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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - February 15, 2017
Trump Administration (first term)  Vice President Mike Pence Cabinet • White House staff • Transition team • Trump's second term |
Domestic affairs: Abortion • Crime and justice • Education • Energy and the environment • Federal courts • Firearms policy • First Amendment • Healthcare • Immigration • Infrastructure • LGBTQ issues • Marijuana • Puerto Rico • Social welfare programs • Veterans • Voting issues Economic affairs and regulations: Agriculture and food policy • Budget • Financial regulation • Jobs • Social Security • Taxes • Trade Foreign affairs and national security: Afghanistan • Arab states of the Persian Gulf • China • Cuba • Iran • Iran nuclear deal • Islamic State and terrorism • Israel and Palestine • Latin America • Military • NATO • North Korea • Puerto Rico • Russia • Syria • Syrian refugees • Technology, privacy, and cybersecurity |
| Polling indexes: Opinion polling during the Trump administration |
This is the February 15, 2017, edition of an email sent from November 2016 to September 2017 that covered Donald Trump's presidential transition, cabinet appointees, and the different policy positions of those individuals who may have had an effect on the new administration. Previous editions of "You're Hired" can be found here.
During the transition period, President Trump released a video message summarizing six priorities for his administration in its first 100 days. We previously covered these priorities in our November 22 and January 17 editions, focusing on what the plans entailed and how they would be addressed.
Today, we look back to those priorities to see what Trump has done in those six areas and where three top Republicans in Congress—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.), and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.)—stand on those same issues. With Republicans controlling both the Senate and the House, these three will be instrumental in advancing Trump’s legislative priorities.
Trade
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country. Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.”
What has Trump done since taking office?
So far, Trump has addressed one aspect of his trade agenda, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. On January 23, 2017, Trump signed a presidential memorandum officially directing the United States Trade Representative to withdraw the United States from negotiations in the agreement and pursue bilateral trade deals as alternatives.
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- McConnell: In 2016, McConnell said the Senate would not take up the deal that year. However, he was open to modifying some of what he considered to be the deal’s flaws. He said, “It will still be around. It can be massaged, changed, worked on during the next administration.”
- Ryan: Ryan has been a proponent of free-market trade agreements and pledged support for Obama’s trade deals. Speaking in 2015 on the need to fast track trade agreements like TPP, Ryan said, “I just think it would be a big mistake for our country if we were to fail to do this. I think this would be a punctuation mark on the declining narrative of America and we should not have our fingerprints, as Republicans, on anything that makes it look like we’re in decline. Trade is very important, it’s about time that this administration gets around to it. Forget our party, this is important for our country.”
- McCarthy: In 2015, McCarthy supported the bill and was one of the leaders looking to fast-track the agreement. In an opinion piece, he wrote, “The Trans-Pacific Partnership currently being negotiated would open up new markets to nearly every top buyer of California goods, which means even more exports. … Our workers, our businesses and our farmers need free trade so that they can have the greatest opportunity for prosperity.”
Energy
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On energy, I will cancel job-killing restrictions on the production of American energy – including shale energy and clean coal – creating many millions of high-paying jobs. That’s what we want, that’s what we’ve been waiting for.“
What has Trump done since taking office?
In a series of executive actions, Trump has stated his position on reducing regulations, but he has not clearly addressed this portion of his agenda to date. Yesterday, he signed his first piece of legislation, which repealed an Obama administration rule that requires energy companies to disclose payments to foreign governments. This was the first use of the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to review and repeal regulations enacted by the federal government in the previous six months.
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- McConnell: McConnell has been a vocal opponent of regulations on the coal industry that were put in place during the Obama administration. In February 2017, he led the effort to overturn an Obama regulation, the “Stream Buffer Rule,” which was passed and sent to Trump for approval. McConnell also indicated an eagerness to work on similar legislation with Trump.
- Ryan: Ryan has proposed a regulatory reform agenda that would eliminate many federal energy regulations and give the authority to regulate energy and environmental activities to states and local entities.
- McCarthy: McCarthy has opposed some energy regulations—like the Stream Protection Rule or Obama administration methane regulations—based on his belief that they harm the economy. In an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal in January, he wrote, “Perhaps no aspect of America’s economy has been as overregulated as energy. So the House will repeal the Interior Department’s Stream Protection Rule, which could destroy tens of thousands of mining jobs and put up to 64% of the country’s coal reserves off limits, according to the National Mining Association.”
Regulation
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On regulation, I will formulate a rule which says that for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated, it’s so important.“
What has Trump done since taking office?
In an executive order issued on January 30, 2017, Trump ordered that declared, in part, “Unless prohibited by law, whenever an executive department or agency (agency) publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed.” The order is currently being challenged in court.
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- All three Republican leaders share Trump’s opposition to federal regulations. Their general regulation stances are consistent with their energy policies outlined above.
National security
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On national security, I will ask the Department of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a comprehensive plan to protect America’s vital infrastructure from cyber-attacks, and all other form of attacks.“
What has Trump done since taking office?
On January 31, 2017, Trump convened a meeting with Cabinet members—including Secretary of Defense James Mattis—and top advisors to discuss cybersecurity. At the meeting, he said, “I will hold my Cabinet secretaries and agency heads accountable—totally accountable—for the cybersecurity of their organizations.” His February 9, 2017, executive order on transnational crime cited cybercrime as one type of illegal activity that the executive branch would strengthen enforcement of federal law to prevent.
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- McConnell: In 2015, McConnell was a proponent of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which aimed to increase information sharing between governmental departments to prevent cyberattacks.
- Ryan: Ryan’s policy agenda, “A Better Way,” identified cybersecurity as an element of national security and proposed to enhance cyber defenses by “treating U.S. network security as a central element of national security” and “improving federal assistance to state, local, and private-sector entities to protect networks.”
- McCarthy: McCarthy has pushed for more legislation on preventing cyberattacks to the United States. In 2016, he supported legislation that encouraged partnerships between private cybersecurity firms and the federal government.
Immigration
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On immigration, I will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker.“
What has Trump done since taking office?
Through Executive Order 13769, Trump ordered:
- A 90-day suspension of entry to the United States for travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
- A 120-day moratorium on all refugee admissions to the United States
- An indefinite suspension of refugee admission to the United States from Syria
On February 3, 2017, Judge James Robart of the U.S. District Court of Western Washington temporarily suspended key components of the order, including the three mentioned above. That decision was upheld by a three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on February 9.
In another executive order, Trump expanded the list of priorities for deportation of undocumented immigrants. According to The Washington Post, the list was expanded to “include any noncitizen who is charged with a criminal offense of any kind, or who is suspected of committing criminal acts or being dishonest with immigration officials.”
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- McConnell: McConnell has spoken on the need for greater border security and advocated passing pieces of the omnibus immigration reform bill presented by the “Gang of Eight” in 2014. He indicated that he supported passing the bill’s proposals on “border security, H-1B visa expansion, H-2A ag worker provisions, [and] E–Verify.” With respect to Trump’s travel ban, McConnell has commented, “I don’t want to criticize them for improving vetting. I think we need to be careful we don’t have religious tests in this country.”
- Ryan: Ryan’s policy agenda for 2016 addressed border security on a number of levels. It said, “We need more than just fencing. We need a strong, multi-layered approach to prevent illegal entrants from defeating any one part of our security. Due to the diverse terrain across our long borders, every area requires a different mix of assets, from Border Patrol agents and high fencing to aerial surveillance and radar. We should also provide the Border Patrol with easy access to federal lands to facilitate enforcement activities.”
- McCarthy: In 2014, McCarthy called for a path to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants in an interview with KBAK in Bakersfield, Calif. The current version of his website states, “[W]e should not provide any amnesty that would benefit those who defy our laws and enter the United States illegally.”
Ethics reform
What did Trump say prior to inauguration?
“On ethics reform, as part of our plan to Drain the Swamp, we will impose a five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the Administration – and a lifetime ban on executive officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.“
What has Trump done since taking office?
On January 28, 2017, Trump signed an executive order declaring that all executive agency appointees to pledge, among other things, that he or she will not lobby that agency within five years of leaving the appointment. The ban is similar to the two-year ban President Barack Obama signed in 2009, but changes two key features: it removes the ban on lobbyists going to work for government agencies they had lobbied, and it eliminates restrictions on those who leave agencies and influence government without lobbying.
Where do Republican congressional leaders stand on this issue?
- None of the Republican leaders have come down strongly in favor of or in opposition to calls for ethics reform and lobbying bans. Concerning an earlier Trump proposal to ban members of Congress from lobbying for five years, Ryan said, “I don’t think we should tell men and women we want a citizen legislature, take time out of your private life and come and serve and then go back into private life and you can’t get engaged in civics. I think that’s dangerous. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Andrew Puzder expected withdrawal
Andrew Puzder, Trump’s nominee to be the next secretary of labor is expected to withdraw his name from consideration for the post before tomorrow’s scheduled confirmation hearing with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Puzder’s nomination gained renewed attention after it was reported last week that he had once employed a houseworker living in the United States without legal permission. He has also been scrutinized for allegations of domestic violence, which he has denied.
Confirmation votes
Steven Mnuchin
On Monday night, the Senate voted 53-47 in favor of appointing Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the treasury on February 13. The vote was split along party lines, with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin III (D) as the only Democrat to vote in favor of Mnuchin.
David Shulkin
Also on Monday, the Senate voted 100-0 to confirm David Shulkin as secretary of veterans affairs.
Read on for a complete overview of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees and their confirmation process.
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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