ALFA Notes -- EO Edition

January 21

January 21, 2025

Good morning. In the spirit of President Trump’s quick actions last night, we want to use today’s note to highlight some of the Executive Orders issued that are intended to expedite America’s rebuilding towards an innovation and manufacturing powerhouse.

Executive Orders

President Trump’s Day One Executive Orders include:

President Trump had promised to scrap this order on the campaign trail saying: “Republicans support AI development rooted in free speech and human flourishing.”

Some of the key policy objectives are to:

  • “Encourage energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters.”

  • “Establish our position as the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”

  • “Protect the United States economic and national security and military preparedness.”

Specifically, the EO …

Ordered a review of all agency actions that could hinder American energy development and revoked many executive orders that had an adverse effect on American energy development.

The order also focused on permitting reform and requires the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality to “propose rescinding CEQ’s NEPA regulations.” It also revoked a 1977 Executive Order from President Jimmy Carter that authorized the Council on Environmental Quality to implement National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.

The U.S. will restart application approvals for LNG exports.

Emphasizing the importance of our energy needs, the President also declared a National Energy Emergency which would expedite many of the actions and reviews to improve and upgrade our energy infrastructure.

DOGE will replace the U.S. Digital Service and will be officially called the U.S. DOGE Service, which will be run by an Administrator in the Executive Office of the President. It will terminate on July 4, 2026.

In addition to White House staff there will be DOGE teams at each agency, with four employees: one DOGE Team Lead, one engineer, one human resources specialist, and one attorney.

  • DOGE will have an emphasis on “modernizing federal technology and software to maximize efficiency and productivity” to “improve the quality and efficiency of government-wide software, network infrastructure, and information technology (IT) systems.”

The President issued a freeze on any new regulation and a withdraw of any rule sent to but not published to the Office of the Federal Register.

“Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.”

Recall just last week, Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent detailed that the recent Chinese hack of Treasury’s sanctions office exploited work from home software.

“Establishing a robust and reinvigorated trade policy that promotes investment and productivity, enhances our Nation’s industrial and technological advantages, defends our economic and national security, and — above all — benefits American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses.”

This order also includes an assessment of the “‘Four-Year Review of Actions Taken in the Section 301 Investigation:  China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation’ — particularly with respect to industrial supply chains and circumvention through third countries, including an updated estimate of the costs imposed by any unfair trade practices identified in such review — and he shall recommend such actions as are necessary to remediate any issues identified in connection with this process.”

The President asked for “recommendations to advance the policy that Federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government.”

Restarting work from the first Trump administration would route more water from Northern California to the Central Valley and Southern California.

As always, thanks for reading!

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