New look at the Trump presidency 6 months after inauguration
Presidential historian Doris Kearns provides insight
With the U.S. Senate still working on critically important legislation to replace the collapsing ObamaCare law, President Trump is focused on making sure that the American Dream is obtainable now and for future generations. Already, he has proven to be the greatest advocate for America, its proud citizens, and our working men and women since President Reagan.
One of the reasons Donald Trump ran for president in the first place was that he realized our leaders in Washington had forgotten about American jobs, American workers and American security. Hardworking American taxpayers were fed up with politicians in D.C. focused on seemingly everything but them.
President Trump carried states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania because he convinced voters that he would put their interests and our nation’s interests above all else. And that’s exactly what he is doing.
The optimistic message of ushering in a new era of American exceptionalism begins and ends with American job creation.
The Trump administration is working hard to promote American entrepreneurship and American businesses large and small.
Last week, for example, the White House hosted companies from all 50 states that make their products right here in the United States of America, providing good jobs for American workers. This Made in America initiative launched by President Trump should be a priority regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
Since his first day in office, President Trump has worked to help American job creators, mindful of the wise observation by the late Republican Congressman Jack Kemp of New York that “you can’t have employees without employers.”
By rolling back scores of overly burdensome and unnecessary government regulations enacted by the Obama administration, President Trump is greatly incentivizing hiring.
The president also understands the importance of opening up America’s vast untapped domestic energy resources for exploration and production. This type of comprehensive energy policy will create many thousands of American jobs and reduce our trade deficit with foreign nations. It is decades overdue.
There is widespread agreement that nothing will stimulate job creation more than major tax relief and reform. American businesses must be freed from excessive taxation in order to compete with businesses around the world.
Dramatically reducing the high U.S. tax burden will help to accomplish this. The president’s plan would slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. Job creators yearn for the certainty that taxes are going down and won’t be raised. Individual tax rates must also be lowered and our tax code must be simplified.
True to his promise on the campaign trail, President Trump is calling for consolidating the individual tax brackets from seven to three and setting the new brackets at 35 percent, 25 percent and 10 percent. President Trump will fight for the working men and women of our nation to get this done.
A robust tax reform plan must be taken up as the top priority for this Congress and signed into law by President Trump later this year. Americans heard this campaign promise from Republicans and then elected Republican majorities in the House and Senate to make the promise a reality. Every American will benefit from this enormous pro-growth reform measure.
I’m hopeful that some Democrats in the Senate who represent states carried by President Trump in 2016 will join with him and Republicans to support tax reform. These include Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Bill Nelson of Florida, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Their constituents all deserve common-sense tax relief.
By supporting tax reform, these Democrats would send a message that they are listening to their constituents and putting the nation’s best interests ahead of party loyalty, rather than just taking orders from the left to obstruct the president’s agenda.
Throughout the eight years of Barack Obama and during the failed candidacy of Hillary Clinton, Democrats lost their way.
To millions of frustrated Americans in the Rust Belt looking for work, it seemed like Obama and Clinton were focused on helping Manhattan and Hollywood elites, the “international community” and illegal immigrants instead of them. Under President Trump, the American worker will no longer be left behind.
With his “America First” agenda, President Trump is striving to make 2017 the year that will be remembered as a turning point when the forgotten men and women in America were finally given the opportunity they deserve. And if there’s one thing that should bring people together in Washington to get things done it’s the backbone of America: the proud American worker.
Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week.