From Leader Hoyer:
The President campaigned on numerous promises to the American people, and four years into his presidency, he is letting the American people down on pledge after pledge. Ahead of tonight’s State of the Union Address, here’s a look at what the President promised he would deliver to the American people and how he has fallen short with policies that put the wealthiest ahead of working families:
HEALTH CARE
TRUMP PROMISE: “We’re going to have insurance for everybody… We’re going to have a healthcare that is far less expensive and far better.” [Washington Post, 1/15/19]
REALITY: Instead of working to make health care affordable for Americans, President Trump and his Administration have repeatedly sought to undermine protections offered by the ACA through executive orders and the courts. In fact, he is seeking to strike down the law and its protections entirely.
“A Republican lawsuit, backed by the Trump administration, is trying to destroy ‘Obamacare’ in its entirety, and a Texas judge has already ruled in the GOP's favor. The 5th Circuit, in a move that appeared awfully political, recently left the future of the nation's health care system in limbo, almost certainly until after the election.” [MSNBC, 01/13/20]
LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES
TRUMP PROMISE: “When it comes time to negotiate the cost of drugs, we are going to negotiate like crazy…” [Wall Street Journal, 02/04/16]
REALITY: House Democrats passed transformative legislation that takes the unprecedented step of giving the Department of Human Services the power to negotiate directly with drug companies and making the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Americans with private insurance as well as those on Medicare. The President refuses to work with Democrats to enact it into law.
“Mr. Trump has retreated from his 2016 campaign pledge to let Medicare negotiate for drug prices. The White House has backed away from supporting Mrs. Pelosi’s bill after initially negotiating with her on it.” [Wall Street Journal, 12/12/19]
GROWING THE ECONOMY AND RAISING WAGES
TRUMP PROMISE: “‘Under my administration, the era of economic surrender is over and the rebirth of American industry is beginning… [Tax cuts] will be rocket fuel for our economy.’” [The New York Times, 09/29/17]
REALITY: While President Trump inherited a strong economy, his policies are preventing its benefits from being broadly felt by all Americans. In fact, his signature economic achievement was a tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans that did not yield the promised GDP growth of 6%, did not raise wages, and resulted in trillion dollar deficits.
“The cornerstone of President Trump’s domestic economic agenda is the tax cut he signed into law in late 2017. It would, he said, lift U.S. sustained annual economic growth to 3%, or even as high as 6%. His advisers said it would boost average household incomes by at least $4,000 a year. His Treasury secretary said it would pay for itself. Nearly two years later, none of those things have happened, and there is scant sign they will.” [WSJ, 10/30/19]
“…One widely publicized feature of the 2017 tax law hasn’t held up: The bonuses many companies announced for employees—often described as sharing the benefits of the corporate tax cut with workers —haven’t been repeated, even as company tax savings persist.” [Wall Street Journal, 01/04/20]
Here’s a closer look at how President Trump’s economic promises fell short:
- GDP growth:
Trump promised GDP growth as high as 6 percent. However, in the seven
quarters before and after passage of the Republican tax law, GDP is now 2.1 percent, a decline from just last year. - Business investment:
The Trump Administration predicted a flood of business investment, but
in reality it has slowed since the tax cut, falling from an average
annual growth rate of 4.6 percent in the seven quarters before enactment
to a 3.5 percent annual rate in the seven quarters following the tax
cut. - Household income:
The Administration predicted that the tax cuts would bring an increase
of $4,000 to $9,000 or more per household. However, household income
increased only $550 in the first year after the tax cuts went into
effect. - Unemployment: The unemployment rate was at 4.1 percent before the tax cuts took effect, falling just over one-half of 1 percent since then.
BRINGING MANUFACTURING JOBS BACK TO THE U.S.
TRUMP PROMISE: “President
Donald Trump has been boasting about creating manufacturing
jobs…‘Factory floors across this land are once more crackling with
life,’ Trump told workers at a Royal Dutch Shell Plc plant in Monaca,
northwest of Pittsburgh. ‘Our steel mills are fired up and blazing
bright. The assembly lines are roaring.’” [Bloomberg, 08/14/19]
REALITY: The manufacturing sector isn’t seeing the revitalization that Trump promised.
“America's manufacturing downturn isn't letting up. Factory activity
contracted for the fifth consecutive month in December, registering a
worse drop than expected. The Institute of Supply Management's
manufacturing purchasing managers' index logged its lowest level since
June 2009 at 47.2, compared with the consensus forecast of 49. It stood
at 48.1 in November. Any number below 50 denotes a contraction.” [CNN, 01/3/20]
INFRASTRUCTURE
TRUMP PROMISE:
“…The president promised during his campaign to ‘build the next
generation of roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, sea ports and airports
that our country deserves.’” [Roll Call, 05/08/17]
REALITY: After
agreeing the nation needs a $2 trillion infrastructure package, the
President walked away from his own infrastructure proposal and
negotiations over how to pay for it or any other infrastructure package.
He has refused to lead on this issue.
“Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to improve the nation’s
infrastructure, abruptly walked out of a meeting with leading Democrats
on Wednesday and declared there would be no ‘investment’ until
congressional investigations into his personal finances and
administration cease… Beyond outlining the broad themes of an
infrastructure policy, the Trump administration has not yet mounted the
kind of sustained policy effort necessary to turn the president’s
campaign promise into legislation.” [Washington Post, 05/26/19]
MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY
TRUMP PROMISE: “Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it.” [Presidential Campaign Announcement Speech, 06/16/15]
REALITY: After his tax cuts for the wealthy exploded the deficit, Trump said he’d consider cutting Medicare and Social Security programs.
“During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Trump was asked, ‘[Would]
entitlements ever be on your plate?’ Entitlements are, of course,
Washington-speak for Medicare and Social Security. Trump responded, ‘At
some point they will be,’ adding, ‘It’ll be toward the end of the year.’
Just in case Trump misunderstood, Joe Kernen followed up, reminding him
this was something he had ‘said you wouldn’t do in the past’ and
specifically mentioning Medicare. Trump cut him off. ‘Well, we’re going
to look.’” [Washington Post, 01/23/19]
And just last week, the Trump Administration proposed an illegal scheme
to block grant Medicaid and undermine access to care for low-income
Americans, seniors, rural communities, those with disabilities, low
income pregnant women, and Americans seeking treatment for opioid
addiction.
“President Donald Trump’s administration is taking its most audacious
step yet to roll back Medicaid... Medicaid would no longer pay whatever
is necessary to provide medical care to the people in or near poverty
who qualify for its benefits…Trump has already tried to fundamentally
alter the Medicaid program through work requirements, though he’s been
stopped in the courts. But the block grants represent an even more basic
remaking of Medicaid on his watch, one that would lead to spending cuts
and fewer benefits.” [Vox, 01/30/20]
REDUCING THE DEFICIT
TRUMP PROMISE:
“[Trump] insisted that he would be able to get rid of the nation’s more
than $19 trillion national debt ‘over a period of eight years.’”
[Washington Post, 4/2/16]
REALITY: The GOP tax law will add $1.9 trillion to the national debt, according to CBO.
Despite a deficit forecast to exceed $1 trillion for the rest of the
decade and beyond, Trump Administration officials continue to claim the
tax cuts will pay for themselves.
“The Congressional Budget Office predicted on Tuesday that the United
States deficit will top $1 trillion annually over the next 10 years,
ultimately reaching $1.7 trillion in 2030... Mr. Trump promised to pay
off the national debt as president, but in three years in office, he has
instead added to it with big tax cuts and increased federal spending.
Mr. Trump and Republican lawmakers have claimed the tax cuts will pay
for themselves through increased economic growth, which would ostensibly
produce higher tax revenues… But…federal revenues declined. The latest
C.B.O. forecast shows no indication that officials there expect rapid
growth will return any time soon, as Mr. Trump and his team have
projected. [The New York Times, 1/28/20]
DRAINING THE SWAMP
TRUMP PROMISE:
“It is time to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. This is why I'm
proposing a package of ethics reforms to make our government honest once
again.” [ President Trump, Campaign Rally, 10/17/16]
REALITY: While House
Democrats passed comprehensive government reform legislation, H.R. 1,
the President has refused to work with Democrats to see it enacted into
law. The President was impeached due to his abuse of power and
obstruction of Congress and many of his associates have been sent to
prison or face criminal charges. His Administration has been mired in
ethics conflicts, and the former U.S. government ethics chief has said
the U.S. is “close to a laughingstock” due to the number of ethics issues created.
“For all his theatrics, he is not actually fighting corruption any more
than a WWE wrestler is actually fighting his opponent. Put simply, there
is no prospect that he will, in fact, drain the swamp. Indeed, they
will attack whistle-blowers in an attempt to raise the cost of flagging
corruption. They will seek to interpret what is unlawful as narrowly as
possible. And when behavior is lawful but unethical, they will seek to
dismiss complaints about it, as if denouncing politicians for being
merely unethical is illegitimate… In fact, when his tenure is over,
there will be a dark irony to his supposed drain-the-swamp agenda. Its
most notable instances of holding sleazy Americans accountable will
involve men such as Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and
Michael Cohen, whose bad behavior might’ve escaped the attention of
authorities forever but for their being dragged into the spotlight by
Trump. [The Atlantic, 10/04/19]
PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE
TRUMP PROMISE:
Days after the El Paso and Dayton shootings, the President said that he
would work with Congress to advance background checks. “President
Donald Trump said Friday that he thinks ‘very meaningful background
checks’ can pass Congress... ‘I want to see it happen,’ he said. ‘We
need intelligent background checks. This isn't a question of NRA,
Republican or Democrat.’ He said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
was ‘totally on board.’ Republican senators, he said, ‘are looking for
me to give a signal.’" [ABC News, 08/09/19]
REALITY: In less
than two weeks, the President fell silent on the issue, softened its
urgency, and made no indication he would act. House Democrats passed
bipartisan legislation to expand background checks over a year ago, and
he has refused to engage on the issue.
“After discussions with gun rights advocates… including talks with Wayne
LaPierre, the chief executive of the National Rifle Association — Mr.
Trump’s resolve appears to have substantially softened, and he has
reverted to reiterating the conservative positions on the gun issue he
has espoused since the 2016 campaign. Speaking to reporters on Sunday as
he departed from New Jersey and returned to Washington, Mr. Trump said
he was ‘very, very concerned with the Second Amendment, more so than
most presidents would be,’ and added that ‘people don’t realize we have
very strong background checks right now.’” [New York Times, 8/19/19]
MAKING AMERICA SAFER
TRUMP PROMISE:
“Together, we will lead our party back to the White House, and we will
lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace. We will be a
country of generosity and warmth.” [President Trump, 07/21/16]
REALITY: The President’s chaotic and impulsive actions have undermined foreign policy and national security.
“… The last two years should not distract from a building crisis of U.S.
foreign policy, of which Trump is both a symptom and a cause. The
president has outlined a deeply misguided foreign policy vision that is
distrustful of U.S. allies, scornful of international institutions, and
indifferent, if not downright hostile, to the liberal international
order that the United States has sustained for nearly eight decades. The
real tragedy, however, is not that the president has brought this
flawed vision to the fore; it is that his is merely one mangled
interpretation of what is rapidly emerging as a new consensus on the
left and the right: that the United States should accept a more modest
role in world affairs.” [ Foreign Affairs, January/February Edition 2019]
The President has failed to defend America’s interests abroad or promote stability:
- On Russia: The
President has refused to take a stand against the active threat Putin
plays in undermining our democracy and that of our allies. He continues
to side with Putin over the U.S. intelligence community and spout
conspiracy theories rather than tackle the threat of election
interference. - On Syria:
President Trump withdrew American troops in Syria, abandoned our
Kurdish allies in Syria, and threatened the containment of ISIS. - On North Korea:
Trump engaged in flashy, self-aggrandizing photo ops with North Korea
and got nothing in return. North Korea continues to test missiles and
develop nuclear technology while the U.S.-led sanctions regime has
deteriorated. - On Afghanistan:
Trump invited the Taliban to Camp David on the weekend of 9/11, with no
deal in place, then quickly flipped his position. Even Republicans
criticized him. - On Ukraine:
Trump attempted to bully an ally into doing a “favor” for him and
withheld security assistance as part of the pressure campaign. - On Corruption: Trump’s corrupt practices and conflicts of interest have undermined U.S. credibility and leadership around the world.
PROTECTING DREAMERS
TRUMP PROMISE: “I
hope we’re going to come up with an answer for DACA. Let's see if we
can get something done. I really think that we have a chance to do it. I
think it's really important. You're talking about 800,000 people.
You're talking about lots of other people who are affected, including
people who live in our country, from a security standpoint.” [President
Trump, 01/08.18]
REALITY: The
President ended the DACA program, creating a crisis that he refuses to
solve. During negotiations in 2018, the Administration moved the
goalposts by including separate issues in the DACA negotiations and
rejected serious, bipartisan proposals. House Democrats passed the
American Dream and Promise Act to provide a pathway to citizenship and
permanent solution to protect Dreamers
“Trump thrust the future of millions of undocumented immigrants who were
brought to the United States as children into peril by promising “NO
MORE DACA DEAL,” and he directed congressional Republicans to pass tough
anti-immigration legislation…. After canceling DACA, Trump said he
would like to reach a deal with Congress to protect dreamers from
deportation in exchange for funding to build his long-promised wall at
the U.S.-Mexico border. The president, however, went on to reject
immigration proposals from congressional Democrats in recent months.”
[Washington Post, 04/02/18]
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