COVID-19

The newly created COVID-19 Response Team held its first public meeting this week. As part of the Biden administration’s 100 Shots in 100 Days Plan, the President committed to buying an additional 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine – covering nearly all Americans – in his coined “wartime effort.” The president also committed to giving state governors three weeks’ notice on future vaccine allotments.

Executive Orders

Racial Equity
President Biden began the week by signing several executive orders to fulfill his campaign promise of addressing equity. Actions included measures to:

• Advance Fair Housing, Reform our Incarceration System to End the Use of Private Prisons
• Reaffirm the Federal Government’s Commitment to Tribal Sovereignty and Consultation
• Combat Xenophobia Against Asian American and Pacific Islanders

Climate Change
On Wednesday, President Biden signed several executive orders targeting climate change – aiming to double U.S. wind power by 2030 and pausing new oil and gas contracts on public lands (but not those held by Native American tribes). The orders also established the Office of Domestic Climate Policy – a move that enacts a new approach by treating climate change as a national security issue.

Health Insurance Marketplace
On Thursday, President Biden ordered the special reopening of government health insurance markets from Feb. 15 to May 15 to permit another opportunity for uninsured Americans to enroll. The order also removes burdensome enactments from the former Trump administration, including work requirements for low-income people receiving Medicaid and changes to certain policies burdening access to abortion.

Title X
President Biden signed a presidential memorandum to reverse restrictions on abortion access domestically and abroad imposed and expanded by the Trump administration. It directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to “review the Title X Rule and any other regulations governing the Title X program that impose undue restrictions on the use of Federal funds or women’s access to complete medical information.”

Appointments & Announcements

House Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Announcements: House Appropriations Chair DeLauro (D-Conn.) named all subcommittee chairs and will remain the Chair of the Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee. Others include Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) for the Agriculture-FDA, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) for Financial Services, and Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) for Transportation-HUD

Former FED chairwoman, Janet Yellen was confirmed as the first female Treasury secretary.

Lloyd Austin was confirmed as the first African American Defense Secretary by the Senate

Topher Spiro, formerly with the Center for American Progress, will oversee health programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the associate director for health

Law professor, Sam Bagenstos will be OMB’s general counsel