Directives Published December 2025
Presidential directives and executive orders issued by the White House in December 2025.
Summary
- 31st Dec 25 The President amended Proclamation 10976, extending the date for scheduled tariff increases on specific wood products (upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities) to January 1, 2027, to support continuing section 232 negotiations. View
- 30th Dec 25 The President extended duty-free tariff treatment for specified Israeli agricultural products through December 31, 2026, and made several technical corrections and rectifications across various chapters of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) pertaining to existing trade agreements. View
- 20th Dec 25 * Directed executive agencies to lead in 6G development by studying and initiating the reallocation of specific Federal spectrum bands for commercial 6G use and engaging internationally on standards. View
- 18th Dec 25 The President ordered adjustments to statutory federal pay systems, including the General Schedule, Foreign Service, and Senior Executive Service, effective January 1, 2026, while also directing locality pay implementation and assessment of law enforcement pay increases. View
- 18th Dec 25 * Established aggressive timelines for lunar missions, national security readiness, commercial sector growth, and the deployment of advanced space technologies, while revoking the previous National Space Council Executive Order. View
- 18th Dec 25 * Directed the closure of executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government on December 24, 2025, and December 26, 2025, while permitting essential exemptions for national security or public need. View
- 18th Dec 25 * Directed the Attorney General to expedite the rescheduling of medical marijuana to Schedule III of the CSA and initiated efforts with Congress and federal agencies to develop improved research methods and regulatory clarity for hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including guidance on THC content. View
- 16th Dec 25 * The President continued, modified, and imposed new entry restrictions and limitations on foreign nationals from numerous countries based on deficient security screening and vetting information, effective January 1, 2026. View
- 15th Dec 25 The President proclaimed December 15, 2025, as Bill of Rights Day to commemorate the ratification of the Bill of Rights and the 250th anniversary of American independence. View
- 15th Dec 25 * Illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals were designated as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), mandating immediate interagency implementation to counter the associated national security threats. View
- 12th Dec 25 * Directed the SEC, FTC, and Department of Labor to review and revise regulations concerning foreign-owned proxy advisors, explicitly targeting advice based on ESG and DEI factors to restore focus on investor returns. View
- 11th Dec 25 * The President established a policy prioritizing a minimally burdensome national AI framework over conflicting state laws, directed the Justice Department to litigate against onerous state AI laws, and moved to restrict federal funding for states enforcing such conflicting regulations. View
- 6th Dec 25 * Established Food Supply Chain Security Task Forces within the DOJ and FTC to investigate anti-competitive behavior and foreign control threats in the food supply chain. View
- 6th Dec 25 The President proclaimed December 7, 2025, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, encouraging Americans to honor those killed in the 1941 attack and to fly the flag at half-staff. View
- 6th Dec 25 The President directed the Secretary of HHS and the CDC Director to review and potentially update the U.S. core childhood vaccine schedule to align with best practices from peer, developed countries based on scientific evidence. View
- 5th Dec 25 The President proclaimed December 7, 2025, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, urging Americans to honor the service members and civilians killed in the 1941 attack. View
- 4th Dec 25 * The President ordered the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff nationwide and abroad until sunset on December 4, 2025, to honor the memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, West Virginia Army National Guard. View
- 2nd Dec 25 * The administration reaffirmed and augmented the historical Monroe Doctrine with a "Trump Corollary," emphasizing national sovereignty, border security, maritime dominance, and new trade partnerships across the Western Hemisphere. View
- 1st Dec 25 The Administration transmitted several nominations for federal judicial and attorney roles to the Senate for their consideration. View
Amendments to Adjusting Imports of Timber, Lumber, and their Derivative Products into the United States
This Presidential Proclamation amends a previous order, Proclamation 10976, which imposed initial tariffs on specific wood products based on a Section 232 national security investigation.
Finding that ongoing negotiations with foreign partners remain productive, the President delays the scheduled increase of certain tariffs—specifically for upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities—from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027, contingent upon the progress of these agreements.
The proclamation reaffirms the existing initial tariffs and reaffirms the authority of the U.S. Trade Representative to continue pursuing agreements to ensure that wood product imports no longer threaten U.S. national security.
To Implement the United States-Israel Agreenent on Trade in Agricultural Products and for Other Purposes
This Presidential Action modifies the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) primarily to extend, through December 31, 2026, the duty-free access for specified quantities of certain agricultural products from Israel, consistent with the ongoing United States-Israel Free Trade Area (USIFTA) agreements.
The proclamation also enacts critical technical modifications, rectifying errors found in implementation notices for the USIFTA, the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA), and the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (USKFTA), alongside updating cross-references affected by recent reciprocal tariff orders related to the European Union.
Winning the 6G Race
This Presidential Memorandum directs various cabinet secretaries and agency heads to ensure the United States leads global development of the next generation of mobile communications networks (6G), establishing it as foundational to national security and economic prosperity.
The action explicitly mandates studies for relocating Federal systems away from the 7.125-7.4 GHz spectrum band to enable its designation for commercial 6G use, while also initiating studies for other bands (2.69-2.9 GHz and 4.4-4.94 GHz).
Furthermore, the Secretary of State is ordered to engage diplomatically to advance U.S. objectives in international standards bodies concerning 6G.
This Presidential Action document formally establishes the new rates of basic pay and salaries for various statutory federal pay systems, including the General Schedule, Foreign Service Schedule, and certain Department of Veterans Affairs schedules, as well as setting salaries for the Senior Executive Service and high-ranking officials like the Vice President and members of Congress.
The action directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to implement locality-based comparability payments and assess an additional pay increase for federal civilian law enforcement personnel, with most schedules taking effect starting January 1, 2026, and superseding the previous Executive Order 14132.
ENSURING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY
This Presidential Action establishes comprehensive policy priorities to assert United States superiority in space, focusing on four key areas: leading exploration through a return to the Moon by 2028 and establishing a permanent lunar outpost by 2030; securing national and economic security interests against space threats; fostering a robust commercial space economy projected to attract $50 billion in new investment by 2028; and developing advanced capabilities, including deploying lunar nuclear power by 2030.
The order outlines specific implementation timelines, assigns coordination roles to various White House offices and agency heads, mandates significant reforms to NASA and Commerce acquisition processes, and supersedes prior related directives, including the revocation of Executive Order 14056.
Providing for the Closure of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on December 24, 2025, and December 26, 2025
This Presidential Action officially directs all executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government to close and excuse employees from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, recognizing the days immediately before and after Christmas Day, 2025.
The order empowers agency heads to mandate that certain employees report for duty on those days if required for national security, defense, or other critical public needs, and stipulates that these closure days fall under existing statutes governing employee pay and leave.
INCREASING MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND CANNABIDIOL RESEARCH
This Presidential Action establishes that Americans deserve better access to medical research on marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) to address conditions like chronic pain, noting that decades of restrictive federal policy have limited necessary investigations.
The order directs the Attorney General to immediately complete the process of rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), reflecting the Department of Health and Human Services' recommendation that it has accepted medical use.
Furthermore, the action mandates collaboration with Congress to clarify the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including setting THC limits, while tasking HHS and other agencies to develop research models using real-world evidence to improve patient guidance and product safeguards.
Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States
This Presidential Proclamation, building upon Executive Order 14161 and Proclamation 10949, continues and modifies restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals from specific countries deemed to have deficient screening, vetting, and information-sharing capabilities that pose national security and public safety risks.
The President finds that unrestricted entry from these nations is detrimental to U.S. interests, citing issues like unreliable civil documentation, widespread corruption, cooperation failures (such as refusing to accept repatriated nationals), and high visa overstay rates.
The proclamation fully suspends entry for nationals of 19 countries (12 continuing from previous action and 7 new additions) and partially suspends or modifies restrictions for 4 others, while also suspending entry for individuals using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, and it narrows exceptions, particularly for family-based immigrant visas.