Publication | Executive Actions Monitor

    Executive Actions Affecting Health

    2025 Presidential Actions
    BACK TO EXECUTIVE ACTIONS MONITOR

    These executive order (EO) summaries are based on a cursory review; our lawyers and policy professionals continue to analyze these documents, and the directives they contain. Among other things, some of the directed actions may present significant constitutional questions that could be litigated and subsequently overturned or blocked.


    May 24, 2025

    National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

    A proclamation proclaiming May 2025 as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
     
    May 12, 2025

    Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients

    An EO instructing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to either engage with pharmaceutical manufacturers, or issue a rulemaking plan to implement most-favored-nation pricing for pharmaceutical companies, among other measures. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    May 5, 2025

    Regulatory Relief to Promote Domestic Production of Critical Medicines

    An EO ordering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers to streamline their respective regulations and guidance regarding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The EO additionally directs the FDA to strengthen its inspection regime for foreign medical manufacturing facilities. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    May 5, 2025

    Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research

    An EO ordering the OSTP to establish guidelines for federal agencies to end funding for gain-of-function pathogen research and other forms of life-science research in any foreign countries determined to be “of concern” and/or lacking oversight to ensure compliance with United States standards and policies. The order also directs the OSTP to update policies and frameworks to manage the risks gain-of-function research and other life-science research that could have significant societal consequences. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    April 15, 2025

    Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First

    An EO directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to take a series of actions aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, including recommending ways to reduce Medicare Part D premiums, reviewing potential changes to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and exploring options to align Medicare payments with drug acquisition costs. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 25, 2025

    Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients With Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information

    An EO directing the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to rapidly implement and enforce healthcare price transparency regulations issued pursuant to EO 13877, which President Trump issued in June 2019. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 18, 2025

    Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization

    An EO directing the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to submit a list of policy recommendations to protect access to and reduce out-of-pocket costs for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

     
    February 15, 2025

    Keeping Education Accessible and Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools

    An EO directing the Secretary of Education to issue guidelines to educational entities regarding their legal obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations and equal protection in the context of COVID-19 school mandates. The order also instructs the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop a plan within 90 days to end COVID-19 school mandates. This plan must include a process for ensuring that federal funds are withheld from entities that do not comply with the issued guidelines. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 13, 2025

    Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission

    An EO establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission to assess the childhood chronic disease crisis and develop a federal response strategy. The EO also directs executive departments and agencies that address health or healthcare to focus on reversing chronic disease. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 3, 2025

    American Heart Month, 2025

    A proclamation declaring February 2025 as American Heart Month.
     
    January 28, 2025

    Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation

    An EO providing that it is the policy of the US government “that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.” Accordingly, the EO directs several agency actions to comply with this policy, including through immediate appropriate actions to ensure that institutions receiving federal research or education grants “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
     
    January 27, 2025

    Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate

    An EO making reinstatement and full back-pay available to all members of the military who were discharged solely for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    January 24, 2025

    Enforcing the Hyde Amendment

    An EO directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to promulgate guidance to the heads of executive departments and agencies on compliance with the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the federal funding of elective abortions.
     
    January 24, 2025

    The Mexico City Policy

    A memorandum reinstating the Mexico City Policy, requiring nongovernmental organizations to agree, as a condition of their receipt of federal funds, to neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations. The policy is also extended to apply to all global health assistance provided by all US departments and agencies. Additionally, the memorandum directs the Secretary of State to ensure that US taxpayer dollars are not used to fund organizations or programs that support or participate in the management of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization programs.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Withdrawing the United States From the World Health Organization

    An EO directing the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, excessive financial demands and political influence, while establishing alternative mechanisms to safeguard public health and biosecurity.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government

    An EO amending the definition of “sex” to refer to an individual’s biological classification as either male or female, directing the Executive Branch to enforce sex-protective laws according to this distinction, and mandating the removal of gender ideology messaging in federal communications, among other items. The EO also directs the Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs to present proposed bill text to codify the definitions in this order.