All articles tagged with #biden administration
President Trump signed 11 pardons, saying the recipients were persecuted by the Biden administration. Most pardons relate to emissions-control violations tied to vehicle modifications, with two non-environmental cases highlighted (Adam Kidan and Jack Harvard). The White House provided case descriptions, and Trump framed the move as undoing a weaponized justice system.
President Donald Trump announced he pardoned six people he says were persecuted by the Biden administration for Clean Air Act violations, posting the move on Truth Social without naming those pardoned. A White House official said the pardons relate to individuals convicted of violating emissions laws. The piece notes the Justice Department previously instructed prosecutors to drop cases involving defeat devices used to bypass emissions controls. Trump’s clemency process is led by a small team of aides, and he has increasingly used pardons to advance his political goals.
The Education Department announced a major shift to streamline Biden-era student debt programs: about 7.5 million SAVE plan borrowers will have 90 days to exit starting July 1 and be directed toward two Trump-era repayment options (the Repayment Assistance Plan and the Tiered Standard Plan). SAVE borrowers collectively owe roughly $365 billion; the department says the current system’s 40+ options are overly complex and created bottlenecks, with the Biden plans slated to be shut down by 2028. More than 300,000 SAVE borrowers have already moved to RAP, which requires payments of 1–10% of earnings and forgives remaining debt after 30 years if not fully paid; the Tiered Standard Plan can extend repayment up to 25 years. The move follows a court ruling that struck down the original income-driven plan, and the department says this is about simplifying access and placing responsibility on Congress rather than the department.
Xavier Becerra, the front-running California gubernatorial candidate, faces a wave of anonymous criticism from former Biden administration officials over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and unaccompanied migrant children, amid broader Beltway tensions. Supporters highlight accomplishments from his HHS tenure, like drug-price relief and ACA expansion, while critics allege unpreparedness and limited visibility during crises. The debate blends legitimate concerns with partisan hostility, and voters deserve a transparent, evidence-based appraisal beyond anonymous soundbites as the primary race tightens.
Xavier Becerra's rapid ascent in California's gubernatorial race has stunned former Biden aides, who question his preparedness but acknowledge his political deftness. As polls push him to the front in a lackluster field, the development underscores voters' pragmatism and the unlikely prospect of a Cabinet member becoming California's governor.
Former Biden administration alumni are stunned by Xavier Becerra’s rapid rise from political afterthought to front-runner in California’s gubernatorial primary, sparking a mix of disbelief and resignation. Critics point to his handling of the Covid response and migrant crisis as evidence he wasn’t well-suited for a Cabinet post, while others defend his record and argue the weak Democratic field makes his candidacy more tenable. The debate underscores lingering skepticism about his leadership despite the momentum.
U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose condemned a Department of Homeland Security press release calling her an “activist Biden judge” as patently false, saying it endangered her safety and judicial security; the agency-based smear remained online days after she refuted it, and DOJ/ICE officials admitted the central claim was untrue during a contempt hearing.
Spirit Airlines’ shutdown has become a political blame game: Republicans accuse the Biden-era blocking of a JetBlue-Spirit merger for dooming the carrier, while Democrats and labor unions blame sharply higher jet-fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict; observers say a mix of merger-block fallout and rising fuel prices contributed to Spirit’s collapse, with thousands of workers affected.
A Trump-era report accuses Biden's Education Department of anti-Christian bias, alleging aggressive enforcement against Christian universities (notably Liberty University and Grand Canyon University) under Clery Act and Title IX rules, and criticizes handling of parental-rights concerns during the pandemic; it notes some actions began under the Trump administration. Biden officials deny discrimination and say there was no animus, with little comment from the White House.
Facing Iran-war–driven spikes in fertilizer and fuel prices, the Trump administration is considering reviving the Biden-era Fertilizer Production Expansion Program to boost domestic fertilizer production and supply, potentially using Commodity Credit Corporation funds, with Agriculture Secretary Rollins set to announce fertilizer investments in Missouri as lawmakers press for relief.
A Trump-commissioned Weaponization Working Group report accuses the Biden DOJ of biased enforcement of the FACE Act against anti-abortion protesters, alleging harsher sentences, alleged withholding of evidence, and improper juror screening, while noting the document has no legal weight; it follows firings linked to FACE Act prosecutions and comes as the administration says it is reversing prior enforcement, with supporters citing public safety and equal application of the law.
The Justice Department fired at least four prosecutors who handled FACE Act prosecutions during the Biden administration, including Sanjay Patel; the terminations occurred as the department prepared a report on weaponizing the FACE Act.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a memo directing federal immigration agents to arrest refugees who have not yet obtained green cards and detain them indefinitely for re-screening, a dramatic policy shift that reverses decades of protections and threatens tens of thousands who entered during the Biden administration; resettlement groups say the guidance upends protections and endangers refugee families.
The Air Force will paint two newly modified Boeing 747s designated VC-25B, plus a 747 donated by Qatar, in Trump’s preferred red, white, gold and dark blue scheme, reversing Biden-era plans for a baby-blue livery due to cost and technical concerns. The paint will also be applied during maintenance to four C-32 aircraft, with the first C-32 already painted and slated for delivery in the coming months.
Three federal judges—one appointed by Trump—allowed construction on offshore wind projects off New England, New York, and Virginia to resume, delivering a setback to Trump’s bid to halt offshore wind. After Congress cut incentives and the Interior Department issued stop-work orders, the courts found the government failed to show a compelling national-security justification, boosting developers’ momentum but leaving the ultimate fate of the projects uncertain and potentially influencing investor sentiment amid ongoing legal battles.