functions under 31 U.S.C. 5302 to the Secretary of the Treasury. The memorandum authorized the Treasury Secretary to exercise authority related to reserve requirements and financial regulations. The direct impact on Americans included potential changes to Treasury Department enforcement and regulatory implementation procedures, though the specific operational changes were limited in scope.
Executive Order 13908 was signed on February 28, 2020, establishing an interagency committee to review trade in automotive goods under the USMCA Implementation Act Section 202A. The committee was tasked with monitoring automotive trade and recommending actions regarding tariffs and trade remedies. The order created a formal mechanism for federal agencies to coordinate on automotive trade policy affecting imports and domestic manufacturing.