President Donald Trump eclipsed 90 days back in the White House on Monday and, in doing so, ran up against deadlines pertaining to eight executive orders he issued on Jan. 20.
The president took dozens of executive actions on his first day back in the White House, but eight of those set 90-day deadlines for relevant federal departments and agencies to submit progress reports on implementation and deliver recommendations for further advancing the president’s agenda.
That list of eight is:
1. DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE UNITED STATES
This order requires the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a joint report about updated conditions at the southern border “and any recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.”
2. HOLDING FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND IMPROPER DISCLOSURE OF SENSITIVE GOVERNMENTAL INFORMATION
The president took action to strip 51 career intelligence community officials of their security clearances over alleged meddling in U.S. elections. The order directs Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to submit a report to the White House detailing “any additional inappropriate activity” of the aforementioned former intelligence community members, recommendations to prevent intelligence community members from interfering in future elections, and possible “disciplinary action” for any of the investigated former intelligence community officials.
3. PUTTING PEOPLE OVER FISH: STOPPING RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALISM TO PROVIDE WATER TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The delta smelt, a little-known fish, has emerged at the center of Trump’s yearslong feud with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA). Trump has claimed that California’s water management policies, specifically policies meant to conserve the endangered smelt, are at least partially responsible for the severity of the damage of the California wildfires and hindering agricultural production. Trump has even floated halting federal disaster funding to California should Newsom fail to rescind the state’s smelt-related policies. This executive action directed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to submit a report directly to the president on efforts to route water “from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply.”
4. REEVALUATING AND REALIGNING UNITED STATES FOREIGN AID
Trump caught significant flak for his Day One executive order instituting a 90-day pause on all U.S. “foreign development assistance.” Over that pause, all federal department and agency heads, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, were directed to carry out a review to determine “whether to continue, modify, or cease each foreign assistance program based upon the review recommendations.”
5. HIRING FREEZE
Like the pause on foreign aid programs, Trump also put a 90-day moratorium on the hiring of federal civilian employees, including filling vacancies or hiring for newly created positions. The president also directed OMB Director Russ Vought to then submit a plan to the White House “to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition.” Notably, the pause would have expired after 90 days for all agencies and departments except for the IRS. Last week, Trump extended it until July 15.
6. PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST INVASION
This order doubles down on Trump’s overriding immigration and deportation agenda, directing all federal assets to “faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people.” The order specifically directs DHS and the Treasury Department to submit a report to Trump regarding the “assessment and collection of all fines and penalties” relating to “aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”
7. REALIGNING THE UNITED STATES REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM
The president’s first day in office saw the temporary cessation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which can now be resumed depending on the contents of a report and set of recommendations Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were required to deliver to the White House on Monday. DHS and the State Department are further required to submit reports on the subject every 90 days moving forward until Trump “[determines] that resumption of the USRAP is in the interest of the United States.”
8. UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY
Trump’s “Drill, Baby, Drill” energy agenda includes a rollback of former President Joe Biden’s green energy-focused policies. Trump’s Day One executive order on energy directed all federal departments and agencies to pause the disbursement of funds from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and conduct a review ensuring that any “grants, loans, contracts, or any other financial disbursements” from that pool align with Trump’s own energy policies. Agency heads were given 90 days to submit reports to the National Economic Council and OMB detailing the review.
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The White House declined to answer questions about the status of the aforementioned reports and recommendations, but multiple senior administration officials told the Washington Examiner that they expect some of that information to eventually be made public.