TABLE 1—

How Schools and Programs in Public Health Can Act to Counter Harmful Health Policies

Policy Domain	EOs, Presidential Memoranda, and Other Executive Actions	Potential Health Consequences	Possible Activities for Public Health Faculty and Students
Regulatory reform	EO 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs; EO 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda	Gridlocking the regulatory system; requiring arbitrary removal of regulations designed to protect public health and safety	Draft comments to submit to federal agencies documenting the importance and success of regulatory programs; cite and attach copies of peer-reviewed literature as evidence of need for public health regulations; support efforts challenging the requirement to remove two federal regulations for every one created
Immigration	EO 13769, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States; EO 13773, Enforcing Federal Law With Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking; and EO 13776, Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety	Increased deportations and discrimination against immigrant families, leading to stress and poor health outcomes	Document implementation across jurisdictions and link quantitative and qualitative assessments of impact on health and mental health; join legal efforts to reverse discriminatory policies
Environmental protection and climate change	EO 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth; EO 13778, Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the “Waters of the United States'' Rule; and EO 13790, Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America	Myriad health effects resulting from air pollution, water pollution, and climate change, including increased respiratory, cardiovascular, and other disease resulting from pollution associated with coal-fired power use	Assess beliefs about climate change and clean water regulation among various constituencies and then test impact of various stories and data visualizations on these beliefs; present scientific data regarding public health impacts of pollution control
Labor and workers’ safety and health	EO 13788, Buy American and Hire American; revokes Obama order to comply with fair labor laws	Occupational and safety violations, increased accidents and injuries	Partner with labor unions to assess state-level action on occupational safety and health and advocate for stronger state-level enforcement
Health care access	EO 13765, Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal	Potential loss of health insurance coverage by 23 million people, resulting in as many as 40 000 deaths	Organize community forums and town hall meetings to tell stories of consequences of loss of health insurance coverage and assist candidates for office to develop and publicize proposals for improving scope and quality of coverage
Reproductive and sexual health	January 23 Presidential Memorandum prohibiting foreign aid to overseas health providers that discuss family planning, particularly abortion	Increased number of unsafe abortions, increased maternal deaths	Provide evidence to the public and policymakers about the role that restrictive abortion policies and withholding of support for family planning organizations plays in the health of women in this country and around the world
Public safety and criminal justice	Attorney General’s reversal of Obama's order to phase out private prisons	Increased incarceration, especially for low-income people of color; less public oversight of operations, including medical care; and health problems associated with overcrowding	Document health problems of incarceration, including in local private prisons, and partner with advocates to disseminate findings, such as policy briefs and op eds

Note. EO = executive order.

Source: Harrington H. Trump has already signed 90 executive actions—here’s what each one does. Business Insider. May 3, 2017 (http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-executive-orders-memorandum-proclamations-presidential-action-guide-2017-1); Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, Fed. Regist. 2017;82(29):10699–10700.