Renewed Focus on Education and Legislative Affairs

February 15, 2025

President Trump has issued an executive order aimed at ending COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools and has announced several appointments to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. The executive order directs the Secretary of Education to issue guidelines to educational institutions regarding their legal obligations concerning parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection under the law, as these relate to COVID-19 school mandates. It also tasks the Secretary of Education with developing a plan to end coercive COVID-19 school mandates, including identifying institutions not complying with the guidelines and proposing strategies to prevent or rescind federal funding from these non-compliant institutions. The staff appointments to the Office of Legislative Affairs signal a focus on legislative priorities for the new administration.

Ending Coercive COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools

President Trump issued an executive order to prevent schools from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for students.

The order emphasizes parental rights and freedom of choice regarding children's healthcare decisions.

It directs the Secretary of Education to create guidelines clarifying schools' legal responsibilities regarding parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, as applicable to COVID-19 mandates.

The Secretary of Education is also tasked with creating a plan within 90 days to end coercive vaccine mandates in schools, consistent with applicable laws, and possibly including proposed legislation.

This plan must include a list of institutions not complying with the guidelines and detail methods for preventing or rescinding federal funding from these non-compliant schools.

The executive order explicitly states that it doesn't create any new enforceable rights or benefits.

White House Legislative Affairs Appointments

President Trump announced new appointments to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA).

These appointments include liaisons for both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

The appointees have previous experience in legislative roles within Congress and the Trump administration.