Hours before his first major address to Congress, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at bolstering historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and reviewing regulations housed under the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CBS News reported.
The newest batch of signed executive orders comes just a day after the commander-in-chief met with dozens of HBCU leaders at the White House on Monday.
The HBCU order will move the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities--a program started by President Jimmy Carter-- from the Department of Education to the White House.
The United Negro College Fund had requested the initiative's move and also asked it to be overseen by a person "who reports to a senior adviser to the president," The Washington Post reported.
In his weekly address over the weekend, Trump acknowledged that HBCUs aren't garnering the appropriate attention.
"They are not given the credit that they deserve, and they are going to start getting that credit," he said.
The executive orders concerning environmental regulations aim to dismantle Obama-era legislation, such as the Clean Water Rule, which expanded federal protection of various bodies of water.
He also signed two two other bills aimed to promote women in the workforce. The "Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers and Innovators and Explorers Act (INSPIRE) Act" authorizes NASA to encourage women to pursue STEM careers. The "Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act" authorizes the National Science Foundation to provide support for women's entrepreneurial programs.
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