In one of numerous Executive Orders signed on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an order entitled, "Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions." The Executive Order revokes a long list of Executive Orders and actions by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
As expected, many Biden Executive Orders revoked by President Trump were those in furtherance of diversity and inclusion efforts but included others, including those on pay transparency and COVID-19 protections that had not yet been rescinded by President Biden. Some highlights of the rescinded Executive Orders include:
- Executive Order 13988, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation (see our previous blog post, President Biden Issues Executive Order Addressing Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Discrimination)
- Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (see our post on the Executive Order issued during the first Trump Administration, which President Biden's Executive Order had rescinded: President Trump Issues Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping)
- Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
- Executive Order 14069, Advancing Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in Federal Contracting by Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency (see President Biden Signs Executive Order Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency)
- Executive Order 14099 of May 9, 2023 (Moving Beyond COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Federal Workers)
- Executive Order 14020, Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council (see Biden Administration Continues Actions Aimed at Addressing and Advancing Racial and Gender Equality)
- Executive Order 14055, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts (see our post on President Trump's prior rescission of a similar measure in his first administration: President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Protections for Service Workers,)
Today's Executive Order makes clear
[t]he revocations within this order will be the first of many steps the United States Federal Government will take to repair our institutions and our economy.
As such, today's Executive Order is the first in what we expect will be a wave of executive actions issued by President Trump early in the new administration. We will monitor these developments and continue to provide updates and insights on the implications for federal contractors.
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