Donald Trump has been busy working with his transition team in order to establish policy that he wants to enact as soon as he takes office January 20, 2017. In addition to creating appointments for his new cabinet, he has outlined a plan for his first 100 days in office.
Setting Caps on Administration Tenure
An issue that Trump feels strongly about is setting term limits for appointed officials. Many state senators and congressmen have been able to sit in their positions for many decades. Two such examples, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Byrd of West Virginia, were in office 48 years and 51 years, respectively. Trump is working to establish restraints on how long a person can serve in their particular capacity.
Trump on Healthcare
On the issue of the Affordable Care Act, it is Trump’s desire to cut back major portions the currently enacted program. Republicans have been working on a budget that will immediately curtail its reach, and the ultimate goal is to repeal and replace. Though it is not possible to entirely do away with Obamacare within the first 100 days, the groundwork will be laid for doing so in the future.
Lowering Taxes
High on the agenda for Trump’s first 100 days are the changes he wants to make to the current tax code. Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, recently met with Trump’s team to discuss tax reform. This is part of the aforementioned budget talks, and the complete package is not expected to come forth until mid-April. Trump would like to reduced the rates by which corporations, businesses, and individuals are taxed. There has been some discussion between his people and the GOP as to the specifics, as their ideas vary somewhat.
The concept behind the revitalization to the tax system is that companies will flourish if given the proper incentives. The Ways and Means Committee is championing the effort, and this is also the area of government where Paul Ryan has spent a considerable amount of time in his career. The “Better Way” proposal, created by the Ways and Means Committee, is what the GOP is currently working off of to establish a completed outline.
Economical Stratagem
The president elect is aiming to reduce the size of the nation’s federally employed workers and has his sights on establishing a hiring freeze during his first 100 days as president. It is his goal that the federal workforce will shrink as employees retire or quit. He will work closely with his Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, one of his many shocking cabinet picks. This will not affect the areas of public health and safety nor will it include those involved in a militaristic role. This move is designed to save money and to more effectively manage the nation’s federal laborers.
In addition, Trump had expressed an eagerness to see operations to move forward with the Keystone Pipeline and with other projects related to energy. He aims to remove the roadblocks for these firms so that they can freely innovate and create jobs. His administration has vowed to lift the constraints on $50 trillion worth of natural resources that include coal, natural gas, oil, and shale.