By Craig Anderson ’20
Contributor
Despite an onslaught of dishonest attacks from his opposition, President Trump’s first year in office has had massive success for our great country. Staying true to his roots, the president has delivered on his campaign promises and is continuing to fight for policies that will make America thrive.
His landmark legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, lowered tax liabilities for millions of Americans across income levels so workers can keep more of their hard-earned money.
Slashing the corporate tax rate to 21% makes us competitive with the rest of the globe, as our old rate of 35% was the highest in the industrialized world.
According to the Daily Signal, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will increase GDP growth by 2.2% long-term, translating to an increase of “just under $3,000 per household,” making our economy prosper.
Additionally, President Trump has defanged the regulatory machine that has abused businesses and led to higher prices for decades.
The maze of rules that strangle companies large and small cause America over “$1.9 trillion in direct costs, lost productivity, and [increased] prices” (U.S Chamber of Commerce). Realizing this problem, President Trump has vastly outpaced his promise to eliminate two regulations for every one created; instead he has wiped out twenty-two regulations for every new one created.
These deregulatory efforts will allow companies to focus their efforts on what they do best rather than on compliance costs, and will greatly reduce “the $11,700 per year per employee” small businesses spend on obeying the federal government’s onerous rules (U.S. Chamber of Commerce).
For instance, President Trump eliminated former President Barack Obama’s “Clean Power Plan.”
The plan proposed strict rules on new power plants, which would have increased energy prices more than 12% by 2031 if the states managed the rules, or 17% by 2031 if the the EPA implemented the plan under more stringent rules (NERA).
Higher energy prices would have constrained the ability to expand America’s electrical grid efficiently, and hurt the poor more than anyone else, as they spend 20 cents of every dollar on energy costs (Heritage Foundation).
Any seasoned political-junkie will know that the judiciary, while having a lower-profile than the legislature, holds the keys to landmark decisions in America. To that end, the president has shattered records for first-year judicial appointments, reaching twelve federal appeals court nominees.
Even more impactful is his successful nomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who, like Justice Scalia before him, applies a traditional reading of the Constitution in his decisions, a quality lacking in many judges today.
We have only scratched the surface of President Trump’s major achievements, which also include withdrawing from the TPP, trade negotiations on NAFTA, record stock market growth, progress on the border wall with Mexico, and more.
His next year is sure to be eventful as the last. Holding true to his commitments, President Trump is truly making America great again.
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