Tracking every rollback, reversal, and overreach — and the path back to the America we know.
On September 3, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 10,483 designating national days of prayer and remembrance. The proclamation calls for Americans to observe days of prayer and remembrance for victims of national tragedies and those who died in service. As a proclamation, it has no binding legal effect and does not change law, policy, or federal operations—it is a symbolic declaration.
On September 2, 2020, the Trump administration signed Memorandum 2020-19963 establishing an order of succession within the General Services Administration. The memorandum designates specific officials to assume the GSA administrator role in case of vacancy or incapacity. This affects the chain of command for the federal agency responsible for managing federal real estate, procurement, and related services.
On September 2, 2020, the Trump administration signed a memorandum delegating authority to submit notifications and explanations to Congress regarding the U.S.-International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement. The memorandum authorized the delegation of specific congressional notification requirements related to the ratification of the IAEA safeguards accord for the United States. This action streamlined the administrative process for transmitting required nuclear safeguards documentation to Congress.
On August 29, 2020, President Trump signed Memorandum 2020-19599 extending the use of National Guard units to respond to COVID-19 and facilitate economic recovery. The memorandum continued the deployment of National Guard personnel to support coronavirus response efforts, including testing, contact tracing, and health care support across states. This extended an existing authorization that had been in place since March 2020.
On August 28, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 10414, which modified tariffs on steel imports by adjusting Section 232 tariff rates and exemptions. The proclamation reduced the tariff rate on certain steel products from 25% to 0% for countries meeting specified criteria, while maintaining or adjusting rates for others. The action directly affected steel prices for American manufacturers, construction companies, and automotive producers who import or use steel in production.
On August 24, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13946, directing federal agencies to prioritize locating new federal facilities and developments in Opportunity Zones and other economically distressed communities designated under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The order requires federal agencies to consider Opportunity Zone locations when making decisions about new federal infrastructure projects, real estate acquisitions, and facility consolidations. The confirmed direct impact is that federal agencies altered their site selection processes to weight Opportunity Zone eligibility as a factor in capital planning decisions.
President Trump signed Proclamation 10071 on August 14, 2020, designating the week of August 23-29, 2020 as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. The proclamation honors employers who support employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. This is a ceremonial designation with no direct regulatory or budgetary impact on Americans.
On August 13, 2020, the Trump administration issued Notice 2020-18016 continuing the national emergency declaration with respect to export control regulations. The notice extends the existing emergency authority that allows the administration to regulate exports of certain goods and technologies without standard congressional approval processes. The continuation maintains expanded executive power over export licensing and control determinations for items deemed related to national security.
On August 8, 2020, the Trump administration issued Memorandum 2020-17897 extending the pause on federal student loan payments and suspending interest accrual through December 31, 2020. The action continued a relief measure originally implemented in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing approximately 42 million federal student loan borrowers to defer payments without penalty or interest accumulation during the specified period.
On August 8, 2020, President Trump signed Memorandum 2020-17899 deferring payroll tax obligations for employees earning less than $100,000 annually from September 1 through December 31, 2020. The memorandum directed the Treasury Secretary to defer collection of the employee portion of Social Security taxes during this period. The deferred taxes were to be collected between January 1 and April 30, 2021, meaning affected employees faced larger withholdings in early 2021 rather than a permanent tax reduction.