Joe Biden Signed a Record 24 Executive Orders During His First Month: Here's What They Do

Within minutes of stepping into the Oval Office after his inauguration, President Joe Biden began signing a stack of executive orders waiting on the Resolute desk.

Biden, 78, signed 24 executive orders within his two weeks in office — the most by a new president in modern U.S. history.

The president's sweeping orders drew applause from supporters hoping Biden would reverse many of President Donald Trump's previous policies. But Biden's slate of new orders drew criticism, as well.

"You can't govern with a pen and a phone," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, tweeted.

Another Republican, Rep. Lauren Boebert, pleaded for someone to "please hide the pens" at the White House. Then last week, The New York Times editorial board wrote an op-ed, titled: "Ease up on the Executive Actions, Joe."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended Biden's rush of executive orders, saying the president was taking steps "immediately to address the pain and suffering that the American people were feeling," which "includes overturning some of the detrimental, harmful, and, at times, immoral policies and actions of the prior administration."

Biden's 24 executive orders during his shortened first month were more than double the amount any president in the modern U.S. era had signed in their own first months, says Dr. Adam Warber, a Clemson political science professor and the author of Executive Orders and the Modern Presidency.

Trump had signed seven executive orders in January 2017 and President Barack Obama signed nine in January 2009, while no president from Jimmy Carter through George W. Bush signed more than two during their first weeks in office.

"Although the number is large for Biden, it is not a huge surprise because Democrats want to reverse a good portion of the policy actions that were undertaken by the Trump administration and given the high polarization in Washington politics," Warber tells PEOPLE.

Here are some of the biggest executive orders Biden signed during his first two weeks in office.

On COVID-19

Biden promised many times before taking office that his administration's No. 1 goal would be to manage the dueling health and economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president signed an executive order requiring people wear protective facemasks on federal property, while he also extended a pause on federal student loan payments and interest until at least Sept. 30.

Biden also ordered a pause on evictions and foreclosures through the end of March.

On the Environment

Last week, the president declared "we can't wait any longer" to combat climate change. Biden signed a sweeping list of executive orders aimed at thwarting negative impacts on the environment, including his executive decision to end the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and re-committing the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement.

In addition to his executive actions, Biden also signed a memo vowing the federal government will "make evidence-based decisions" based on science and ordered that "scientific findings should never be distorted or influenced by political considerations."

On Immigration

Biden reversed Trump's expansion of immigration shortly after he was sworn in on Jan. 20, signing an executive order that vowed to "reset the policies and practices for enforcing civil immigration laws."

The president later halted the construction of Trump's border wall between U.S. and Mexico, eliminated a Trump-era ban on immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and strengthened DACA protections for immigrants who are seeking U.S. citizenship after being brought to the country by their parents as children.

On Equality

Biden ended Trump's ban on transgender military members — one of the previous president's most controversial decisions. On racial inequality, Biden issued an executive order calling on government agencies to reallocate "resources in a manner that increases investment in underserved communities," while he also issued an order condemning racism against Asian Americans following a rise in incidents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On gender equality, Biden also issued another executive order banning workplace discrimination. "Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear," Biden wrote in that order, adding, "All persons should receive equal treatment under the law."

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