Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
President Trump signed Proclamation 10008 on April 13, 2020, designating April 14 as Pan American Day and April 12-18, 2020 as Pan American Week. The proclamation is a ceremonial declaration recognizing the Pan-American Union's founding and promoting cooperation among Western Hemisphere nations. This proclamation has no direct regulatory or statutory impact on Americans; it is a symbolic observance designation.
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-09826 on April 8, 2020, establishing an annual national day of recognition for former prisoners of war. The proclamation designates a specific day each year for Americans to acknowledge and honor former POWs. The action creates no new federal programs, benefits, or eligibility criteria—it establishes an observance day.
On April 6, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13914 directing federal agencies to encourage international support for the recovery and use of space resources. The order established U.S. policy to promote private and public space resource utilization and to negotiate international agreements that recognize the right to extract and use resources from celestial bodies. The order directly affects American space companies by clarifying U.S. government support for their resource extraction activities in space.
Executive Order 13913 signed April 4, 2020 established a committee to assess foreign participation in U.S. telecommunications services and supply chains. The committee was directed to review existing foreign investments and ownership stakes in American telecommunications companies and infrastructure. The order authorized the committee to recommend restrictions on foreign ownership or control of telecommunications assets deemed to present national security risks.
On April 3, 2020, President Trump signed a notice continuing the national emergency with respect to Somalia, originally declared in 1992. The continuation extends the emergency declaration, which authorizes the federal government to take emergency actions related to Somalia without requiring standard Congressional appropriations procedures. The direct impact on Americans includes potential deployment of military resources and emergency funding allocations related to Somalia policy without standard legislative review.
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 April 1, 2020, the Trump administration issued a notice continuing the national emergency declaration with respect to South Sudan, originally declared in 2014. The continuation extends the emergency status, which authorizes the federal government to allocate resources and implement measures related to the South Sudan crisis. The direct impact on Americans includes potential allocation of federal funds for humanitarian aid, diplomatic operations, and related emergency response activities.
On March 31, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum delegating certain functions and authorities granted to the President under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 to various executive branch officials. The memorandum transferred specific presidential powers related to national defense matters to designated cabinet members and agency heads. The direct impact on Americans included altered chains of command and decision-making authority for defense-related actions during the remainder of fiscal year 2020.
On March 30, 2020, the Trump administration signed a notice continuing the national emergency declaration with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities, originally declared in 2015. The continuation extends the emergency powers and authorities related to cyber threats without expiration. The direct impact on Americans includes continued government authority to respond to and restrict cyber activities deemed malicious, affecting cybersecurity policy and potential sanctions on foreign actors.
On March 23, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13910, authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to use the Defense Production Act to prevent hoarding and price gouging of health and medical resources needed for COVID-19 response. The order directed federal agencies to take action against the accumulation and retention of scarce health and medical resources, and established enforcement mechanisms for violations. The confirmed effect was to give federal authorities legal tools to address supply chain disruptions and ensure allocation of ventilators, personal protective equipment, and other critical medical supplies during the pandemic.