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February 4, 2017
Now that United States of America has elected her new President and Mr. Trump having taken the Oath of Office, a new era has started in the United States. One could call it New America. Within the first of taking the office, President Trump, has signed a series of Executive Orders as well as Presidential Memorandum
These Executive Orders and Presidential Memorandum deal with many social., economic, political, and environmental issues of the land. Below are list of the Proclamation, Executive Orders, and Presidential Memorandum issued during the first week of his presidency:
Proclamation 9570: National Day of Patriotic Devotion
President Trump declared his inauguration day to be a “National Day of Patriotic Devotion.” This has been a tradition and done by all his predecessors.
Executive Order 13765: Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal
This Executive Order is first step to repeal Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obama Care. The Order although being somewhat vague, it suggests that federal agencies give states, insurance companies and consumers the maximum amount of flexibility in complying with the law.
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Regulatory Freeze Pending Review
The “regulatory freeze” memo was issued by Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, but has the same force and effect as if President Trump signed it. It puts immediate halt on all publication of any regulations until the head of the agencies are confirmed by the Senate. Of course there are exception to this where health, safety, national security, or financial matters are involved.
Presidential Memorandum: Withdrawal of the United States From the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP which has been much talked about by all candidates, in particular by then Candidate Trump. This is a 12-member trade pact of countries along the Pacific Rim to promote trades among themselves and relax certain rules and regulations and also given the corporations much power over the governments
Presidential Memorandum: Mexico City Policy
This bans use of Foreign aid money in other countries for use of abortions. Historically the Republican Party has been against use of foreign aid for providing abortion for women.
Presidential Memorandum: Hiring Freeze
Temporary hiring freeze, until the new cabinet members are confirmed so they could hire the right staff for their department. This order also calls for long term plan to the federal workforce within 90 days.
Presidential Memorandum: Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline
Another controversial project which much has been discussed and forced the Obama administration to postpone the proposed 1,179-mile cross-border pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska. The Republicans much wanted this project to go through as they kept claiming that it would create thousands of jobs, which in reality would create only few permanent jobs.
Presidential Memorandum: Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline
Another much controversial project which was the site of so many demonstrations by Natives and many protesters received injuries by law enforcement while protecting the site. The Dakota Access Pipeline, a 1,172-mile pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois and is subject to approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it as the pipeline crosses the waterways. The Army Corps of Engineers announced that they need to study the project for its environmental impacts and as the result the construction was put on hold. This Presidential Memorandum expedites the review process.
Presidential Memorandum – Construction of American Pipelines
President Trump asked the secretary of Commerce to review for ways to mandate the use of American-made steel in pipeline projects. Although this plan may sound great, but may not be possible as some productions of the pipelines may not be available in the U.S. The plan is due in six months.
Executive Order 13766 – Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects
This order is to set up a new system to fast-track infrastructure projects. This executive order, allows any governor or cabinet secretary to ask for a project to be designated as high-priority. If the chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality approves, the project will go to the front of the line for any agency required to review and approve the project.
Presidential Memorandum – Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing
This order allows the secretary of Commerce to launch a review of manufacturing regulations with the goal of streamlining those rules. The secretary will seek input on the issue over the next 60 days, at which time the report to be submitted to President Trump with specific proposals 60 days after that.
Proclamation 9571 – National School Choice Week, 2017
President Trump proclaimed the week of Jan, 22 as National School Choice week. This proclamation was purely ceremonial, however, President Trump is the first president ever to proclaim that week as National School Choice Week which is sponsored by a coalition of charter, magnet, and private, online and home schools, interestingly enough there is no mention of public schools.
Executive Order 13767 – Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements
President Trump made his campaign around building the wall between the US and Mexico. This Executive Order is known as the “build the wall” order, directing the Customs and Border Patrol to “secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border.” This order also provides for hiring of 5,000 more border patrol officers. The order is silent on how the wall would be paid for, however, it requests a report on all U.S. foreign aid to Mexico over the last five years.
Executive Order 13768 – Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States
This executive order applies to immigration enforcement in the interior, and specifically targets so-called “sanctuary cities” by cutting off their federal funding. Many Cities throughout the United States have announced to a sanctuary for illegal and undocumented immigrants. The purpose of this Executive Order is to deter them from protecting and harboring the undocumented immigrants. This order also expands the enforcement priorities in order to give immigration officers almost unlimited discretion in instituting deportation proceedings, to include any non-citizen who are not yet charged with any crime but who, in the judgment of an immigration officer, poses a risk to public safety or national security.
Executive Order: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States
This is undoubtedly the most controversial executive order of President Trump to this date. As the result of this Executive Order, tens of thousands of people have protested on the streets and in particular in the major airports throughout the country. This Order bands people from seven mostly Moslem countries which are; Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Sudan. This ban is to last for 90 days. The refugees from Syria are banned permanently, however, there is exception for minority Christians. The alleged purpose of this Order to prevent the potential terrorist entering the country and causing harms to the population.
This Order has already been subject to challenges in various Federal Courts throughout the US as well as facing protest from governors and mayors throughout the country as being unconstitutional and against the values for which U.S. stands for.
National Security Presidential Memorandum 1 – Rebuilding the U.S. Armed Forces
This Memorandum deals with readiness of the US military and calls for a thirty day review of military readiness. Under this Memorandum the Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget to come up with a plan to improve the military and also calls for examination of the nation’s nuclear arsenal and missile defense capabilities.
Executive Order – Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Employees
This Order imposes a lifetime ban on administration officials lobbying foreign governments, and a five-year ban on other types of lobbying. However, the ban covers only people who were lobbyists before they joined the administration, which it is argued that it leaves a loophole for non-lobbyists.
National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 – Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council
Although, every modern president has signed an order regarding reorganization of the National Security Council, early in his term, but President Trump’s order most notably added his chief political strategist, Mr. Stephen Bannon, to sit on the influential principals committee. That gives Mr. Bannon much power and influence over the national security matters.
National Security Presidential Memorandum 3 – Plan to Defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
This Memorandum calls for the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with other national security officials, to develop a plan within 30 days to defeat the Islamic State also known as ISIS. The plan should include “recommended changes to any United States rules of engagement” as well as any diplomatic, financial or cyber measures that the Trump administration can take.
Executive Order – Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs
This Executive Order requires that for every new regulation created two existing regulations to be rescinded. It is known as “one in, two out” executive order. Also the cost of those new regulations should be balanced out. The order would also tighten the president’s grip on the regulatory process by giving each agency an annual quota of regulations through the federal budgeting process.
As noted above President Trump is changing the governance of the country. Whether the President is on the right path or not will remain to be seen, but from all indications so far, it seems that the direction that President Trump is taking America into is not supported by majority of the people as well as the countries around the world. Even the closest allies of the United States have shown concerns with the direction taken by President Trump.
The United States have been known for its values, its humanitarian, freedom, and opportunities that offers to the rest of the world in particular to those who are oppressed and suffer from injustice in their homeland. The recent development and policies set by President Trump contradict what the United States have been known for.
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