Part 2 of 3 (Part 1 appeared Sept. 16):
A friend asked me what President Donald Trump has done for America. With the help of a Republican Senate, he’s done so much, and in so many areas, I decided to make a list. Just imagine what he could accomplish with a Republican House as well.
Therefore, I will attempt to list some of the accomplishments of the Trump Administration PRIOR to the COVID-19 pandemic:
IMMIGRATION
• The goal is to have 450 miles of border wall on our southern border by the end of 2020, which will have a huge impact on stopping crime, drugs and gangs. U.S. Customs has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine, 83,000 pounds of meth and 2,700 pounds of fentanyl. Border apprehensions are up 81%. There has already been a 70% decrease in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally.
• Hundreds of members of dangerous gangs have been arrested by the Border Patrol.
• Increased funds and efforts to end human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery. Sex trafficking is one of the world’s biggest criminal businesses. It’s not possible to ascertain an exact number, but it is estimated there are 215 million victims of this horrific crime, about 99% women and children. Through Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers. In 2018, the internet’s leading source of prostitution-related ads was dismantled by the Department of Justice.
• Restored our standing in the world – we are once again respected for our compassion and strength.
FOREIGN POLICY
• Successfully decimated ISIS.
• Took out the No. 1 terrorist leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force.
• Withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement.
• Imposed sanctions on Russians for interfering in our elections.
• Prison reform – released 3,100 inmates who had served a long time for minor infractions because of Bill Clinton’s 1994 Criminal Reform Act, which resulted in tougher sentencing for minor crimes.
• Moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
• Held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
TRADE
• Got rid of NAFTA and negotiated more equitable trade deal with Canada and Mexico called USMCA.
• Improved trade agreement with South Korea.
• Agreed to phase one trade deal with China Jan. 15.
• Withdrew the U.S. from the flawed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Pressured our allies to recommit to NATO and pay their fair share.
JUDICIAL
• Has installed more federal court judges than any president in the past 40 years, plus two Supreme Court Justices – Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
HEALTH CARE
• The individual mandate penalty has been eliminated from Obamacare.
• Expanded association health plans
• Is working to lower prescription drug costs; recently signed four new bills to reduce the cost of drugs, and a bill to allow some drug imports from Canada.
• Is working to combat drug addiction and opioid abuse by declaring it a national public health emergency. Is working to stop the trafficking of drugs into the U.S.
• Signed SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to fight the epidemic.
• Launched FindTreatment.gov, a public resource to help combat drug abuse.
• Has promoted innovation and solutions to expand treatment options for those with HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, pediatric cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.
• Launched a program to provide the HIV prevention drug PrEP to uninsured patients for free.
• Raised legal age to buy tobacco and vaping products to 21.
• Repealed costly Obamacare taxes.
• Signed an order allowing small businesses to group together when buying insurance to get a better price.
• Signed right-to-try legislation allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental treatment that wasn’t previously allowed.
ENERGY
• Opened up oil and gas production, making the U.S. energy independent for the first time ever.
• The Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines were approved, creating approximately 42,000 jobs. The New Burgos Pipeline that will export gasoline to Mexico was approved.
ENVIRONMENT
• In 2018, signed an executive order aimed at increasing responsible forest management and coordinating federal, state, tribal and local assets to prevent and combat wildfires, and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
• Gave $100 million to fix water infrastructure in Flint, Michigan.
• Signed the Save our Seas Act, which funds $10 million per year to clean plastic and garbage from the ocean.
AGRICULTURE
• Signed a new farm bill that provides support and stability to farmers, expands crop insurance, doubles how much farmers can borrow and helps open new markets.
• Rolled back red tape such as Obama-era Waters of the United States rule, which harmed farmers.
• Enacted Historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which protects family farmers from estate tax.
• Because of his tax cut legislation, the effective tax rate for farmers is expected to fall from 17.2% to 13.9%.
• In a new trade agreement, Japan will eliminate or reduce tariffs on approximately $7.2 billion in U.S. agricultural exports.
EDUCATION
• Signed an executive order that promotes and protects free speech on college campuses.
• Appropriated the most money ever given in one year to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and signed the FUTURE Act into law, which permanently funds HBCUs and simplifies the application process.
• Directed more than $200 million per year to technology education grants for women and programs that encourage participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers.
• Donated his 2017 second quarter salary to the Department of Education to host a STEM-focused camp for students.
• The president has encouraged state and federal lawmakers to expand school choice so no child is trapped in a failing school because of his or her ZIP code.
• Directed education secretary to end Common Core.
Beverley Scott
Valencia
