Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• EPA eliminates research and development office and begins mass layoffs — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday the elimination of its Office of Research and Development (ORD) and a reduction of more than 3,700 employees (nearly 23% of total staff), bringing EPA staffing from January levels to 12,448. The ORD, which has provided scientific underpinnings for EPA's environmental and health protection mission, will be replaced by a new office of applied science. The agency projects savings of nearly $750 million. Union leaders and Democratic lawmakers warned the cuts will devastate public health and eliminate hundreds of scientist positions.

Supporting reports

• US Supreme Court affirms health secretary's direct oversight of preventive services taskforce — The US Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v Braidwood Management that the preventive services taskforce—an expert panel convened under the Affordable Care Act—operates under direct oversight of the health secretary. The 6-vote majority opinion, written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, held that presidential and Senate accountability provides sufficient constitutional safeguard. The decision comes hours after RFK Jr's handpicked vaccine advisory panel (ACIP) recommended against thimerosal-containing vaccines, contradicting scientific consensus. Health law experts warn the ruling enables politicization of medical recommendations affecting insurance coverage for treatments ranging from statins to HIV prevention drugs.
• US Supreme Court upholds Affordable Care Act preventive services provision while affirming health secretary's removal and override powers — The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Kennedy v Braidwood Management, Inc that the Affordable Care Act's requirement for private insurers to cover preventive health services without cost is constitutional. The decision affirmed the constitutionality of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a 16-member expert panel determining which evidence-based preventive services must be covered. However, the court also held that the health secretary may remove task force members at will and review their recommendations before implementation. The ruling centered on whether PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) coverage violated religious beliefs, with plaintiffs represented by the architect of Texas's abortion bounty-hunter law.

Supporting reports

• Executive Order on Deregulation Issued — President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14192 on January 31, 2025, mandating that for each new federal regulation, at least ten existing regulations must be repealed. This order aims to reduce regulatory burdens and promote economic growth by ensuring that the total incremental cost of new regulations is less than zero. The Office of Management and Budget is tasked with overseeing the implementation and providing guidance to federal agencies.
• Trump issues executive order on deregulation — President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation" on January 31, 2025. The order mandates that for every new regulation proposed, at least ten existing regulations must be identified for elimination. This initiative aims to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals, promoting economic growth and national security. The order also sets a regulatory cap for fiscal year 2025, requiring that the total incremental cost of new regulations be significantly less than zero. The Office of Management and Budget is tasked with overseeing the implementation of these directives.
• White House issued executive order establishing 10-for-1 regulatory offset requirement — The White House published an executive order titled "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation" directing federal agencies to identify and eliminate at least 10 existing regulations for each new regulation proposed or finalized. For fiscal year 2025, the order requires that the total incremental cost of all new regulations be "significantly less than zero." The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is charged with implementation, guidance, and enforcement. The order revokes OMB Circular A-4 (2023) and reinstates the 2003 version, and reinstates a 2018 Treasury-OMB memorandum on tax regulation review.
• White House issues fact sheet on 10-to-1 deregulation executive order — The White House published a fact sheet on January 31, 2025, announcing that President Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to repeal at least 10 existing regulations for each new regulation issued. The order directs the Office of Management and Budget to standardize measurement of regulatory costs and requires that for fiscal year 2025, the total incremental cost of all new regulations be significantly less than zero. The fact sheet claims the Biden Administration imposed $1.7 trillion in regulatory costs and asserts that Trump's first term achieved a 5.5-to-1 repeal ratio.