How Hard (or Easy) It Will Be for Trump to

Fulfill His 100-Day Plan

From The New York Times, November 24, 2016, page A24.Written by Larry Buchanan, Alicia Parlapiano and Karen

Yourish

May 2, 2023 2

Doesn’t Need Congress

Mr. Trump can use his authority to reverse executive actions taken by President Obama. He will also have significant latitude to carry out immigration policies, though they will require an ambitious bureaucratic effort.

May 2, 2023 3

Suspend immigration from “terror-prone regions” Mr. Trump's call to bar all Muslims from the United

States seems to have evolved into a promise to bar people from certain regions. He will have the power to carry out this plan, but it would make sweeping use of executive authority and require an ambitious bureaucratic effort that is not likely to move as quickly as he envisions.

May 2, 2023 4

End foreign trade abuses

Mr. Trump says he will direct his commerce secretary and trade representative on Day 1 to identify and end alleged abuses. The White House has plenty of leeway to penalize other nations it accuses of undercutting American manufacturers.

May 2, 2023 5

Choose Supreme Court nominee

Mr. Trump has released a list of 21 possible candidates vetted by conserva tive legal groups to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The nominee will be subject to approval by the Senate.

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Leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Since the deal was never approved by Congress, Mr. Trump will not have to do anything to get out of the pact.

May 2, 2023 7

Label China a currency manipulator

Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused China of keeping its currency artificial ly cheap, though many economists believe the renminbi is overvalued, not undervalued.

May 2, 2023 8

Limit federal regulations

Mr. Trump promised to eliminate two existing federal regulations for every new one. The executive branch has the power to undo regulations through the same lengthy bureaucratic process that is used when they are created.

May 2, 2023 9

Rescind Obama’s actions on guns

Mr. Trump's 100-day plan does not specifically say what he will do about guns, but it does say he will "cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama." He has promised to "totally protect" the Second Amendment.

May 2, 2023 10

Approve the Keystone XL pipeline

Mr. Trump has said he will lift "Obama-Clinton roadblocks" on energy infrastructure projects like the pipeline. He could grant the State Department the permit that the Obama administra tion has denied for the project

May 2, 2023 11

Tighten lobbying restrictions

Mr. Trump has said he will issue a five-year ban on lobbying by officials after they leave the White House, and a lifetime ban on them lobbying for a foreign government; he will also ban foreign lobbyists from raising money for American elections. His transition team is asking administration appoin tees to agree to these restrictions

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Roll back environmental regulations

Mr. Trump could undo the Obama administration's environmental rules through the same lengthy bureaucratic process that created them. (In some cases, Congress could also vote to undo them.) He has also vowed to "cancel" last year's Paris climate agreement. The United States remains legally bound to the plan for four years, but there would be no legal consequences or economic sanctions if Mr. Trump does not follow through with the commitment to limit carbon emissions.

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Freeze federal hiring

Mr. Trump pledged to implement a hiring freeze on the federal workforce. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan put freezes into effect during their presi dencies, but a 1982 comptroller general report determined that the "freezes have not been an effective means of controlling federal employment."

May 2, 2023 14

Overturn protections for certain undocumented immigrants The 100-day plan does not specify what Mr.

Trump plans to do on immigration, but he has said that he will end Obama administration programs. One of those programs protects immigrants who came to this country as children, while another, which was blocked by the courts, offered protections to a broader group.

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Cancel payments to U.N. climate programs Mr. Trump seems to be referring to money

committed by the Obama administration to the Green Climate Fund, created to help poor countries control their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

May 2, 2023 16

Propose term limits on Congress

Mr. Trump can propose an amendment to the Constitution, which would require a two-thirds majority in Congress to advance. But Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, said the measure would not be on the agenda.

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Needs Congress

Mr. Trump will need to work with Congress to carry out some of his proposals, including repealing the Affordable Care Act and building a wall along the border with Mexico.

May 2, 2023 18

Repeal and replace Obamacare

Congress is unlikely to be able to repeal the entire law without a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, but it can eliminate parts of the law with a simple majority. Last year it passed a bill that would have eliminated the law's Medicaid expansion, premium subsi dies and the requirement that all Americans buy insurance, but Mr. Obama vetoed it. Experts say repealing just these select parts of the law could lead to market chaos, and an estimated 22 million Americans would lose coverage.

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Build a wall

Mr. Trump has said he will work with Congress to pass a bill that finances the construction of a southern border wall "with the full understanding" that Mexico will reimburse the United States. (Mexico has said it will not pay for the wall.) If he is able to get Congress to fund the wall — a big if — Mr. Trump would still have to overcome a myriad of environmental and legal hurdles to move forward.

May 2, 2023 20

End Common Core

Mr. Trump has said he will work with Congress to introduce an education bill that will, in part, end Common Core. However, it is unclear how Congress would get rid of Common Core when the federal government did not create it. Governors and state boards of education developed and voluntarily adopted the standards.

May 2, 2023 21

Pass a security bill

Mr. Trump's plan includes the elimina tion of defense spending caps, changes to veterans' health care and new screening procedures for immigration. Many of his defense priorities align with Republicans in Congress, but he is likely to face opposition from Democrats and from Republicans wary of increased spending and of Mr. Trump's views on national security.

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Cut Taxes

Congressional Republicans are also eager to pass tax cuts, and their proposals share a lot of common ground with Mr. Trump's plan, which would significantly cut taxes on businesses and most types of income. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that his plan would cut revenues significantly. While Mr. Trump insists the cuts would be paid for through economic growth, there is no evidence from previous tax cuts that growth would increase at those levels

May 2, 2023 23

Pass an infrastructure bill

Mr. Trump says his plan to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure projects over 10 years would be paid for by leverag ing public-private partnerships and encouraging private investment through tax incentives. Infrastructure spending is a shared priority with congressional Democrats, who have said they believe they can work with Mr. Trump on the issue.

May 2, 2023 24

Pass an ethics bill

Mr. Trump's 100-day plan does not give details on his proposed ethics bill, but it includes an oft-repeated objective to "drain the swamp" of special interests in Washington.

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Restrict lobbying by former members of Congress Mr. Trump also called for a five-year ban on

lobbying by former members of Congress and their staff, an increase from the current two-year ban for senators and one-year ban for House members. Congress is unlikely to pass this measure.

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Pass a child care bill

Mr. Trump's proposal includes allowing child care and elder care tax deduc tions, incentives for employers to provide on-site child care, and tax-free savings accounts with matching contributions for low-income families. Democrats in Congress are also hoping to be able to work with Mr. Trump in this area.

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Pass a law enforcement bill

Mr. Trump has proposed a bill that would create a violent crimes task force and increase spending on resources for law enforcement and federal prosecutors. Mr. Trump would need to galvanize support from a Congress that has many lawmakers who believe the tough-on-crime policies of the 1990s were counterproductive.

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Might Need Congress

Depending on a variety of factors, including whether they would require new funding or a change in laws.

May 2, 2023 29

Deport undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes Mr. Trump has said he will begin removing the

two million to three million people he says fall into this category on his first day in office. But it may be difficult to carry out the deportations quickly without violating due process and without needing more money from Congress.

May 2, 2023 30

Renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement Mr. Trump would have to bring Mexico and

Canada back to the table and get Congress to approve a new deal, but the United States can withdraw from the treaty six months after giving written notice.

May 2, 2023 31

Impose tariffs on companies moving overseas The Constitution bans the imposition of tariffs

specifically aimed at a single company. Mr. Trump has a lot of power under existing law to impose broader tariffs without getting approval from Congress, but it is possible he may want to do something that requires new legislation.

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Stop funding “sanctuary cities”

Mr. Trump said he would cancel federal funding to cities that have curtailed their cooperation with federal immi gration authorities. But because he has not provided details, it is unclear whether he would have the authority to do so without Congress. Several Democratic mayors of major cities have said they will oppose his plan.