Biden’s executive order on ethics commitments, explained

This appeared in The Millennial Source

With this order, Biden hopes to loosen the grip of corporate influence on Washington and restore faith in a government riddled with corruption allegations.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed the “ Executive Order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel.” In doing so, the new president is attempting to severely limit the power corporations have over the federal government.

Echoes of former presidents’ executive orders

Former President Donald Trump initially ran for president promising to “drain the swamp” and reduce the influence special interests and lobbying groups had in Washington. Shortly after Trump was sworn in as president of the United States, he signed into office a similar “ Ethics Pledge.”

Under this pledge, anyone accepting a political appointment under the Trump administration and future administrations had to commit that they would not work for a lobbying firm until five years after they left the position.

Though this original executive order expanded upon former-President Barack Obama’s “ Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel “ issued in 2009, it included many loopholes that allowed those who…