WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed three memorandums, ordering the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a freeze on federal hiring and a ban on financing pro-abortion programs abroad with U.S. federal funds.
“We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Trump said as he signed the paper ordering the exit from TPP.
“Great thing for the American worker, what we just did,” Trump said as he held up the signed document to the press.
The White House has yet to release the details of the executive order.
The TPP, a free trade pact between 12 Asia-Pacific countries, was formally signed by ministers from these 12 countries in last February after more than five years’ negotiation.
Trump’s action on Monday was considered as a symbolic move, as the U.S. Congress hasn’t approved the deal yet. However, the move indicated that the new administration is actually shifting trade policies from previous U.S. norms.
Trump has also said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with the Canadian and Mexican governments, seeking a better deal for the United States.
International institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have warned that the inward-looking policy and protectionism could be a threat to global growth.
Trump then signed an order that put a freeze on hiring employees from federal agencies.
“Except for the military,” Trump stressed as he signed the paper.
The order dictates that no vacant positions can be filled, or new position created, unless an agency head deems the position “necessary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities,” according to the memorandum.
The memorandum also said the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management will devise a plan within 90 days to “recommend a long-term plan to reduce the size of the federal government.”
The third executive order Trump signed on his first working day as president was a ban on the financing of pro-abortion programs abroad with U.S. federal funds.
The policy, nicknamed the Mexico City policy, originated from the Reagan years and went on and off in the years after depending which political party took hold of the White House.
Former President Barack Obama rescinded the policy when he entered the White House in 2009.
Accompanying Trump in the oval office as he signed the orders were Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Trump’s chief strategist Stephen Bannon, among others.
