By: u/RealKafkaEsquire
Instagram: @RealKafkaEsquire
Twitter: @KafkaEsquire
This report is only a summary and editorial regarding the executive orders (“EOs”) signed by the Trump Administration during the last week. EOs are not legislation or court opinions. They do not carry the weight of law, and are merely statements of policy within the executive branch. That is not to say they cannot be cited in court or legal pleadings, or aren’t relevant to the application of law, only that they are almost never controlling outside of internal executive branch administration.
EOs are signed and reported on, generally, a week before they are published into the Federal Register. Until such a publication, it can be difficult to know the exact language of the signed EO. For that reason, these reports only include EOs published in the Federal Register. While this can lead to these reports feeling delayed or dated, it is to ensure precision and clarity.
While I am a licensed attorney, this is not paid legal advice. Nothing in this communication is intended to create an attorney-client relationship. Unless expressly stated otherwise, nothing contained in this article should be construed as a digital or electronic signature, nor is it intended to reflect an intention to make an agreement by electronic means.
Executive Order 14290 Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media
Signed: May 1, 2025
Published: May 7, 2025
Summary
Section 1 states that the media landscape is currently more diverse than it was when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (“CPB”) was founded in 1967. It also says that the CPB does not follow statutes regarding unbiased political broadcasting. Therefore the CPB is to end all federal funding for NPR and PBS.
Section 2 reiterates the order to cease all funding to NPR and PBS to prevent biased news reporting. Further it directs the CPB to take actions to halt all indirect funding to NPR and PBS.
Section 3 instructs all agency heads to eliminate any forms of direct or indirect funding to NPR and PBS. It also directs the Secretary of HHS to determine if NPR is complying with discriminatory hiring laws.
What It Means
The CPB was created in 1967 to promote public education and reporting. While there is a requirement for unbiased broadcasting, both NPR and PBS both attempt to refrain from biased broadcasting. This act now will withdraw and attempt to impede any funding of these programs.
This EO could mark the end of programs such as 'Sesame Street,' Credit:
Sesame Workshop.
Looking Forward
PBS and NPR are both well liked and provide a lot of free public education to lower income Americans. This EO will likely spell the end of these organizations entirely to the suffering of low-income Americans, and to the very slight benefit of the wealthy that own private broadcasting networks.
Statement by NPR President and CEO
Executive Order 14291 Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission
Signed: May 1, 2025
Published: May 7, 2025
Summary
Section 1 establishes that the policy of the executive branch is to enforce religious liberties. It goes on for a bit about this, with no real point.
Section 2 establishes the Religious Liberty Commission to defend religious liberty for all Americans. The Commission essentially just acts as an advisory committee to the executive regarding religious policy in America.
What It Means
This has long been foretold to be a Christian Nationalist commission to suppress non-christians and promote christianity in all aspects of society. The language of this EO is pretty tame, and all references to it by the Administration have included references to faiths other than Christianity.
Looking Forward
The altruism of the Administrations regarding different religions should not be trusted. It is likely a pretext for the Commission that will protect religious schools taking federal funds, christian employers enforcing their views on employees, and the illegal promotion of the Christian religion by the state.
Executive Order 14292 Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research
Signed: May 5, 2025
Published: May 8, 2025
Summary
Section 1 does some fear mongering about gain-of-function research and blames it for Covid-19.
Section 2 states it is the policy of the US to ensure that federally funded research benefits Americans without jeopardizing the Nation’s security, strength, or prosperity.
Section 3 orders various Executive officials to establish guidance to immediately federal funding of gain-of-function research in foreign countries and domestically.
Section 4 requires stronger oversight regarding gain-of-function and its funding.
Section 5 orders various executive officers to come up with a plan to govern, limit, and track ongoing dangerous gain-of-function research in the US that occurs without federal funding.
Section 6 creates a hotline for the public to report gain-of-function research to the government and receive a reward.
Section 7 orders various executive officers to include in all life-science research contract that the funds provided cannot be used for gain-of-function research.
Section 8 creates definitions for the EO.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, receives the COVID-19 vaccine. (NIH)
What It Means
This will end funding to research regarding gain-of-function research, and likely impact life science funding generally. Not only does this attempt to affect American research domestically, but it intends to impact international gain-of-life research and become an impediment in helping combat dangerous diseases.
Looking Forward
I am not knowledgeable enough in this area to know the impact of this EO. I can guess that it will only serve to harm humanity generally by impeding the progress of combating diseases.
Executive Order 14293 Regulatory Relief To Promote Domestic Production of Critical
Signed: May 5, 2025
Published: May 8, 2025
Summary
Section 1 complains about regulatory barriers to building pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in America.
Section 2 states that the policy of the US is that the regulation of manufacture of pharmaceutical products and inputs be streamlined.
Section 3 orders various executive officials to review regulations and guidance regarding pharmaceutical manufacturing to remove unnecessary regulations and maximize the speed of new pharmaceutical manufacturing. It also orders these officials to make positive steps to help increase said manufacturing.
Section 4 requires the FDA Commissioner to develop and improve inspection regimes of overseas manufacturing facilities that provide medicine to the US.
Section 5 orders the head of the EPA to take action to update regulations and guidance for the inspection and approval of new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
Section 6 selects the EPA as the lead agency for the permitting of new pharmaceutical facilities.
Section 7 orders various Secretaries to review nationwide permits to determine if nationwide permits are needed to facilitate the efficient permitting of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
What It Means
This EO attempts to assist domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. While the intent is present, there is little in this EO to actually achieve this goal. Should the disassembly of the EPA be successful, then at the very least it may remove the environmental impact studies required for the construction of such facilities.
Looking Forward
It is unclear how impactful this EO will be. I am not familiar enough with this industry to know if manufacturing is the bottleneck that has been a major issue for Pharmaceuticals. This EO will likely be pair in discussions with his other EOs regarding prescription drugs as the Administration’s attempts to lower drug prices.