Priorities For First 100 Days Of Trump Administration – OpEd

The Trump administration’s crucial 100-day window to make its priority policy decisions starts tomorrow.

It is time to seize the opportunity American voters have just given conservatives — moving quickly to deregulate the economy, defend our freedoms and rebuild the military.

The following list of policies Heritage has formulated for years can set the process in motion.

Institute for Constitutional Government

Get a constitutionalist justice confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Identify and nominate qualified candidates for all current vacancies on federal Circuit Courts and District Courts, and institutionalize a process to fill future openings within 60 days of a vacancy.

Issue a new Executive Order on federalism (modeled after the Reagan Executive Order) requiring all federal agencies to take into account the impact on federalism interests of all proposed rules and agency guidance documents (this could build on the Reagan Administration’s federalism executive order).

Enforce federal immigration law and void all Obama rules, programs, and regulations that attempted to rewrite the law and waive its requirements.

Create a Presidential Commission to study the renewal of American civic culture.

Initiate a comprehensive review of all federal funding (grants, legal settlements, etc.) directed to non-profit organizations, including universities, to assess whether they pursue partisan goals or advance the common good.

Limit the use of “disparate impact” analysis in applying federal anti-discrimination law.

Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity

Repeal Obamacare and stabilize insurance markets. We have no time to lose to fully repeal Obamacare, though it may take several steps, including administrative changes. The CBO rightly projects that full repeal would lead to a smoother transition with less disruption to coverage and cost. The administration must use all means possible to stabilize the insurance markets and allow for continuity in coverage.

Protect conscience rights.

The incoming administration and Congress should prepare to tackle various education-related issues in the coming year, and the following priorities should be at the top of the to-do list:

• Support reauthorization and expansion of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program
• Create education savings accounts for children attending Bureau of Indian Education schools
• Allow states to make their Title I dollars portable, following children to schools and education providers of choice
• Allow K-12 expenses to be eligible for 529 college savings accounts
• Enable states to fully opt-out of the programs that fall under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) through the A-PLUS (Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success) proposal
• Ease the cost of college by making space for private lending 

Institute for Economic Freedom

Reverse past executive overreach with regulatory reforms, using the REINS Act and Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to repeal regulations and a quicker process to disapprove of an agency’s final rule.

Define “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act.

Withdraw from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Paris Agreement).

Undo the Clean Power Plan and end the moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands.

Withdraw federal regulation on fracking.

See the completion of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.

The Labor Department should issue regulations restoring the union transparency requirements the Obama administration rescinded.

The Labor Department should start using Bureau of Labor Statistics data to calculate Davis-Bacon wage rates.

Pass financial market regulations in the form of an updated Financial CHOICE Act – reining in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and their unaccountable position of power.

Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy

Center for National Defense: Present a compelling case to rebuild America’s military — both with the needed additions authorized in the 2017 NDAA and, most significantly, the additional investments needed to begin the reversal of the precipitous defense cuts in readiness, procurement and structure made during the Obama administration

Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom: Instruct the U.S. Trade Representative and the White House National Trade Council to fast-track the pursuit of a US-UK trade pact by putting forward clear negotiating objectives pursuant to Congressional guidance that will advance the Special Relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.

Asian Studies Center: Announce plans to convene the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (US, Japan, Australia, and India) at the Assistant Secretary level, reassign deputies’ roles at the Bureau of East Asian and Public Affairs to create more concerted focus on Taiwan, and relax contact policy and external guidance regarding interaction with Taiwan.

Homeland Security: Develop a budget request for the Department of Homeland Security that provides Customs and Border Patrol with funding for the infrastructure and the technology necessary to better patrol the border and secure ports of entry. Simplify TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) approval and contracting processes to make it easier for airports to apply and use the program. Meet with select countries that would be excellent additions to the Visa Waiver Program to discuss admission and include legislative proposal in DHS budget request to allow for judicious expansion of as well as improvement of information sharing occurring in the program.

Cyber Security: Ensure that DHS’ information sharing program is operating effectively and seek out additional areas for cooperation with the private sector. Increase international training and information sharing programs. Investigate the expansion of active cyber defense by private entities. Establish an Internet of Things national strategy based on the principles laid out in the 1997 Framework for Global Electronic Commerce.

Immigration: Immediately order DHS to cancel the anti-enforcement policy memoranda put in place under the Obama Administration and replace them as appropriate. Advance policies that strengthen enforcement efforts through appropriate use of executive authority and requests that Congress consider legislative changes to existing programs. Such policies include expanding DHS agreements with state and local governments through section 287(g) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Fully fund the Secure Fence Act.

The Middle East: Review current anti-ISIS strategy and formulate a more robust multilateral approach to accelerate the collapse of ISIS in Iraq/Syria, as well as undermine ISIS franchises in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Use more U.S. special operations forces to target ISIS leaders and capabilities in Iraq/Syria and work closely with allies to escalate military, intelligence, law enforcement, cyber, and counterterrorism efforts against ISIS on as many fronts as possible.

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This article was published by The Heritage Foundation