As the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, is set to take place on Friday January 20th, 2017, a lot of speculation, as well as curiosity, has risen around what can be expected during this presidential term. While there has been controversy surrounding Trump in the form of public perception and purported political incorrectness, this is who the people have voted for, and their democratic right has been heard. The ruling is set in stone, and Donald J. Trump will be sworn in and begin his four-year term in office. That being said, it is important for not only members of the nation to join together, but for allied countries as well, to unify and celebrate the freedom that we are so lucky to have under this democracy, rather than dwell on what cannot be changed. The first step in achieving this is to become informed on policies and causes that are supported by the soon-to-be President. It is important to keep an open mind and welcome the new President, even if you may have been unhappy with the result of the election. If we, the people, cannot unify, then the next four years will be immensely difficult for all parties involved. It is my hope that with this article, I can share with you some of the policies and causes that are to be supported by the 45th US President, and what this presidency will look like in its first several days. Here I have outlined what are, in my opinion, the most significant policies that will arise in Trump’s first 100-days in office.
1. MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF AND SIMPLIFICATION ACT
One of the first things that Donald Trump plans to do after assuming office is implementing his Middle-Class Tax Relief and Simplification Act. This act has the objective of growing the economy 4% per year, and aims to create at least 25 million new jobs. To achieve this Trump will conduct extreme tax reduction and simplification, in conjunction with trade reform, regulatory relief, and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest amount of reduction will be for the middle-class, and a middle-class family with two or more children will be granted a 35% tax cut.
2. END TO THE OFFSHORING ACT
Offshoring is a practice implemented by large companies to cut costs and maximize profits. This is done by relocating a portion of their business overseas, where costs like labour and manufacturing are significantly cheaper. While this is beneficial for corporations and employers, it creates a major problem for an extraordinary number of employees nationwide, impacting the majority of working class citizens and resulting in many Americans losing their jobs.
The act that Trump plans on implementing will establish tariffs on companies that utilise offshoring in order to discourage more corporations from adopting the practice, and encourage US job creation.
3. TRADE
Regarding trade, Trump has expressed his distaste towards the current North American system on numerous occasions. He has vowed to renegotiate, or withdraw from NAFTA as he sees the current system as a “job killer.”
Additionally, Trump has pledged to withdraw US support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal consisting of 12 countries. Instead of negotiating big free trade agreements, like the TPP, Trump plans to negotiate “fair bilateral trade deals, that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.”
4. IMMIGRATION REFORM
According to Trump, there are over 2 million criminal, illegal immigrants in the United States*, all of which he will work towards removing, while subsequently cancelling visas to foreign countries that refuse to take back those who have been deported.
*It is important to note that this is in reference only to illegal immigrants who have been convicted of a crime.
5. THE SUPREME COURT
The United States Supreme Court has the final say in cases involving laws enacted by Congress, as well as the Constitution. This is an incredibly critical institution, as it plays a hand in shaping the United States.
Trump has recently released a list of 20 judges, from which he intends to pick future nominees for the Supreme Court. His first pick will be to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in February 2016, leaving a vacant spot in the Supreme Court. Trump plans to announce his pick this February.
6. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
In his first 100 days, Trump plans to not only repeal Obamacare, which he believes has failed Americans, but also aims to offer major healthcare reforms. The first step he plans to take is to eliminate the act entirely, so that no person will be required to purchase healthcare.
He also plans on reforms for insurance companies, so that if a plan complies with state regulations, any vendor will be able to sell insurance in any state. Not only would this benefit insurance companies, but it could also benefit the population, as the reform would encourage competition, resulting in lowered insurance rates and increased consumer satisfaction.
Price transparency will also be required from all healthcare providers, including doctors and healthcare organizations such as clinics and hospitals. Individuals should then be able to shop around to find the best prices for procedures and other health care needs.
With Trump’s plan, individuals will be able to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns. As Trump has highlighted, businesses are currently able to make these deductions, and so individuals should be allowed this same right. As the free market provides insurance coverage opportunities, Trump states that it is critical to ensure that no one slips through the cracks simply because they cannot afford insurance. Under Trump, the basic Medicaid options will be reviewed and worked through with each state separately, to guarantee that those who wish to have healthcare coverage, can.
For a further look at Trump’s 100-day action plan visit this link!
I hope this gave you an idea of what the first several days of a Trump Presidency will look like!