Response Center
Real-time analysis of Trump-Vance administration actions, to support legal challenges and provide resources for the pro-democracy community.
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Check back here for analysis as the Trump-Vance administration announces additional policies that impact the American people.
Featured Policies & Analysis
Policies we're monitoring especially closely given their potential impact to people and communities throughout the United States.
Latest Policies & Analysis
Undermine strong rules and protections by creating the "Department of Government Efficiency"
This order establishes the "Department of Government Efficiency," which has been tasked with modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency.
This executive order claims to create the "Department of Government Efficiency" as a Temporary Organization under 5 U.S.C. 3161, with a stated purpose to modernize federal technology and software in order to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity. Such a mission may appear to be benign, or even a positive development for the federal bureaucracy, but Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and others associated with DOGE have made clear their intent to target, overrule, or undermine civil servants; roll back important protections that keep us safe; and, cut massive programs that benefit tens of millions of Americans.
Block aid obligations to international partners and allies
This order requires a pause and review of certain foreign development assistance.
This order requires a 90-day pause and review of foreign development assistance to purportedly evaluate if such assistance is consistent with U.S. foreign policy. The impact of this order is not immediately clear and it may be limited by the language of the EO that may restrict its effect to new obligations and disbursements. However, regardless of its immediate impact, this order — like others that purport to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement — does serious damage to our country's credibility, undermines international alliances and partnerships, and allows countries like China and Russia to fill the void created by our withdrawal from the world stage.
Unlawfully remove independent government watchdogs
The White House terminated 17 different Inspectors General across the government
On January 24th, President Trump fired 17 Inspectors General (IG) across the US government. In the wake of the abuses of the Nixon administration, Congress created IGs in order to serve as independent watchdogs who could audit and investigate their agencies when allegations of waste, fraud and abuse arose. Their role is essential to holding corrupt actors to account, and their unlawful removal should be seen as an attempt by the Trump administration to avoid accountability with the American people. According to the law, before removing an IG, a president must give Congress a 30-day notice and substantive reasoning for the firing.
Make it easier for politicians to fire career, independent civil servants
This order reinstates "Schedule F" and makes it easier to fire career civil servants who provide critical services to all Americans.
By making it easier to fire career civil servants, this executive order significantly impairs our government's ability to provide essential services that millions of Americans rely on. Indeed, career civil servants are nonpartisan experts who help keep our food, medicine, transportation, and water safe; secure our public safety and our national security; deliver our mail; support our education and health care systems; and work in our court houses, our airports, our national parks, and so much more. This order could enable a political leader to replace these nonpartisan public servants with partisan ideologues.
Pardon people held responsible for the January 6th Insurrection
This order either pardons or commutes the sentences of any person who was convicted of an offense related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
By pardoning or commuting the sentences of all those convicted of participating in January 6th Insurrection, Donald Trump made it clear to the nation that no one responsible for the violence committed that day would be held accountable. This includes those who were convicted of assaulting police officers and those convicted of seditious conspiracy. This executive order risks further violent outbursts from the President's supporters in the future, with or without his direction.
Cut environmental protections and pause funding distributions
This omnibus order directs agencies to take numerous steps to prioritize energy production at the expense of environmental, climate, or public health concerns.
This executive order rolls back or eliminates most of the advances made by the Biden administration to combat climate change, and undermines longstanding protections to our environment and public health to prioritize domestic energy development. In addition to immediately revoking twelve Biden Executive Orders related to energy, climate, and environmental justice, the order directs agencies to develop plans to expedite permitting and reduce the weight of environmental impacts in policies and other agency decisions. It immediately pauses distribution of funds through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, specifically targeting programs that would advance America's electric vehicle industry. It prioritizes the expansion of liquified natural gas exports, domestic mining, and energy exploration and production on federal lands and the outer continental shelf.
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