Saturday, December 16, 2017

'We Cancelled, Delayed, Cut And Clipped!'

‘I don’t know if we’ll have any left to cut’ 

President Donald J. Trump pulled out the ceremonial gold scissors yesterday to show Americans exactly what his Administration is doing to Washington’s vast regulatory state.

A few highlights from his speech:
  • In 1960, there were 20,000 pages of federal regulations; today, there are 185,000—a stack about as tall as one of the reporters covering yesterday’s speech. (He’s 6’3”.) 
  • “We canceled or delayed over 1,500 planned regulatory actions, more than any previous president by far.”
  • The President’s simple message for agency heads: Slash even more red tape in 2018. “And that should just about do it. I don’t know if we’ll have any left to cut.”
  • One stat to remember: The Administration promised to cut 2 regulations for each new one added. Agencies blew that 2:1 goal out of the water, instead eliminating rules at a 22:1 clip. 
  • Why it matters: “Reductions in regulation are happening now,” financial expert Peter Wallison wrote earlier this fall. “That’s why the markets are exuberant.”

It’s a good day to celebrate 

Just as the Administration unveils its plan to continue pruning the administrative state next year, it’s time to commemorate 10 of our Nation’s most important Founding principles.

President Trump signed a proclamation last week that honors today as Bill of Rights Day, part of the larger Human Rights Week that began Monday. “We recognize the importance of the first 10 Amendments to our Constitution to protecting our liberty and freedom against the inevitable encroachment of government,” the President wrote. Our Founders “understood the fundamental truth that liberty is best secured when the state’s power is carefully limited.”

The next generation of law enforcement leaders 

This morning, President Trump addressed the 222 newest graduates of the FBI National Academy at a ceremony in Quantico, Virginia. He congratulated students for completing the 270th Session of the academy, a challenging 11-week professional course of study covering intelligence theory, terrorism, management, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science.

Included in this latest class are members of law enforcement agencies from the District of Columbia, 20 international countries, three military organizations, and four federal civilian organizations.

PHOTO OF THE DAY


President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s official 2017 Christmas portrait  | December 5, 2017 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) 

COMING UP

Next week, the Vice President travels to Egypt and Israel. The President will hold a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday.

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