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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - March 1, 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 March 1, 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.
Last night, President Trump gave his first address to a joint session of Congress. In contrast to some of Trump's appearances on the campaign trail and in press conferences, the speech stuck to the prepared remarks.
Today, we look at three moments in which Trump offered hints at forthcoming policy positions and compare those to candidate Trump’s positions. Below are the president’s comments on infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
For an overview of the major policy issues in the Trump administration, click here.
Three policy moments in the speech to joint session of Congress
Infrastructure
Last night: “The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding. America has spent approximately six trillion dollars in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is crumbling. With this six trillion dollars we could have rebuilt our country – twice. And maybe even three times, if we had people who had the ability to negotiate. To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure of the United States -- financed through both public and private capital –- creating millions of new jobs.”
First presidential debate, September 26, 2016: “Our airports are like from a third world country. You land at LaGuardia, you land at Kennedy, you land at LAX, you land at Newark, and you come in from Dubai and Qatar and you see these incredible -- you come in from China, you see these incredible airports, and you land -- we've become a third world country. So the worst of all things has happened. We owe $20 trillion, and we're a mess. We haven't even started. And we've spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, according to a report that I just saw. Whether it's 6 or 5, but it looks like it's 6, $6 trillion in the Middle East, we could have rebuilt our country twice. And it's really a shame.”
Affordable Care Act replacement
Last night: “Here are the principles that should guide the Congress as we move to create a better healthcare system for all Americans: First, we should ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the health-care exchanges. Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded health savings accounts, but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by our government. Thirdly, we should give our great state governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out. Fourth, we should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance – and work to bring down the artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately. And finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across state lines – which will create a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and provide far better care.”
Speech on his “Contract with the American Voter” on October 22, 2016: Trump proposed the “Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act,” which he described: “Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts. And we can do that, the Health Savings Accounts. It’s one way. There are numerous ways. But this is one very good way. the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, which we have to do because that’s competition. the politicians won’t let go of it because the insurance companies, they don’t want competition. But we’ll open it up. Believe me, we’ll get rid of that. I’ve been saying that for years. And let states manage Medicaid funds. Believe me it will be so good. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.”
Education
Last night: “Education is the civil rights issue of our time. I am calling upon members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African-American and Latino children. These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them.”
Speech on September 24, 2016, in Virginia: “Too many African Americans have been left behind and trapped in poverty. I will fight to make sure every single African American child in this country is fully included in the American dream. That includes the new civil rights issue of our time: School choice.”
Democratic response
The official response from Democrats was delivered by former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, who served from 2007 to 2015 and oversaw the expansion of Medicaid in the state under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Beshear’s response—delivered from a diner in Lexington, Kentucky—summarized much of the Democrats’ criticism of Trump to date.
On healthcare
“Mr. President, folks here in in [sic] Kentucky expect you to keep your word, because this isn't a game, it’s life and death for people. These ideas promise access to care, but deny the importance of making care affordable and effective. They would charge families more for fewer benefits and put the insurance companies back in control. Behind these ideas is the belief that folks at the lower end of the economic ladder just don't deserve health care. That it is somehow their fault that their employer doesn't offer insurance or that they can't afford to buy expensive health plans.”
On national security
“I am a military veteran myself and I know that protecting America is a president's highest duty. Yet President Trump is ignoring serious threats to our national security from Russia, who is not our friend, while alienating our allies who fought with this side-by-side and are our friends in a dangerous world. His approach makes us less safe and should worry every freedom-loving American.“
On immigration
“President Trump has all but declared war on refugees and immigrants. Look, the president can and should enforce our immigration laws, but we can protect America without abandoning our principles and our moral obligation to help those fleeing war and terror, without tearing families apart and without needlessly jeopardizing our military men and women fighting overseas.”
Ryan Zinke confirmed
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) was confirmed today to be the next secretary of the interior. His nomination passed with a 68-31 vote. We covered Zinke’s nomination here and his confirmation hearing with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources here.
Ben Carson nomination advanced
The Senate also voted to end debate on the nomination of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A confirmation vote is expected later this week, and Carson is expected to be confirmed.
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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