Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
Executive Order 13866 was signed on March 28, 2019, adjusting pay rates for certain federal employees and senior executive service positions. The order modified compensation schedules for federal workers in specific pay grades and executive classifications. The direct impact was changes to base salary and locality pay for affected federal employees beginning in the specified pay period following the order.
Trump suspended the Jones Act, a 1920 maritime law requiring goods between U.S. ports be carried on American-flagged vessels, to reduce oil shipping costs during the Iran conflict. The 60-day waiver, issued March 18, made it easier to transport oil domestically and Trump sought to extend it. This lowered shipping costs for consumers but reduced demand for American shipping vessels.
On March 18, 2019, the Trump administration issued a sequestration order pursuant to Section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, triggering automatic spending cuts across federal agencies. The order required reduction of discretionary spending in fiscal year 2020 to meet deficit reduction targets mandated by the law. The sequestration resulted in across-the-board cuts to federal programs including defense, Medicare, and other discretionary spending categories.
On March 12, 2019, President Trump signed Presidential Determination 2019-05100 pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, invoking authority to prioritize contracts and allocate materials deemed necessary for national defense. The determination authorized the federal government to require domestic production of or procurement of specified materials and goods. The direct impact on Americans included potential prioritization of federal contracts for designated materials and possible effects on civilian availability of those materials depending on which specific items were covered under the determination.
On March 6, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13862, which revoked a requirement for federal agencies to report data on the total cost of regulations. The order eliminated mandatory reporting on cumulative regulatory costs that had been required under previous executive orders. The direct effect was that federal agencies no longer had to compile and submit annual reports quantifying the aggregate costs of regulations to the Office of Management and Budget.
Executive Order 13860 was signed on March 4, 2019, directing federal agencies to establish programs supporting the transition of active duty service members and military veterans into merchant marine careers. The order requires the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs to coordinate efforts to identify eligible service members, provide training opportunities, and remove barriers to merchant marine employment. The confirmed direct impact includes expanded career pathways for separating service members and veterans seeking civilian maritime employment.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13858 on January 31, 2019, directing federal agencies to maximize domestic content requirements and Buy-American preferences in infrastructure projects funded by federal dollars. The order requires agencies to increase the percentage of American-made materials and products in federally-funded infrastructure construction and to waive certain exemptions to Buy-American rules. Direct effects include altered procurement standards for infrastructure projects receiving federal funding, potentially increasing costs and timelines for projects while prioritizing domestic suppliers and manufacturers.
On January 16, 2019, President Trump signed a Presidential Determination invoking Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, which authorizes the President to require private companies to prioritize and allocate materials, services, and facilities to support national defense. This determination established authority to compel domestic production and supply chains for defense-related materials. The confirmed effect was to expand executive power to direct industrial production capacity toward defense priorities without requiring immediate Congressional approval of specific orders.
On January 16, 2019, the Trump administration issued Presidential Determination 2019-00098 pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, authorizing the president to require prioritization and allocation of materials, services, and facilities for national defense purposes. The determination delegates authority to federal agencies to designate specific industrial resources as essential to defense and national security. The confirmed direct impact includes potential prioritization orders placed on American manufacturers and suppliers affecting production schedules and resource allocation across designated industries.
On December 28, 2018, President Trump signed Executive Order 13856, which adjusted rates of pay for federal employees and members of the uniformed services effective January 2019. The order implemented a 1.9 percent pay raise for most federal civilian employees and a 2.6 percent raise for military personnel. The order directly affected approximately 2.1 million federal employees and 1.3 million active-duty service members through adjusted salary schedules.