Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda Issued by the Trump Administration (Post #4)

Since our last post on February 14, President Trump has issued three more Executive Orders. The pace is slowing, so we are posting less often, but we will continue to keep you updated. Click the link below for summaries of each action.

2/28

Presidential Executive Order on The White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Establishes a White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”). The Initiative aims to work with agencies, private-sector employers, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to an increasing number of students.

Presidential Executive Order on Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the "Waters of the United States" Rule
- Calls on the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to “review all orders, rules, regulations, guidelines, or policies implementing or enforcing the final rule” and says the agencies shall “rescind or revise, or publish for notice and comment proposed rules rescinding or revising” such issuances. The executive order also asks the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to consider interpreting the term "navigable waters" in a manner consistent with the opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia in Rapanos v. United States. In his Rapanos plurality opinion, Scalia concluded: “[i]n sum, on its only plausible interpretation, the phrase ‘the waters of the United States’ includes only those relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water ‘forming geographic features’ that are described in ordinary parlance as ‘streams[,] . . . oceans, rivers, [and] lakes.’ See Webster's Second 2882. The phrase does not include channels through which water flows intermittently or ephemerally, or channels that periodically provide drainage for rainfall. The Corps’ expansive interpretation of the 'the waters of the United States’ is thus not “based on a permissible construction of the statute.”

2/24

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda
- Requires all federal agencies to create task forces to help “alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” Within two months, agencies must designate an agency official as its Regulatory Reform Office (“RRO”). Each RRO shall oversee the implementation of regulatory reform initiatives and policies to ensure that agencies effectively carry out such regulatory reforms.

Blog Topic

Info

Grant Due: FY 2025 Bureau of Land Management Youth Conservation Corps - Bureau Wide

WHAT DOES IT FUND? This program provides participants with opportunities to gain work experience in public lands and natural resources management. Through this experience, youth gain an appreciation for public lands, learn about conservation-related careers, and become the next generation of public land stewards. The BLM Youth Program partners with qualified youth and conservation corps through the Public Lands Corp (PLC) Program to engage individuals between the ages of 16 and 30 and veterans up to age 35, including tribal members to participate in the program. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State governments, county governments, city or township governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, and private institutions of higher education are eligible applicants. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana/Dakotas, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Headquarters (for projects national in scope), the National Interagency Fire Center, and the National Operations Center will not be accepting applications.

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $900,000

WHEN IS IT DUE? August 8, 2025

US Congressional Calendar

9 December 2024

TFG Presents 2025 Congressional Calendar

The Ferguson Group (TFG) compiled a 2025 Congressional Calendar with session and recess dates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate 119th congressional session.

Latest TFG News

28 January 2025

TFG Monitoring Developments of Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs

On January 27, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President Trump issued a memorandum titled “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs.” The directive mandates Federal agencies to temporarily suspend the obligation and disbursement of federal financial assistance while conducting a comprehensive review of programs and awards to ensure alignment with the administration’s policies and priorities. As part of this review, agencies are also instructed to temporarily suspend the issuance of new program solicitations.

Meet a Team Member

Latest Coronavirus Updates