Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
On August 3, 2020, President Trump signed Memorandum 2020-17370 extending the use of National Guard personnel to respond to COVID-19 and support economic recovery efforts. The memorandum continued the deployment of National Guard units that had been activated under prior directives. The extension maintained National Guard assistance in states for pandemic response activities during the period specified.
President Trump signed Executive Order 13941 on August 3, 2020, directing federal agencies to expand telehealth services and improve healthcare access in rural areas. The order required the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies to identify regulatory barriers to telehealth expansion and submit recommendations for removal. The confirmed direct effect included temporary flexibilities for Medicare telehealth coverage during the COVID-19 public health emergency, which allowed rural Americans to access certain medical services remotely without in-person visits.
On July 24, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13937, directing the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a Most Favored Nation (MFN) model for Medicare drug pricing. The order required Medicare to pay no more for drugs than the lowest price paid in other developed nations. The rule was implemented in November 2020 but was blocked by federal courts before taking effect, and was subsequently rescinded by the Biden administration in 2021.
On July 24, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13938 directing the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a program permitting the importation of FDA-approved drugs from Canada and other countries at lower prices. The order instructed HHS to create a Safe Importation Action Plan within 30 days. As of early 2021, HHS had not implemented a functional importation program, though the administration issued guidance on the policy direction.
Executive Order 13939 was signed on July 24, 2020, directing the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a safe harbor rule removing anti-kickback protections for rebates in drug pricing negotiations. The order aimed to increase price transparency by allowing pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and health plans to negotiate rebates directly. The confirmed effect was that HHS issued a proposed rule in January 2021 to modify anti-kickback statute safe harbors, though implementation faced legal challenges and the rule's real-world impact on patient drug prices remained subject to ongoing litigation.
On July 24, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13947 directing federal agencies to take steps to lower drug prices and increase price transparency. The order instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to allow states to import prescription drugs from Canada, permit Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly, and require drug manufacturers to disclose prices in direct-to-consumer advertising. Implementation faced legal challenges and delays; some provisions did not take effect during the Trump administration.
On June 24, 2020, the Trump administration issued a Presidential Determination under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, invoking authority to prioritize defense contracts related to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. The determination authorized the government to allocate materials and resources to vaccine production facilities. The confirmed effect was to establish priority rating authority for contracts supporting vaccine development and manufacturing capacity during the pandemic.
On June 2, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memorandum directing continued federal funding for governors' deployment of National Guard units to respond to COVID-19 and support economic recovery efforts. The memorandum authorized federal support for National Guard operations related to pandemic response and recovery activities. The direct impact was that states received federal funding to maintain National Guard deployments for COVID-19-related missions during the specified period.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-11539 on May 21, 2020, declaring a national day of mourning for Americans who died from COVID-19. The proclamation directed flags to be flown at half-staff and called for a moment of remembrance. The confirmed effect was a symbolic national acknowledgment of coronavirus deaths at that point in the pandemic.
On May 20, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum directing continued federal support for governors' deployment of the National Guard to respond to COVID-19 and facilitate economic recovery efforts. The memorandum authorized federal funding to support state National Guard operations related to pandemic response and recovery activities. The direct effect was continuation of federal reimbursement to states for National Guard activation costs during the COVID-19 emergency.