Post by bot on Jul 23, 2017 19:07:47 GMT -5
President Trump’s Six Months of Broken Promises
Today marks six months since President Trump’s inauguration. Despite the promises he made to be a dealmaker who gets things done for the American people, his presidency has been defined by chaos and incompetence. In addition to being mired in controversy, he lacks an agenda and has no major accomplishments to tout after six months in office. The bills he has signed into law lack substance. In fact, 60% of the bills were only one page long. Here is a look at Trump’s broken promises to the American people and no progress on issues that matter most over the last six months:
DEALMAKER
President Trump promised that his extensive business experience would lead to better deals for the American people:
“Trump’s central pitch, redistilled and redistributed on a near-daily basis over the course of 2016, was a simple one: I am a dealmaker, and I will make deals. It was a simple premise and his core campaign argument, simpler and more important than ‘make America great again.’” [Washington Post, 7/18/17]
Six months later, he has virtually no accomplishments:
•President Trump has made no deals to achieve his goal of “insurance for everybody.”
•He has not put forward a single jobs or infrastructure bill.
•He has not achieved tax reform and his tax plan he put forward was only 280 words.
•He has not renegotiated a single trade agreement.
JOBS
President Trump told the American people he would deliver on job creation:
“I’ll be the greatest president for jobs that God ever created.” [Washington Times, 9/28/16]
Six months later, he has taken no action to support job creation or grow the economy:
•Republicans have not put forward a single jobs bill, infrastructure bill, or comprehensive tax reform.
•The Trump budget includes draconian cuts to investments in education, research, infrastructure, and other areas that support job creation.
•By withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, Trump has hurt American competitiveness in the clean energy sector.
His failure to act on jobs and the economy is having a real impact:
•Less robust economic growth:◦Forecasters have lowered economic growth estimates for the second quarter of the year as “recent indicators in areas like consumer spending, construction and auto sales have been decidedly less robust.” [New York Times, 7/6/17]
•Jobs are being sent overseas:
◦ Ford: “In a move that highlights the shifting landscape of global auto production, Ford Motor said Tuesday that it would build its next-generation small car in China rather than in the United States or Mexico.” [New York Times, 6/20/17]
◦ Carrier: “Carrier Corp. plans to eliminate 338 jobs at its Indianapolis furnace factory Thursday — and the timing is likely to raise some eyebrows…The previously announced layoffs coincide, to the day, with the six-month anniversary of Donald Trump's presidency….The terminations are the first wave of about 630 planned before the end of the year as the company shifts work to Mexico. Carrier's parent company, United Technologies Corp., also plans to lay off another 700 workers at a factory in Huntington near Fort Wayne” [Indianapolis Star, 7/19/17]
◦ 270 Companies: “In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, more than 270 separate companies applied for TAA benefits on behalf of more than 10,000 workers whose jobs are moving to another country.” [CNN, 4/28/17]
•Manufacturing earnings are lacking:
◦Manufacturing average weekly earnings have grown 0.6% during Trump’s first six months in office – only half as fast as earnings in the private sector broadly, which grew 1.2%. [BLS]
• June’s Jobs Report marked the first 4 consecutive months below 200k private sector job growth since 2012.
◦June’s Jobs Report was also the lowest June private sector jobs report in 4 years.
HEALTH CARE
President Trump made a number of promises on health care:
“We’re going to have insurance for everybody.” [Washington Post, 1/15/17]
“I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid” [Twitter, 5/7/15]
“I am going to take care of everybody … Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.” [Politico, 3/13/17]
Six months later, Republicans do not have a plan that would ensure all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. While President Trump celebrated House passage of TrumpCare with a Rose Garden ceremony, TrumpCare breaks his health care promises:
• TrumpCare would make millions of Americans lose their health coverage and increase costs for millions more.
•TrumpCare cuts Medicare and Medicaid. His budget cuts Social Security.
•TrumpCare allows discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions and imposes an age tax on older Americans.
DRAIN THE SWAMP
President Trump said he would drain the Washington swamp:
“I will Make Our Government Honest Again -- believe me. But first, I'm going to have to #DrainTheSwamp in DC.” [Twitter, 10/18/17]
Six months later, his conflicts of interest are stacking up:
•The former U.S. government ethics chief has said the U.S. is “close to a laughingstock” due to the number of ethics issues created by the Trump Administration.
•Trump fired the FBI Director while the agency was leading an investigation into Russia.
•Trump has not released his tax returns, which would shed light on his business dealings and possible conflicts of interest.
•President Trump has not divested from his personal companies and makes a profit from them.
•Trump has the richest cabinet in history, with a number of conflicts of interest.
•He also refuses to release the White House Visitor Log.
•The Administration has publically promoted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property on government websites.
•President Trump has held one solo news conference in 6 months.
NATIONAL SECURITY
President Trump made a number of promises on defense and plans to make America safe:
“Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored.” [NPR, 7/21/16]
During a speech in North Carolina, Trump said his top generals “will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS. We have no choice.” [NBC News, 4/21/2017]
The Trump Administration says he has “been incredibly tough on Russia.” [Politico, 2/14/17]
Yet in six months, his administration lacks clear strategies to deal with challenges throughout the world and has not made America safer:
•Trump refused to affirm NATO’s Article 5.
•He has failed to put forward a plan to defeat ISIS or strategies to address the situations in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, or Yemen.
•He removed the United States from the Paris Agreement, undermining our security.
•He has an increasingly cozy relationship with Russia, a country that tried to interfere in our election and undermine our democracy.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
President Trump said he would ensure clean air and water:
“When it comes to environment because I receive many environmental awards, you know, people don't wanna talk about that, that's OK. But we need absolutely crystal clear and clean water. We need beautiful, immaculate air.” [CSPAN, 11/7/16]
Six months later, the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans are rolling back environmental protections:
•President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement.
•President Trump signed executive orders rolling back the Clean Power Plan and Clean Water Rule.
•He has signed 37 Congressional Review Act bills, several of which roll back environmental protections.
•Trump’s budget proposes a 31% cut to the EPA and zeros out clean water programs for the Great Lake and Chesapeake Bay.
LGBT PROTECTIONS
President Trump proclaimed he would fight for the LGBT community:
“Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you…” [Twitter, 6/14/16]
The last six months tell a very different story:
•Trump rolled back protections for transgender youth in schools.
•In addition, President Trump has not denounced the atrocities against LGBT individuals in Chechnya.
•The Trump Administration has taken steps to remove questions about sexual orientation on national surveys for Older Americans.
VACATIONS
President Trump said on the campaign trail he would be on the job:
“I would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done…I would not be a president who took vacations. I would not be a president that takes time off.” [The Hill, 6/23/15]
Over six months, he has spent much of his time on the golf course or on vacation:
•President Trump has golfed 38 times in 6 months.
•President Trump has spent only 5 weekends in Washington DC without traveling to one of his golf clubs.
Democrats will continue to hold President Trump accountable for his failure to deliver for the American people.