“Two Years After the Election”: How is the U.S. Government doing?
It’s been two years since President Donald Trump took office. So, we want to take a closer look at how things are going.
During his campaign, President Trump made a lot of promises to his supporters all over the United States; he’s spent much of the last two years focusing on achieving those. At the same time, however, his time in office has been clouded by controversy. Whether or not you agree with President Trump, looking into his legislative accomplishments can be helpful as we assess how our government is doing.
Cutting taxes has been a long-time Republican wish, and this is a campaign promise President Trump has successfully honored. In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Job Act was passed in the Senate. This bill included the major tax cuts that Republicans were advocating for.
Another campaign promises that President Trump has kept is appointing new Supreme Court Justices. In 2017, now Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch was selected by President Trump to replace former Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. He was voted in by the Senate on party lines. The more recent and controversial appointment was Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The appointment was clouded in accusations of sexual misconduct. The process included testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who was one of three women who came out and said he made unwanted sexual advances. Although the confirmation vote was close, the Senate approved him.
In almost every campaign rally, President Trump’s supporters would chant “Build the wall!” Yet, two years into his 1st term, President Trump has yet to accomplish building a barrier along the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico. The president even shut down the government as leverage to get the wall into the federal budget for the 2019 year. Another strategy the president used was to declare a National Emergency, which would take money from the federal emergency fund and use it to build the wall. The House of Representatives, however, just passed a resolution of disapproval, and it’s looking like the Senate might as well.
President Trump has been outspoken about his disdain for the Affordable Care Act. He has tried multiple times to “Repeal and Replace” ObamaCare. All efforts to repeal this Obama-era milestone have been rejected in the Senate. One notable effort was the Skinny Repeal, when three key Republican senators voted against the effort. The late Senator John McCain, Senator Susan Collins, and Senator Lisa Murkowski all voted no in a major upset to the Republican leadership. The vote was 51-49 against.
Needless to say, the last two years have been rocky for American politics.
Demanding the highest standards from our politicians has been deeply rooted in American politics from our founding. Continuing to call for civility in politics is a concern shared by both sides of the aisle and a value on which we can agree during this polarizing time. We must continue to require justice and stand for peace. We must continue to fight for unity. We must continue to demand truth. We must continue to expect more from our government and from each other.
Learn more:
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/
