REPUBLICAN lawmakers have accused Joe Biden of making "far-left moves" after the President revoked permits for the Keystone pipeline project and ordered a 100-day halt to some deportations.
The Democrat signed off a raft of executive orders, addressing a number of different issues from Covid-19 to security, as he began to roll back the previous policies of the Trump Administration.
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Biden formally announced that he was revoking a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project and ordered a halt to some deportations of undocumented migrants.
The pause was put in place to "ensure we have a fair and effective immigration enforcement system focused on protecting national security, border security and public safety", a memo revealed.
In the coming days, Biden is expected to ask Congress to offer a pathway to citizenship to the 11 million undocumented people living in the United States.
But, the orders have been branded "far left" by some GOP lawmakers, Newsweek reports.
Rep Bryan Steil of Wisconsin said: "On day one, Biden has set the tone for what is to come in his administration: legislating by executive orders, championing massive spending bills, and supporting far-left priorities that reverse years of economic growth and job creation."
Congresswoman Kat Cammack, of Florida, said the President's actions "cater to the left".
She said: "President Biden's inaugural address focused heavily on unity, bringing the nation together after the division we've experienced.
"The new EOs he just signed, however, cater to the left, ignoring the steps necessary to move America forward."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy blasted Biden's proposed immigration bill.
He said: "The Biden plan to offer citizenship to more than 11million illegal immigrants, who have, for years, knowingly broken our laws is the wrong policy at the wrong time."
He warned that Republican lawmakers would reveal the flaws in the bill in the coming weeks.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney said blocking the oil pipeline will "eliminate jobs, increase the cost of energy and embolden our adversaries".
An email obtained by Politico reveals the decision to revoke permits is likely to result in job losses.
Keystone XL chief Richard Prior said the permit denial will force the company to cut 1,000 jobs.
He said: "Over 1,000 positions will be eliminated in the coming weeks, the majority of these unionized workers representing the building trades."
The GOP backlash came after Biden started to reverse Trump's policies by issuing a mask mandate, ending the "Muslim travel ban", and rejoined the Paris climate accord.
Prior to signing the series of legislative orders in the White House, Biden said: "There's no time to start like today."
Biden’s executive orders
- Launch a 100 Days Masking Challenge
- Rejoin the World Health Organization
- Structure the federal government to coordinate a unified national response to Covid-19
- Extend Eviction and Foreclosure Moratoriums
- Extend Student Loan Pause
- Rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- Roll back Trump’s Environmental Actions in order to protect public health and the environment and restore science
- Launch a whole-of-government initiative to advance racial equity
- Reverse Trump’s executive order excluding undocumented immigrants from the reapportionment count
- Preserve and fortify protections for Dreamers
- Reverse the Muslim Ban
- Repeal of Trump interior enforcement executive order
- Stop border wall construction
- Deferred enforced departure for Liberians presidential memorandum
- Preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation
- Executive branch personnel ethics executive order
Texas Senator Ted Cruz branded Biden's immigration policy changes, including a decision to halt the building of a wall on the border with Mexico, as "deeply troubling".
"It is deeply troubling that most of Joe Biden's first acts as president were to protect illegal immigrants and encourage illegal immigration at the expense of American jobs and workers," he said in a statement.
Cruz accused Biden of "promoting open-borders legislation that would gift citizenship to over 11 million illegal immigrants".
"These actions illustrate that today's Democratic Party puts people here illegally – or attempting to come here illegally – before American workers," he added.
President Biden called for unity in a bid to tackle the challenges of the Covid pandemic, white supremacy, political extremism and domestic terrorism.
But Republicans on social media remain deeply skeptical.
Errol Webber, who ran for election in California's 37th congressional district, tweeted: "17 executive orders don't scream bipartisanship to me. But as you do."
Some pro-Trump supporters do not acknowledge Biden as their president while others continue to peddle unsubstantiated claims that the election was rigged.
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