President Trump's First 100 Days Cut Regulatory Red Tape

President Trump’s first 100 days in office have been characterized by some of the largest deregulatory efforts in the modern era, a contrast to the previous administration that grew the regulatory state by $5 billion a day.

Now, proclamations, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and specific agency actions have been issued at a rapid rate, unraveling the decades-old federal bureaucracy that hindered the success of the first Trump Administration.

Deregulation by Executive Order

President Trump has wielded the executive power of the presidency to hold the federal bureaucracy accountable. As of April 24, 2025, President Trump has signed 137 executive orders. Unlike previous administrations, President Trump has not utilized the powers of the president to expand agencies’ independent regulatory authority. Instead, President Trump’s executive orders have spurred a deregulatory renaissance:

“Unleashing American Energy”

E.O. 14154: Directs all agencies to identify, revise, or rescind agency actions that burden energy development, mining, or infrastructure.

Support: CPAC has long championed deregulation and expanded fossil fuel development, making this executive order a central component of its policy agenda.

“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”

E.O. 14173: Orders all executive departments and agencies to terminate all policies, guidance, and regulations that incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Support: This order advances CPAC’s agenda of eliminating DEI mandates and promoting merit-based decision-making in both federal contracting and the private sector.

“Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation”

E.O. 14192: Mandates that for every new regulation proposed, federal agencies must identify at least 10 existing regulations to repeal.

Support: CPAC previously advocated for the reinstatement of the first Trump Administration’s “one-in, two-out” rule for issuing new regulations and supports this accelerated effort to minimize government intervention.

“Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies”

E.O. 14215: Requires all agencies’ interpretations of the law to conform to the President’s.

Support: CPAC’s advocacy efforts include promoting policies that reduce agency overreach and enhance accountability within the federal regulatory framework, both of which are accomplished by this order.

Agency Actions: What’s Different?

The previous administration used agencies’ rulemaking authorities to impose staggering costs on the American people. Former President Biden’s exorbitant policies cost the average household more than $15,000 per year, totaling $2.1 trillion in additional annual costs to American taxpayers. President Trump has utilized federal agencies in the opposite direction, directing them to solicit stakeholder feedback and cut through regulatory red tape:

Environmental Protection Agency

Action: On March 27, the EPA sought stakeholder feedback on implementing the "waters of the United States" definition following the Sackett v. EPA decision.

Rationale: Defining "waters of the United States" is crucial for implementing the CWA, as prior regulations have burdened individuals with penalties for unintentional noncompliance while failing to settle the question of what constitutes these waters.

Support: CRF filed comments recommending that the EPA clarify definitions for "relatively permanent" tributaries, avoid penalizing inadvertent violations, reserve criminal penalties for harmful violations, and ensure all guidance documents follow APA requirements for transparency.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Action: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a determination under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to waive laws and regulations hindering southern border enforcement.

Rationale: Environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Migratory Bird Conservation Act have long obstructed border enforcement, but the State Department’s recent determination allows those regulatory barriers to be waived.

Support: CRF filed comments opposing the previous administration’s proposal to designate a high-traffic border area as critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act, arguing it would block essential border security infrastructure.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Action: HHS announced numerous revisions to regulations under the Affordable Care Act, excluding DACA recipients from health plan eligibility, strengthening income verification to prevent fraud, and removing sex-trait modification procedures from essential health benefits starting in 2026.

Rationale: The Congressional Budget Office estimates federal health insurance subsidies will reach $3.3 trillion by 2033, prompting a needed overhaul to address the harmful healthcare policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

Support: CRF submitted comments in support of HHS' revisions and urged the Trump Administration to amend the Affordable Care Act with clearer language and codified limits on SEP and subsidy eligibility to protect the reforms and prevent rising healthcare and taxpayer costs.

The first 100 days of President Trump’s term have demonstrated a significant commitment to reducing regulatory burdens, with major strides in deregulation and executive actions that align with CRF’s priorities. CRF celebrates these efforts as beneficial for American taxpayers, American business owners, and the integrity of the federal government. The Trump administration is cutting the red tape burdening the American government and economy.