By Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1)
We are now over 100 days into the Trump Presidency and this era of unified Republican government. Despite what some in the mainstream media may say, a lot has been accomplished.
In fact, more bills have been signed into law by President Trump in his First 100 Days than any President since Harry Truman. Many of these bills have focused on rolling back costly and unnecessary government regulations. All told, cutting these regulations is estimated to save around $18 billion a year.
Quite possibly the most important and consequential event of the First 100 Days was the nomination and confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch understands that it is his job to uphold the law, not rewrite the law through judicial rulings. His confirmation reasserted a 5-4 balance on the Supreme Court in favor of more conservative judges.
President Trump also appointed a first class team to help lead our government, and all of his cabinet secretaries are now confirmed and in place. From Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly to Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta, this is a team of leaders who understand the importance of keeping the American people safe, enforcing the law, and growing our economy.
Speaking of the economy, it has made important strides in the early days of the Trump Administration. Over 500,000 new jobs have been created, and the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since May 2007. The President is also looking out for American workers by pushing for fair trade deals and cracking down on bad trade practices. These changes are especially important to the steel industry, which is a key part of our local economy in Southwest Alabama.
President Trump is also cracking down on illegal immigration, which has resulted in illegal border crossings hitting a 17 year low. The President has made clear that illegal immigration will not be allowed and that there will be serious consequences for those who enter our country illegally. It is wonderful to see our immigration laws actually being enforced.
For those of us who support the pro-life movement, the First 100 Days have been a huge success. As one of his first acts, President Trump reinstated the “Mexico City Policy,” to ensure no taxpayer money goes to non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortion. We also had a huge victory when the President signed our bill blocking a rule that would have forced states to fund Planned Parenthood.
On national security, President Trump has sent a clear message that America is back, we are standing strong, and we mean what we say. Our allies know that we will support them and our adversaries realize there will be consequences for their actions. The President, with the help of Congress, is also making progress to rebuild our military and ensure our troops have the tools they need to get the job done.
President Trump, along with Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin, has also made important progress in turning things around at the VA. Just last week, they announced the creation of a new Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection to help identify and resolve issues at the VA. I am also thrilled to see the President advocating for increased veteran access to private medical care through the VA Choice Card program.
The good news is that our work is just getting started. I still expect progress on important issues like health care, tax reform, infrastructure, trade, and much more. There is no doubt the challenges facing our nation are great but so are the opportunities.
