🦅 Executive Branch |
White House |
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On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an order directing the Secretary of Commerce to start a formal investigation within 90 days into whether importing processed critical minerals—like rare earth elements used in things such as electric vehicles, smartphones, and military equipment—and products made from them could harm U.S. national security. This investigation will look at where these minerals and products come from, how much the U.S. depends on foreign suppliers, and whether those suppliers use unfair practices that might hurt American businesses and defense readiness. The findings and recommendations must be reported back to the President within 180 days. This action affects U.S. manufacturers, defense industries, and trade policies, aiming to address concerns about supply risks and economic stability, though the order’s claims about risks and foreign practices are presented as the administration’s view and not independently verified. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that cancels two earlier orders from 1978 and 1996, which told federal agencies to put their offices mainly in downtown city areas or historic buildings. This change affects all federal departments and agencies that rent or own office space, including those using other legal rules besides the main property law. The order tells the General Services Administration to update the rules about federal office space to match this new approach. The White House says this matters because it lets agencies choose cheaper office locations and focus better on their work, rather than being forced to stay in expensive city centers. However, the order does not create any new legal rights and must follow existing laws and budget limits. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an order directing the Secretary of Commerce to investigate whether importing processed critical minerals—important materials used in many products like batteries, electronics, and defense equipment—and goods made from them could harm U.S. national security. This investigation must be done within 180 days and will look at where these minerals come from, how much the U.S. depends on foreign suppliers, and whether those suppliers use unfair practices that hurt American businesses. The order affects companies that make or use these minerals and products, as well as government agencies involved in trade and defense. It matters because the order says the U.S. relies heavily on a few countries for these materials, which could cause problems if supplies are cut off or prices are manipulated, potentially threatening the economy and military readiness. The investigation could lead to actions like tariffs or rules to encourage more U.S. production. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order aimed at lowering the prices of prescription drugs for Americans, especially seniors and people on Medicare. The order directs the Health and Human Services Secretary and other officials to improve and change parts of the Medicare drug price negotiation program, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act, to make it more transparent and fairer, with deadlines for proposals and reports mostly within 60 to 180 days. It also calls for new rules to help Medicare pay less for expensive drugs, to speed up approval of cheaper generic and biosimilar drugs, and to make it easier for states to import lower-cost medicines from other countries. The order affects patients, drug manufacturers, Medicare beneficiaries, health centers, and government agencies, and it aims to reduce drug costs while trying not to hurt drug innovation or increase overall Medicare spending. However, the order relies on existing laws and future rulemaking, so its real impact will depend on how these changes are carried out and whether Congress cooperates. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing a major review and rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which is the rulebook for how the government buys goods and services. This order requires the head of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy, working with other government officials, to cut out any rules in the FAR that are not required by law or necessary for good buying practices, aiming to make the process simpler and faster. Agencies that buy things for the government must help with this effort and align their own rules with the new changes. The order also suggests that some rules could automatically expire after four years unless renewed, to keep the system from becoming too complicated again. This affects all federal departments and agencies that spend nearly $1 trillion a year on purchases. The White House says this is important because the current rules are too long and complicated, but it is not proven here whether the changes will actually improve efficiency or save money. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Trump issued a memorandum directing several government officials to take stronger steps to stop people who are in the country illegally from getting Social Security benefits. This order affects the Social Security Administration, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and the Justice Department. It calls for more fraud investigations and prosecutions, including expanding special prosecutors in at least 50 U.S. Attorney offices by October 1, 2025, focusing on identity theft and fraud related to Social Security and Medicare programs. The memorandum also requires fixing problems found in a 2023 audit about missing death records and suspicious earnings reports for people over 100 years old. The goal, according to the document, is to make sure only eligible people receive benefits and to reduce waste and fraud, but it depends on available funding and must follow existing laws. Read full document →
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On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued a presidential action directing federal agencies to use modern technology to speed up the process of reviewing and approving environmental permits for projects like roads, power plants, and factories. This order affects many government departments involved in environmental reviews and permits, requiring them to stop using paper forms and create a new plan within 45 days to improve how they handle permit applications using digital tools. It also sets up a special team called the Permitting Innovation Center within 15 days to test new software that helps track and speed up these reviews. The goal, according to the order, is to make permit decisions faster and clearer, which could affect how quickly infrastructure projects move forward, but it remains to be seen how well these changes will work in practice. Read full document →
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