Trump is Deregulating - Fast. Congress Needs to Get Up to Speed

President Donald Trump has wasted no time.  He is rapidly fast-tracking the agenda which won him the office.  He ran on tightening immigration – he is doing what he alone can do to tighten immigration.  He ran on ending Obamacare – he is doing what he alone can do to end Obamacare.

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And Trump ran on slashing regulations – and he is doing what he alone can do to slash regulations.  Trump says his ultimate objective is to cut regulations by “75% or more.”  Given his actions thus far – doubters should be becoming greater in their scarcity.

Where has the Republican-majority Congress been during all of this Executive Branch action?  Internet entrepreneur Matt Drudge rarely personally Tweets – but just did so to unleash a bracing-yet-realistic assessment of their performance thus far in the Trump Era.

Some obvious stipulations, of course (which Drudge knows – but cannot fit into 140 characters).  Trump is the Executive – he can act on his own.  Congress is a gaggle – legislative and deliberative.  That being said – on what are they waiting?  Trump isn’t moving at the speed of government – why still is Congress?

As Drudge said, under Trump’s predecessor Republicans repeatedly, futilely voted to repeal Obamacare.  Without any concurrent replacement, it should be noted.  Now – nothing.  (They have run against Obamacare non-stop since its passage – yet now STILL don’t have an agreed-upon replacement.  What have they been doing?)

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The Republicans are the Party of tax cuts.  They couldn’t get any passed under Trump’s predecessor.  But Trump ran on cutting taxes big league – and he won.  He announced his tax cut plan in September – of 2015.  For what has Congress been waiting?  Differences between Trump’s plan and Congress’ plan (we are told they have long had one) should have been reconciled – immediately after Trump secured the nomination.  At which point Trump and the Republicans could have run together on a totally united tax cut front.

On CNBC in December, Republican Speaker Paul Ryan bragged that “at the end of 2015 he had…told his Committee Chairman to spend 2016 writing full-on, ready-to-go reform bills.  Preparing as if the Republicans would in 2017 control both houses of Congress and the White House.”

Where are these bills?  Why aren’t there rapid-fire votes on them – running them through to Trump for signatures?  What is Congress doing?

Seton Motley | Red State | RedState.com

The excuses are endless.  Again, now suddenly we need to not just repeal Obamacare – but simultaneously replace it.  Even though, again, Republicans never said that was necessary when serially repealing under its namesake.  (And again, you’ve had six-plus years to draft a replacement – where the heck is it?)

Why, still, haven’t Trump’s and the Republicans’ respective tax cut plans been harmonized – and the result voted upon?  Republicans may not have liked Trump the nominee – but now he’s Trump the President.  A President who wants to “massively” cut taxes.  For what are they waiting?

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Republicans are even dragging their feet on a complete and total no-brainer – full repeal of the disastrous Dodd-Frank.  On which, of course, Trump ran – so he’s ready and waiting to sign.

For what is Congress waiting?  They are contemplating keeping in place the Durbin Amendment thereto.

Hey Republicans: Anything named after uber-Left Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin – should be giving you a rash and breaking you out in hives.  You should – just on principle and for a return to good skin health – be dying to repeal whatever it is.

And the Durbin Amendment is much more toxic than just topically: “‘(P)assed as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation in 2010, (it) required the Federal Reserve to limit fees charged to retailers for debit card processing.’  Oh excellent – price controls.  Because they always work out SO well: ‘Complex price controls invite gaming of the system….’”

Gaming the system, you say?  You bet.

Durbin Amendment Rewards Retailers $36 Billion in Additional Profits, But Provides No Relief to Consumers: “(A) recent December 2015 Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond study…notes that few merchants are found to reduce prices or debit restrictions as debit costs decrease. In another survey 92% of the nearly 2000 consumers questioned reported that prices rose or stayed the same over the previous year.”

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Pathetically predictable: “(T)he Durbin Amendment is government forcing us – to hand tens of billions of dollars to the likes of Gucci, Macy’s and Saks. Big companies gaming the system – We the Little People paying the price.”

So why on Earth are Republicans contemplating keeping the Durbin Amendment?  Perhaps…

Retailers Fight Effort to Repeal Durbin Amendment

Retail Politics: How America’s Big-Box Retailers Turn Their Economic Power into Political Influence

Not very “drain the swamp” of you, Ladies and Gentlemen.

All of awful Dodd-Frank – including the awful Durbin Amendment – needs to go.

Trump is anxiously awaiting – to sign said repeal.

For what is Congress waiting?

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