I decided to revisit this blog entry after someone posted a link on Facebook to all of Trump’s accomplishments. For your reading pleasure, here it is: President Trump’s 100 Days of Historic Accomplishments! I’m sure you’ll notice the same thing I did here. There are no actual accomplishments listed. It just compares the number of executive orders and laws signed against previous presidents. Weird, right?
So I figured I’d dig into it and see what he actually accomplished by signing his name. Here’s what I found. If you don’t want to read through it all, most of it is just either “get rid of regulations” or “reverse everything Obama did” (though many could affect more than just Obama’s work).
He signed 32 executive orders in his first 100 days. 16 of those simply direct agencies to review existing laws or regulations. 3 are stalled in the courts, and 1 is stalled in Congress.
Presidential Executive Order Addressing Trade Agreement Violations and Abuses
Orders a review all existing trades agreements and trade deficits and basically report back by the end of October any agreements or situations that don’t make things better for Americans.
Presidential Executive Order on the Establishment of the American Technology Council
Creates the OTMP, an agency that defends and serves American workers and manufacturers and advises the president on increasing economic growth, decreasing the trade deficit, and strengthen our industry and manufacturing.
April 28, 2017
Presidential executive order implementing an America-first offshore energy strategy
Encourages energy exploration and production, including the Outer Continental Shelf, as well as sets up a review of designations and expansions of National Marine Sanctuaries, and of all designations and expansions of Marine National Monuments under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Orders a review of well and air control regulations. This order contains several sections that expand oil drilling in previously disallowed waters. This one is actually huge and could affect not only natural habitats, but also remove some of the safety regulations around offshore drilling.
April 27, 2017
This creates an office whose purpose seems to be to protect veterans who complain about the VA from being mistreated by the VA. I’m not quite clear on this one.
April 26, 2017
Presidential executive order on enforcing statutory prohibitions on federal control of education
Attempts to give more control to state and local districts over schools, and orders a review of DEOA, GEPA, and ESEA, as amended by ESSA (regulations that help assure kids get a fair shot). This one is also huge and could mean big changes for many school districts.
Presidential executive order on review of designations under the Antiquities Act
Orders a review of lands designated as national monuments, presumably so he can reverse Obama’s recent designations. Ryan Zinke has already started a tour of the designations, including the controversial Bear’s Ears.
April 25, 2017
Presidential executive order on promoting agriculture and rural prosperity in America
Creates a task force to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to promote in rural America agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life.
April 21, 2017
Presidential executive order on identifying and reducing tax regulatory burdens
Orders the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to immediately review all significant tax regulations issued by the Department of the Treasury on or after January 1, 2016, and to report back by June.
April 18, 2017
Presidential executive order on “Buy American, Hire American”
Orders agencies to enforce laws requiring companies to employ American parts and labor; to review trade laws to make sure these laws aren’t violated; to limit H-1B visas; and to review these laws in order to strengthen them. Of note here, he’s already granted waivers on this one, but it covers a lot.
March 31, 2017
Orders a review of illegal import, trade, and intellectual property activities in order to come up with a plan to crack down on violators.
Presidential Executive Order on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
Reverses his own executive order on the DoJ order of succession.
Presidential executive order regarding the Omnibus report on significant trade deficits
Orders a review of our trade deficits with other countries to see if those countries are placing an undo burden on us and if the current tariffs are fair. The report is due by June.
March 29, 2017
Creates a commission to study the scope and effectiveness of the Federal response to drug addiction and the opioid crisis and to make recommendations to the President for improving that response. The final report is due in October.
March 28, 2017
Presidential executive order on promoting energy independence and economic growth
Orders all agencies to perform a review of regulations to make sure that the benefit outweighs the cost and that no regulations are overly burdensome. The reports are due by October. This order also reverses 4 executive orders signed by Obama on climate and environmental protections, including one on climate change and national security; rescinds 2 reports created under the Obama administration on strategies to deal with climate change; calls for a gutting of the Clean Power Act; and disbands the Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and withdraws their documents as no longer representative of U.S. policy.
Also of note, the order rescinds the final guidance by Council on Environmental Quality entitled “Final Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change in National Environmental Policy Act Reviews,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability,” 81 Fed. Reg. 51866 (August 5, 2016). This one is enormous and reflects the administration’s feelings about climate science. I’ll add a new entry just on the changes reflected in this order because there’s just too much to include here.
March 27, 2017
Presidential executive order on the revocation of federal contracting executive orders
Rescinds Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order and amendments.
March 13, 2017
Presidential executive order on a comprehensive plan for reorganizing the executive branch
Orders agencies heads to review their agencies and submit plans for reorganization or elimination of each agency to the budget director. The plans are due in October, and then the budget director will solicit public opinion on the Federal Register.
March 06, 2017
Suspends travel from several Muslim countries. This is the second travel ban and as of June 1 is delayed in the courts.
February 28, 2017
Instructs the DOE to work with HBCUs to foster more and better opportunities in higher education; strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education; provide equitable opportunities for HBCUs to participate in Federal programs; and increase the number of college-educated Americans who feel empowered and able to advance the common good at home and abroad. At the same time, it of course revokes Obama’s executive order, Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Orders a review of the Clean Waters act.
February 24, 2017
Presidential executive order on enforcing the regulatory reform agenda
Orders each agency to designate a Regulatory Reform Officer to oversee the streamlining of regulations. The RROs were supposed to deliver their first reports in May. So far, only the EPA and Department of Energy seem to be on track. The EPA called for public comments in April and those are already closed.
February 09, 2017
Presidential executive order providing an order of succession within the Department of Justice
Revokes Obama’s executive order defining the DoJ’s order of succession.
Orders intelligence and law agencies to work together to share information on trafficking, to enforce existing laws harsher, and look for ways to use the laws better to stop trafficking.
Orders a review of existing laws protecting law enforcement officers with the purpose of pushing legislation to prevent and punish crimes against LEOs.
Presidential executive order on a task force on crime reduction and public safety
Orders the Attorney General to create a task force on crime prevention. They have a year to provide their findings to POTUS.
February 03, 2017
Presidential executive order on core principles for regulating the United States financial system
Orders a review of the U.S. financial system based on core principles of economic growth, no bailouts, economic competitiveness, and public accountability, among others. The Secretary of the Treasury is to start reporting findings to POTUS in June.
January 30, 2017
Presidential executive order on reducing regulation and controlling regulatory costs
Orders each agency to eliminate two regulations whenever it introduces one new one. It also places budgetary constraints on new regulations. This applies to all agencies except military.
January 28, 2017
Presidential executive order on ethics commitments by executive branch appointees
Defines the ethics by which White House staff must work, including things like restrictions on lobbying activities, other employment, receiving gifts, and working with foreign countries. This is a standard EO for all presidents. Of note, the administration has already granted as many waivers as the previous administration did in its entire 8 years.
January 27, 2017
This is the first of two attempts at a travel ban, restricting travel from Muslim countries and including current visa holders. This was stopped by the courts and rather than defend it, Trump created a new EO for this purpose (which is also caught up in litigation and currently stayed).
January 25, 2017
Presidential executive order on border security and immigration enforcement improvements
Directs the relevant departments and agencies) to secure the southern border, prevent further illegal immigration, and repatriate undocumented immigrants swiftly, consistently, and humanely. It includes the border wall (which is stalled), expansion of border patrol officers, reallocation of judges to the borders, expanded (private) detention centers, and more.
Presidential executive order on enhancing public safety in the interior of the United States
Directs all law enforcement agencies to execute federal immigration laws, including local police departments. This order also rescinds federal funding from sanctuary cities. A federal court place a nationwide injunction against the entire order in April.
January 24, 2017
Directs agencies to streamline and expedite review and approval for certain infrastructure projects, like the Keystone pipeline and DAPL.
January 20, 2017
States the mission of repealing and replacing the ACA, and orders agency heads to do everything possible by law to NOT follow the guidelines of the existing healthcare law.
Sources: WhiteHouse.gov, Archives.gov