President Trump Rescinds Additional Biden Executive Orders: Analysis of the March 15 White House Actions

On March 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a new executive order rescinding 19 executive actions from the Biden administration, continuing his systematic effort to dismantle his predecessor’s policy legacy. This latest round of rescissions targets policies related to gender ideology, environmental initiatives, labor regulations, and land management, representing Trump’s second major wave of executive reversals since returning to office in January 2025. The action underscores the administration’s commitment to rolling back what it characterizes as harmful Biden-era policies while demonstrating the significant impact of executive authority transitions in the American political system.

Trump’s Executive Reversal Strategy

President Trump’s March 15 executive order represents the second significant wave of Biden-era policy reversals since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. According to the White House fact sheet, the administration has now rescinded nearly 100 executive actions within the first two months of Trump’s second term 4. This latest round adds 19 more reversals to the approximately 80 executive actions Trump rescinded on his first day in office 3. The administration emphasizes that Trump has now rescinded more executive actions than the total number of executive orders President Biden signed during his entire first year in office.

The White House characterizes these rescissions as “necessary to end radical ideology, eliminate wasteful regulations, and prioritize the interests of American citizens”. The strategy aligns with Trump’s campaign promise that he would “undo almost everything Biden did” through executive action, a commitment he cited during his campaign and has now partially fulfilled1. This approach of using executive authority to rapidly reverse predecessor policies has become increasingly common in transitions between administrations of different parties.

January 2025 Initial Rescissions

Before examining the March 15 action, it’s important to understand the context of Trump’s January 20 “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.” That first wave targeted approximately 80 Biden administration directives across multiple policy areas 7. The January rescissions included several notable reversals, including:

Executive Order 13988 on preventing discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation 3
Executive Order 13985 on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities 3
Executive Order 14091 on further advancing racial equity initiatives 3
Executive Order 14069 on promoting pay equity and transparency in federal contracting 3
Executive Order 14099 on moving beyond COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal workers 3

The January rescissions also targeted Biden’s immigration policies, including four 2021 executive orders related to asylum seekers and family reunification 7. Additionally, Trump revoked Biden’s order that prohibited gift-giving from lobbyists to departing federal appointees and another directive instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to explore new healthcare payment models aimed at reducing drug costs 4 8.

March 15 Executive Order Details

The March 15 executive order continues Trump’s policy reversal strategy with a focus on what the administration describes as “Biden’s most damaging executive orders and policies”. According to White House materials, this latest action targets a range of Biden initiatives spanning environmental policy, gender ideology, land management, and labor regulations 4.

The timing of the order—released late on Friday, March 15—follows a pattern often used by administrations to minimize immediate media coverage 4. Beyond policy reversals, the executive order also includes provisions to reduce functions of several government agencies as part of broader cost-cutting measures 5 9. A White House representative informed Fox News that these measures would “eliminate non-mandatory functions and curtail the essential functions of superfluous governmental bodies to what is legally required” 9.

Specific Biden Policies Being Rescinded

The March 15 executive order targets several specific Biden administration policies that the Trump White House characterizes as particularly harmful. These include:

Gender Policy Initiatives

Trump’s order rescinds Biden’s executive action that, according to the White House fact sheet, “elevated radical gender ideology in U.S. diplomacy and foreign aid” 5. This continues a pattern from Trump’s first wave of rescissions, which included revoking Executive Order 14020 that established the White House Gender Policy Council 3. Since returning to office, Trump has focused on diminishing transgender rights, which includes signing an order that recognizes only two biological sexes 4.

Environmental and Energy Policies

A significant portion of the March 15 order focuses on environmental initiatives. Specifically, it eliminates Biden’s use of the Defense Production Act to promote clean energy technologies, which the Trump administration characterizes as the “Green New Scam” 5. This includes ending mandates for electric heat pumps and solar panel installations 5. The Biden administration had empowered the Department of Energy to invoke the Defense Production Act, originally passed in 1950, to boost U.S. production of clean energy technologies4.

The order also revokes Biden’s executive order from 2022 that directed increased government investment in the U.S. biotechnology sector, which was intended to enhance the production of materials essential for clean energy generation 4. Trump’s administration claims this initiative “funneled Federal resources into radical biotech and biomanufacturing initiatives under the guise of environmental policy”.

Land Management

Trump’s order terminates Biden’s proclamations that designated nearly one million acres as new national monuments 5. The White House fact sheet characterizes these designations as having “locked up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production”. This reversal reflects the administration’s prioritization of economic development and energy extraction over environmental conservation efforts 9.

Labor Policies

The executive order repeals Biden’s directive on labor policies and apprenticeship mandates for American businesses and government agencies 4. It also removes Biden’s order that prioritized union-driven policies, which the Trump administration claims “imposed unnecessary regulations on industries”1. Additionally, Trump reversed Biden’s 2021 order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour 4.

The Trump administration also annulled a Biden executive order from 2024 that aimed to improve labor standards 4. That directive had instructed federal agencies to prioritize various labor-related practices, including higher wages, pathways for union membership, and enhanced workplace safety 4.

Reactions and Implications

The rescission of these Biden-era policies has generated mixed reactions across the political spectrum. The Trump administration frames these actions as fulfilling campaign promises and putting “America back on a path to prosperity, security, and strength”. Supporters view the reversals as necessary corrections to what they considered overreaching policies of the previous administration.

Critics, particularly from the Democratic Party, have characterized Trump’s executive actions as potentially harmful to worker protections, environmental safeguards, and civil rights 8. Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, asserted that “Trump continues to demonstrate that he misled the American public and shows no concern for lowering costs—only for his own interests and those of his wealthy associates” 8.

Foreign policy analysts have provided mixed reviews of Trump’s actions since taking office on January 20, noting concerns about his approach to international relations, including “alienating several countries with threats of tariffs and territorial takeovers” 6. However, some have praised his push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, suggesting that the three-year conflict “should have ended long ago” 6.

Administrative Impact and Future Directions

The immediate administrative effects of Trump’s executive order rescissions remain somewhat limited, as his administration will need to undertake additional regulatory actions to completely reverse Biden’s policies 8. This leaves the precise trajectory of the new president’s policy strategy in several areas still somewhat ambiguous 8.

The White House has indicated that the administration is “committed to continuing the review and repeal of harmful Biden administration policies to usher in a new golden age for America” 15. This suggests that further executive actions targeting Biden-era policies may be forthcoming.

In The End

President Trump’s March 15 executive order rescinding 19 Biden administration actions represents a significant continuation of his strategy to systematically dismantle his predecessor’s policy legacy. By targeting policies related to gender ideology, environmental initiatives, labor regulations, and land management, Trump is reshaping the federal policy landscape to align with his administration’s priorities. The executive order reflects the increasingly common practice of using executive authority to rapidly reverse predecessor policies during transitions between administrations of different parties.

As the administration moves forward with implementing these rescissions, the full impact on affected policy areas will depend on the specific regulatory actions taken to replace or modify the rescinded directives. What is clear is that President Trump is delivering on his promise to undo Biden-era policies through executive action, demonstrating both the power and limitations of executive authority in the American political system.

President Trump Rescinds Additional Biden Executive Orders: Analysis of the March 15 White House Actions

President Trump Rescinds Additional Biden Executive Orders: Analysis of the March 15 White House Actions

Trump’s Executive Reversal Strategy

January 2025 Initial Rescissions

March 15 Executive Order Details

Specific Biden Policies Being Rescinded

Gender Policy Initiatives

Environmental and Energy Policies

Land Management

Labor Policies

Reactions and Implications

Administrative Impact and Future Directions

In The End

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