Friday, December 29, 2017

Year 1 Recap of the Trump Presidency - The Greatest Ever


What did Trump get done this first year on the road to being the greatest President ever?

Let’s review shall we?

Jobs and the economy

·         Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.

·         Increase of the GDP above 3 percent.

·         Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.

·         Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.

·         A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.

·         A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.

·         A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.

·         Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.

Killing job-stifling regulations

  • Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
  • Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
  • Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations.
  • Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
  • Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.

Fair trade

  • Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
  • Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
  • Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
  • Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
  • Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
  • Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.



Protecting communities

·         Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops.

·         Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.

·         Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.

·         Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.

·         Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.

Accountability

·         Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

·         Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.

·         Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.

·         Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.

·         Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.

Combatting opioids

·         First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids.

·         His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.

·         The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.

·         Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.

·         Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.

·         The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.

·         On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.

Protecting life

·         In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.

·         Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.

·         Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.

Helping veterans

·         Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.

·         Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.

·         Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.

·         Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.

·         Created a VA hotline.

·         Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.

·         With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.

Promoting peace through strength

·         Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.

·         Worked to increase defense spending.

·         Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.

·         Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.

·         Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.

·         Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.

·         Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.

·         Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.

·         Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.

·         Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.

·         NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.

·         Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.

·         Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.

·         Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.

·         Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.

Restoring confidence in and respect for America

·         Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.

·         Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

·         Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests.

·         He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders.

·         Traveled to Poland and on to Germany for the G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.

 Not bad for a slow first year of getting their legistlative feet under rthem. If I were I liberal, I’d sure hope he plays more golf.

It’s gonna be a loooooooooooong 15 years.

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