Executive Actions Affecting
Social Policy

80th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima

A proclamation commemorating the battle of Iwo Jima.

President George Washington’s Birthday, 2025

A proclamation commemorating President George Washington’s birthday.

Keeping Education Accessible and Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools

An EO directing the Secretary of Education to issue guidelines to educational entities regarding their legal obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations and equal protection in the context of COVID-19 school mandates. The order also instructs the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop a plan within 90 days to end COVID-19 school mandates. This plan must include a process for ensuring that federal funds are withheld from entities that do not comply with the issued guidelines. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws

An EO prohibiting the federal government from procuring paper straws and directing relevant agencies to issue a National Strategy to End the Use of Paper Straws within 45 days. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Gulf of America Day, 2025

A proclamation declaring February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day.

Establishment of the White House Faith Office

An EO establishing the White House Faith Office, tasked with empowering faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship to better serve families and communities. The White House has published a fact sheet on the EO and a separate action announcing appointments to the office.

Protecting Second Amendment Rights

An EO directing the Attorney General to review all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements and other actions by executive departments to identify potential infringements on Second Amendment rights and propose a plan to safeguard those rights. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias

An EO establishing a task force within the Department of Justice to eradicate anti-Christian bias. Among other directives, the task force is to identify any policies, practices or conduct by agencies that are determined to be anti-Christian. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports

An EO stating that it is the policy of the US to rescind all funds from educational programs that deny women and girls fair athletic opportunities, including those that permit biological males to compete in women’s sports. The order outlines several directives to implement this policy, including by requiring all executive departments and agencies to review grants awarded to educational institutions and rescind funding from programs that do not comply with the EO.

Career and Technical Education Month, 2025

A proclamation declaring February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month.

American Heart Month, 2025

A proclamation declaring February 2025 as American Heart Month.

Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism

An EO directing the head of each executive department or agency to submit a report identifying all civil and criminal authorities or actions within the jurisdiction of that agency to curb or combat anti-Semitism. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families

An EO directing various agencies to expand options for educational choice through federal financial assistance programs. Among other directives, the EO instructs the Secretary of Education to issue guidance on how states can use federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice initiatives and to prioritize education freedom in its discretionary grant programs. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling

An EO directing the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Attorney General, to create an Ending Indoctrination Strategy to eliminate federal funding or support for discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools.

Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation

An EO providing that it is the policy of the US government “that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.” Accordingly, the EO directs several agency actions to comply with this policy, including through immediate appropriate actions to ensure that institutions receiving federal research or education grants “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”

Restoring America’s Fighting Force

An EO directing the abolishment of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices within the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with regard to the US Coast Guard. It also directs DOD to undertake an internal review and report on actions taken in pursuit of DEI initiatives. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate

An EO making reinstatement and full back pay available to all members of the military who were discharged solely for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Enforcing the Hyde Amendment

An EO directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to promulgate guidance to the heads of executive departments and agencies on compliance with the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the federal funding of elective abortions.

The Mexico City Policy

A memorandum reinstating the Mexico City Policy, requiring nongovernmental organizations to agree, as a condition of their receipt of federal funds, to neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations. The policy is also extended to apply to all global health assistance provided by all US departments and agencies. Additionally, the memorandum directs the Secretary of State to ensure that US taxpayer dollars are not used to fund organizations or programs that support or participate in the management of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization programs.

Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunity

An EO ordering all agencies to enforce civil-rights laws and combat private-sector diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. It instructs agency heads to take appropriate actions to discourage DEI and other “discrimination and preference” initiatives in the private sector and report on recommended actions for enforcing civil-rights laws. Additionally, the EO rescinds several Biden-era executive actions related to DEI, directs all executive departments and agencies to terminate “discriminatory and illegal” preference initiatives and requires a report to state and local educational agencies that receive federal funds regarding compliance with Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), which held that race-based affirmative action programs are unconstitutional. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Insights

• US DOL Order Directing Departments to Cease Enforcement of Affirmative Action Requirements of EO 11246
• Trump DEI Order: How Could the Administration’s Plans to Target Private Sector Impact Employers?
• President Trump Eliminates Affirmative Action and Anti-Discrimination Requirements on Federal Contractors

Note: As of February 21, 2025, certain provisions of this EO are subject to a nationwide injunction.

Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

An EO directing the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator to immediately discontinue all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices. It also directs the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator to undertake a review of the past performance and performance standards of all individuals in critical safety positions and take all appropriate actions to replace any individual who has failed to demonstrate the requisite capability. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.

Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety

An EO reinstating federal capital punishment.

Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

An EO directing OMB to terminate all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); and environmental justice-related initiatives, positions, grants, contracts and performance metrics in the federal government, as well as review and revise all existing federal employment practices to comply with this order.

Note: As of February 21, 2025, certain provisions of this EO are subject to a nationwide injunction.

Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

An EO prohibiting the federal government from unconstitutionally abridging the free speech rights of US citizens and directing the Attorney General to investigate and prepare a report on Biden administration policies relating to free speech, including disinformation and misinformation programs. The EO also prevents federal funding for actions that limit freedom of speech.

Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government

An EO amending the definition of “sex” to refer to an individual’s biological classification as either male or female, directing the Executive Branch to enforce sex-protective laws according to this distinction, and mandating the removal of gender ideology messaging in federal communications, among other items. The EO also directs the Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs to present proposed bill text to codify the definitions in this order.