Thursday, April 6, 2017

What Trump has signed

Since Trump became president he has signed many executive orders as well as a handful of bills passed by the Republican Congress. In spite of all the talk about populism, not one of these orders or bills actually benefits any large class of the American public except the wealthy corporate interests. Some of these items include:


1. Suppressing details on workers' rights violations

2. Appointing of a "regulations reform" officer

3. Removing regulations protecting streams from pollution due to mining

4. Relaxing disclosure requirements in extraction industry reports

5. Easing "fiduciary duty" regulations (Consumer Financial Protection Agency)

6. Studying punishing "sanctuary cities" by withholding federal funds

7. Resuming construction of Keystone and other pipelines

8. Raising threshholds for compensation in corporate malpractice suits

9. Facilitating the hiding of workplace injuries

10. Overturning Internet privacy order (FCC)

11. Liberalizing leasing guidelines for coal extraction



You can find the entire list of executive orders and bills that Trump has signed (as of today) HERE, compiled by vice.com.



The Republicans have also introduced a bill to -- of course -- eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency (established by Congress and Richard Nixon). Meanwhile, Trump has ordered the EPA to revise the Clean Water Act and to relax regulations protecting children (and others) from the harmful effects of lead. 


Which of Trumps non-wealthy constituencies are these measures designed to help? Answer: none.