Right-wing
nuts give Trump their wish list
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It would overturn
restrictions on oil exploration and coal extraction on federally owned land, repeal the
Affordable Care Act's birth control mandate, and end executive actions protecting undocumented immigrants who arrived to
the U.S. as children. It would "cancel U.S. commitments to the Paris Agreement," move the U.S. embassy in Israel from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and ax recent
guidelines from the Office
of Civil Rights related to transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
It also proposes
eliminating the Office of Global Climate Change; the Under Secretary for
Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights; and the Special Envoy for
Climate Change, all within the State Department—which is set to be headed by
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson.
The 21-page list, posted by caucus chair and Trump supporter Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), seeks to
"undo Obama's harmful regulatory regime," according to a tweet from the caucus. This is in
keeping with Trump's campaign
promises.
"[N]utrition is a
key target," Politico writes, noting that "the FDA's update to the
Nutrition Facts panel and updated nutrition standards for school meals, both
priorities championed by first lady Michelle Obama," are identified for
elimination.
Meanwhile, the Washington
Post reports, caucus members "advise several measures
for allowing lower wages, including waiving the Davis-Bacon Act, ending the
Obama administration's overtime rule (currently tied up in court), and ending
tougher classification of contractors in part because it 'disproportionately
hurts independent contractors like Uber and Lyft.' Republicans also suggest
ending paid sick leave for federal contractors."
And according to Bloomberg, "a spate of
regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, ranging from pollution
standards for power plants to ozone reduction requirements," are also up
for gutting.
Bloomberg reports:
A slew of Energy
Department rules requiring household products use less electricity would be
voided, including new standards for ceiling fans that have been opposed by
companies such as Lowe's Cos. Inc. and Home Depot Inc., which
have expressed concerns the requirements could more than double the price of
some fans.
The once mundane
efficiency requirements have come to be seen by the Tea Party and others as a
symbol of government overreach and intrusion. Appliance makers Whirlpool
Corp., General Electric Co., and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. could
see their business plans affected.
Despite its ruthless
goals (and confusing Depression-era imagery), there does appear to be one attempt at
humor in the booklet:
Attempts to follow
through on the caucus's recommendations are likely to be met with fierce
resistance on Capitol Hill. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told Bloomberg in
an email: "Rolling back these regulations would be a major mistake by
President-elect Trump and House Republicans. From leveling the playing field
and protecting the most vulnerable Americans, to giving our children an
opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, these regulations are aimed at
helping working families. I will do everything that I can to fight attempts to
undo our work."