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    Background on executive orders and Office of Management and Budget memo 

    Posted January 29
    Source
    National Council of Nonprofits
    About This Document

    The National Council of Nonprofits has provided and is regularly updating overviews of executive orders that are relevant to non-profits. 

    Here are some details that may be of particular interest to Alliance members: 

    • Office of Management and Budget Memo: Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan and Other Financial Assistance Programs 

      Appeared to freeze nearly all federal grants and loans, domestically and internationally, effectively hitting the pause button on money appropriated by Congress for specific, pre-ordained purposes, including Farm Bill conservation programs. A judge temporarily blocked this freeze from taking effect, and on Jan. 29, the administration has rolled back its sweeping freeze of federal assistance in a two-sentence memo.

    • Unleashing American Energy 

      Calls for actions to streamline the permitting process of energy infrastructure siting and for a pause on the disbursement of Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to provide for a 90-day review. This has been followed up by OMB guidance clarifying the pause applies only to funds associated with the Green New Deal and not to other funding. It was our understanding that the OMB guidance in this regard clarified that the pause did not impact the IRA funding directed toward Farm Bill conservation programs. Note, however, that the new directive from OMB mentioned below seems to include most federal programs.

    • National Energy Emergency 

      Authorizes the use of emergency authorities to facilitate the generation of domestic energy resources, including on federal lands and through the possible use of eminent domain or the Defense Product Act. Expedites the completion of all authorized and appropriated energy infrastructure projects. 

    • Recissions of Biden executive orders 

      Rescinds 14 Biden executive orders relating to climate change and environmental justice, including EO 14008, "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” which contained a commitment to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030 — “30x30”. 

    • Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunity 

      Calls for the elimination of federal government DEI programs and trainings, often provided by or in partnership with nonprofits. In addition, President Trump has signed executive orders extending "anti-DEI" efforts to the private sector. 

    • Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing 

      Directs the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to coordinate with all federal agencies to terminate all DEI programs in federal agencies, including equity-related grants and equity action plans. 

    • The President also released a series of executive orders that impact federal employees.

      These orders implement a federal hiring freeze, direct full-time, in-person work for all federal employees, and establish the Department of Government Efficiency. In addition, many career federal employees have been placed on leave or terminated, and the administration has offered pay through Sept. 30 for any federal workers who resign by Feb. 6.