#U.S. Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
minnesotafollower · 2 months ago
Text
Trump and Florida Republicans Planning Increased Sanctions on Cuba To Topple Communist Regime
“In a gambit to try to precipitate regime change in Cuba, the Trump administration is planning to ramp up sanctions on the island’s military as part of a maximum-pressure campaign that may also further restrict travel, remittances and exports. Trump administration officials and Cuban-American members of Congress believe the communist regime in Havana is at its weakest moment in decades and have…
0 notes
americans1st4americans · 8 years ago
Text
America is on it’s way Back, MAGA
Donald J. Trump has been in an ongoing pitched battle to communicate his plans – and his eventual successes – to Americans. Through public rallies and social media, he has managed to bypass the traditional information gatekeepers and has spoken directly to the people.
Yet, Americans are subjected to a relentless drumbeat from the Democratic Party, amplified by virtually the entire establishment press, that Trump is not only undisciplined, unfit for office and possibly racist, but that embarrassingly little has been accomplished by the Trump administration.
And while he has befuddled and disappointed some – with major promises such as Obamacare repeal and a border wall unfulfilled or put on the backburner – the stunning reality is this: Donald Trump has amassed a long and remarkable list of actions and accomplishments that will surprise average Americans, even those who support the president and consider themselves well-informed politically.
Here, then, is an accounting of the truly significant achievements of the first eight months of the Trump presidency, compiled in conjunction with the Thank Trump Card Campaign, which has a dedicated website, ThankTrump.us.
The accomplishments are all the more noteworthy as they have been carried out in an environment of unrelenting negativity on the part of not only the Democrats and almost the entire news media, but the Beltway establishment itself, the entire donor class, the “Deep State,” and even many Republicans wedded to the D.C. “swamp.”
NOVEMBER
China trade:
During President Trump’s visit to China in November, trade and investment deals worth more than $250 billion were announced that are expected to create jobs for American workers, farmers and ranchers by increasing U.S. exports to China and stimulating investment in American communities.
Government transparency: The federal government on Nov. 9 made public more than 13,000 additional documents from its files on President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, under orders from President Trump. It was the fourth released since October when the president allowed the immediate release of 2,800 records by the National Archives.
International liberty: President Trump proclaimed Nov. 7, the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, as the National Day for the Victims of Communism
Religious liberty: The Department of Agriculture issued a guidance Nov. 6 that ensures Christians who opposed same-sex marriage would not be discriminated against for their beliefs.
Job growth: President Trump announced in the Oval Office Nov. 2 that the semiconductor manufacturing company Broadcom Limited is moving its headquarters from Singapore to the United States. Broadcom is a Fortune 100 company that already employs more than 7,500 workers in the United States, and that number is expected to grow exponentially, with an estimated $20 billion to be spent on employees annually. Broadcom CEO Hock E. Tan said the decision to relocate Broadcom was driven by “his desire to give back to this country that has given me so much.”
Government reform: EPA Director Scott Pruitt placed 66 new experts on three different EPA scientific committees who espouse more conservative views than their predecessors. To prevent conflicts of interest, Pruitt signed a directive Oct. 31 banning scientists who receive EPA grants from serving on the agency’s independent advisory board
OCTOBER
Job growth: The White House announced Oct. 25 a new drone Integration Pilot Program that will accelerate drone integration into the national airspace system. Under the program, the Department of Transportation will enter into agreements with state, local, and tribal governments to establish innovation zones for testing complex UAS operations and to attempt different models for integrating drones into local airspace. Calling drones “a critical, fast-growing part of American aviation, increasing efficiency, productivity, and jobs, the White House said they “present opportunities to enhance the safety of the American public, increase the efficiency and productivity of American industry, and create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”
Government reform: Melania Trump, while embracing a more active and public schedule as first lady, is running one of the leanest East Wing operations in recent history, according to a Fox News analysis of White House personnel reports that found she has significantly reduced the number of aides on the first lady’s office payroll in comparison to her predecessor, Michelle Obama. During President Obama’s first year in office, 16 people were listed working for Michelle Obama, earning a combined $1.24 million a year. This year, just four people were listed working for Melania Trump as of June, with salaries totaling $486,700.
Obamacare: Trump signed an executive order Oct. 12 that directs three federal agencies to rewrite regulations to encourage the establishment of cheaper health plans that can be purchased across state lines and are not bound by certain Obamacare rules and regulations. The directive would allow small-business owners, trade groups and others to join together to purchase health insurance. The plans would not be required to include benefits such as prescription drugs. Trump also wants to expand the sale of stopgap policies that don’t cover pre-existing conditions, mental health services, and other costly benefits.
Consumer optimism: U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly surged to a 13-year high as Americans’ perceptions of the economy and their own finances rebounded following several major hurricanes, a University of Michigan survey showed Oct. 13.
Iran nuclear agreement: President Trump announced Oct. 13 he will not certify the Iran nuclear deal and vowed that the U.S. would pull out unless changes are made. He also unveiled a new strategy, the culmination of nine months of deliberation with Congress and allies, on how to best protect American security from the rogue mullah-led regime. The plan includes denying the regime funding and any paths to a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles. The Department of the Treasury sanctioned more than 25 entities and individuals involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program. The U.S. also sanctioned 16 entities and individuals that have supported Iran’s military and Revolutionary Guard Corps in the development of drones, fast attack boats, and other military equipment.
United Nations: The United States is quitting the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, announced the move will be made before the end of the year “This decision was not taken lightly and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.”
Homeland security: The Supreme Court dismissed a major challenge to President Trump’s travel ban on majority-Muslim countries Oct. 10 because it has been replaced by a new version, sending the controversy back to the starting block. The ruling is a victory for the Trump administration, which had asked the court to drop the case after Trump signed a proclamation Sept. 24 that replaced the temporary travel ban on six nations with a new, indefinite ban affecting eight countries. That action made the court challenge moot, the justices ruled.
EPA reform: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Oct. 9 a new set of rules that will override the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s drive to curb global climate change. The agency is moving to undo, delay or block more than 30 environmental rules, the largest regulatory rollback in the agency’s 47-year history.
Immigration: The Trump administration submitted to Congress Oct. 8 a 70-point proposal that calls for increased border security, interior enforcement of immigration laws and a merit-based immigration system. It includes funding and completing construction of a southern border wall, improving expedited removal of illegal aliens, protecting innocent people in “sanctuary cities,” ending extended-family chain migration and establishing a point-based system for green cards to protect U.S. workers and taxpayers.
Religious liberty: Attorney General Sessions on Oct. 6 issued guidance to all administrative agencies and executive departments regarding religious liberty protections in federal law in keeping with Trump’s May 4 executive order. The guidance interprets existing protections for religious liberty in federal law, identifying 20 high-level principles that administrative agencies and executive departments can put to practical use to ensure the religious freedoms of Americans are lawfully protected. Attorney General Sessions also issued a second memorandum to the Department of Justice, directing implementation of the religious liberty guidance within the department. Among the principles are “the freedom of religion extends to persons and organizations,” “Americans do not give up their freedom of religion by participating in the marketplace, partaking of the public square, or interacting with government” and government “may not restrict acts or abstentions because of the beliefs they display.”
Missile defense: The Department of Defense reprogrammed approximately $400 million for U.S. missile defense systems.
Religious liberty: The Trump administration expanded religious and moral exemptions for mandated contraceptive coverage under Obamacare. Obama’s signature legislation required that nearly all insurance plans cover abortion-inducing drugs and contraception, forcing citizens to violate sincerely held religious or moral beliefs, pay steep fines, or forgo offering or obtaining health insurance entirely. The interim final rules note that the United States “has a long history of providing conscience protections in the regulation of health care entities and individuals with objections based on religious beliefs and moral convictions.” The rule aligns with the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling protecting the Little Sisters of the Poor, which says the government cannot fine religious groups for following their faith.
Immigration: Amid strong Democratic opposition, the House Homeland Security Committee gave first approval to the broad scope of President Trump’s border wall Oct. 4, clearing a bill that would authorize $10 billion in new infrastructure spending, new waivers to speed up construction, and 10,000 more border agents and officers to patrol the U.S.-Mexico line.
Space exploration: President Trump revived the National Space Council for the first time in 25 years to assist him in developing and implementing long-range strategic goals for the nation’s space policy. The pacing program will refocus on human exploration and discovery. Vice President Mike Pence, who chaired the National Space Council’s Oct. 5 meeting, said the administration aims to establish a renewed American presence on the moon and from that foundation become the first nation to bring mankind to Mars. The administration also will renew America’s commitment to creating the space technology needed to protect national security. And Pence pointed out the intelligence community reports that Russia and China are pursuing a full range of anti-satellite technology designed to threaten our U.S. military effectiveness.
Abortion: The Office of Management and Budget on Oct. 2 issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) to strongly support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36), which would generally make it unlawful for any person to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion of an unborn child after 20 weeks post-fertilization.
Protecting life: The president issued a statement Oct. 1 renewing the nation’s “strong commitment to promoting the health, well-being, and inherent dignity of all children and adults with Down syndrome.” The president observed, “there remain too many people – both in the United States and throughout the world – that still see Down syndrome as an excuse to ignore or discard human life.” He said Americans and their government “must always be vigilant in defending and promoting the unique and special gifts of all citizens in need” and “should not tolerate any discrimination against them, as all people have inherent dignity.”
Protecting life: The Department of Health and Human Services has published a draft of a new strategic plan that states in its introduction that life begins at conception. The personhood of the unborn child is central to the abortion debate — as even the justice who wrote the landmark Roe v. Wade opinion has acknowledged — because, if established in law, it would nullify a “right” to abortion. The largely overlooked HHS strategic plan for 2018-22 states the agency “accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception.”
Tax reform: Trump is working with Congress to lower taxes by seven points for the middle class and lower business taxes to a 15 percent rate.SEPTEMBER
Lower courts: Trump is filling up lower courts with lifetime appointees. In the estimation of Democratic official Ron Klain, a “massive transformation is underway in how our fundamental rights are defined by the federal judiciary.” Klain, lamenting Trump’s moves, said the president “is proving wildly successful in one respect: naming youthful conservative nominees to the federal bench in record-setting numbers.” On Sept. 28, Trump announced the eighth wave of judicial candidates, with nine more names.
Canada trade: In September, the Commerce Department, siding with Boeing, slapped a 219 percent tariff on the import of Canadian-made Bombardier jets, arguing they are supported by subsidies from the governments of Canada and the U.K., creating an unfair market.
Korea trade: Trump began the process of renegotiating the United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement in September.
Climate: In September, Trump shut down a climate-change advisory panel under the direction of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that critics have contended was formed largely to promote President Obama’s climate policies, arguing it lacked representation from “those who think the empirical evidence points to human actions contributing little to global warming and that attempting to reduce it would slow the conquest of poverty around the world.” The EPA also has decided not to renew the appointments of dozens of scientists on various scientific advisory panels.
Homeland security: In September, Trump signed an executive order to enhance vetting capabilities and processes for detecting attempted entry into the United States by terrorists or other public-security threats.
North Korea: After some 25 years of failed negotiations to contain Pyongyang’s nuclear program, the communist regime’s latest threatening actions were met by President Trump with a warning that military action, including a preemptive nuclear attack, would be considered. After Trump’s warnings, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Unbacked off on his threat to attack the U.S. territory of Guam.
North Korea: On Sept. 7, the U.S. fully deployed the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea despite objections from Pyongyang’s chief ally, China.
North Korea: In September, Trump signed an executive order significantly expanding U.S. authority to target individuals, companies, and financial institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea, most of which are Chinese. Meanwhile, China’s central bank has ordered banks in its massive banking system to immediately stop doing business with North Korea.
United Nations: In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump told the global body in September, “I put America first and you should do the same with your nations.” In the speech, he also explicitly denounced socialism and communism, pointing to Venezuela as an example of what happens when socialism is successfully implemented.
Immigration: President Trump, in September, rescinded Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order, which gave de facto amnesty to some 800,000 people who came to the country as children with their illegal-alien parents. Trump delayed implementing his order for six months to give Congress time to come up with a legislative solution.
Stock markets: Through the first week of September, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had 34 record highs. From Election Day to the Inauguration, the Dow rose more than 1,500 points. It climbed another 2,500 points from Inauguration Day, reaching more than 22,400 in mid-September, a gain of more than $4 trillion in wealth since Trump was elected. The Dow’s spike from 19,000 to above 21,000 in just 66 days was the fastest 2,000-point rise ever. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ also have set all-time highs. On Aug. 7, the Dow closed with an all-time high for the ninth day in a row, the first time the market has had a run of that length twice under one pre-president
AUGUST
North Korea: In August, the U.S. initiated a resolution in the U.N. Security Council establishing sanctions that would cut North Korea’s export revenue by a third. Another resolution passed Sept. 11 with new sanctions.
North Korea: The U.S. implemented its own sanctions in August on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and entities for conducting business with North Korea.
Business optimism: In August, the National Federation of Independent Business said its Small-Business Optimism Index reached 105.3, the highest since 2006 and an 11 percent jump since the week before Trump was elected. The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index said small business owners are the most optimistic since July 2007. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort measure reached a 16-year high, with current views of the economy also reaching a 16-year high. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose in July to near a 16 year high, with consumers short-term outlook improving.
Job growth: While the new administration certainly can’t take all of the credit – and the government itself doesn’t create jobs – employers make hiring decisions based on the long-term economic outlook, and the president has a great deal to do with that. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nearly 1.3 million new jobs were created during Trump’s first 200 days. Meanwhile, Obama, in his first six months, saw the loss of more than 4.1 million jobs in his first 200 days. The bureau said 6,000 construction jobs were added in July for a total of 82,000 since January. In addition, 16,000 manufacturing jobs were added in July, a total of 70,000 since January. The labor-force participation rate increased to 62.9 percent in July. In June, there were 6 million job openings in the U.S., one of the highest levels recorded.
U.S. manufacturing: During Trump’s first six months, the manufacturing index was the highest it had been since 1983 under President Reagan. The National Association of Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey showed the highest two-quarter average, of 91.4 percent, for manufacturing optimism in the survey’s 20-year history. The Institute for Supply Management reported its June barometer of manufacturing rose to 57.8, the fastest pace in three years.
China trade: The president signed an order in August to investigate Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. The IP Commission Report estimates that the annual cost to the United States economy from IP theft could be as high as $600 billion, with China as the major contributor.
Infrastructure: The Trump administration aims to dramatically reduce permitting time for projects from 10 years to two years, spurring investment and job creation. Argentina trade: The U.S. struck a deal in August to export pork to Argentina that will allow U.S. pork to enter the Argentine market for the first time since 1992, a potential $10 million a year market for American producers.
Trade: More than $2 billion in fines were assessed to China and Canada in August for illegal trade practices. Immigration: DHS in August ended the Central American Minors Parole Program that had allowed certain minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to enter the U.S.
Immigration: A report in August said that due to reforms and additional hirings of immigration judges, the number of deportation orders increased by nearly 28 percent compared to the same period of time in 2016. Immigration: In August, the government also said that of the 42,000 illegal immigrants in federal prisons, nearly all of them either had deportation orders or were being investigated for possible deportation.
Immigration: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in August denied requests from employers to import cheap foreign labor into the U.S. for high-skilled jobs if the employers could not explain why they wanted to pay a lower wage for such work.
Military: Trump elevated the Department of Defense’s Cyber Command to the status of Unified Combatant Command in August, demonstrating an increased focus on cybersecurity.
Military: In August, Trump directed the military not to move forward with a controversial Obama-era mandate to allow, for the first time, transgender individuals to be recruited into the armed forces.
Islamic Jihad: In August, Trump presented in an address to the nation a new military strategy that put Pakistan on notice for supporting jihadists and warned Kabul it would no longer receive a “blank check,” moving the U.S. away from the Bush-era policy of “nation-building” and focusing on “killing terrorists.”
Veterans Administration reform: President Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act in August, streamlining the lengthy process that veterans undergo when appealing disability benefits claims with the VA. More than 470,000 veterans are awaiting decisions regarding their appeals. The Veterans Affairs administration is the first agency to post information on employee disciplinary action online.
Veterans Administration reform: The president signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act in August, which provides educational benefits to veterans, service members, and their family members, including tuition, fees, books, housing and other additional costs.
Government reform: The president signed an executive order in August projected to save billions of dollars by streamlining and expediting the permitting process for infrastructure projects. The order establishes a two-year goal for the federal government to process all of the actions required by federal law for the environmental reviews and permits of major infrastructure projects.
Welfare reform: In August, the Department of Health and Human Services rescinded an Obama-era directive that had allowed states to request a waiver to ignore work requirements for the poor in order to receive welfare. Welfare reform: In August, more than 1.1 million fewer Americans were on food stamps under President Trump, compared to the Obama administration.
Law enforcement: In August, the DOJ launched an opioid fraud and abuse unit to fight opioid prescription abuses.
Second Amendment: In August, the Justice Department terminated Operation Choke Point, an Obama program encouraging banks not to do business with “high risk” businesses, which was used to target gun dealers
JULY
Gross Domestic Product: GDP in the second quarter of the year increased by 2.6 percent, more than doubling the first quarter performance.
Unemployment: The jobless rate decreased from 4.8 percent to 4.4 percent from January through June 2017. In contrast, during the first six months of 2009, Obama’s first year in office, the rate increased from 7.8 percent to 9.5 percent.
Oil drilling on federal lands: In July, Trump signed an order boosting oil and gas development on federal lands.
Coal power: In July, President Trump kept his campaign promise to coal miners and rolled back the previous administration’s “Stream Protection Rule,” which targeted the industry with estimated costs of at least $81 million a year.
Made in the USA: Trump has convinced companies such as Ford, Chrysler, and Carrier Air Conditioners to manufacture and build plants in the United States. At the White House, Corning announced with the president it was investing $500 million in new U.S. production, creating 1,000 new jobs. Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, which makes the iPhone, announced in July it was investing $10 billion in Wisconsin to build a factory that will employ 3,000 workers directly and up to 22,000 workers indirectly.
Disarming jihad: In July, the Trump administration ended a CIA program to arm “moderate” Syrian rebels after previous efforts of its kind were shown to have aided Islamic jihadists, including the terrorists who carried out the disastrous Benghazi attack in which four Americans, including the ambassador, were killed.
Islamic jihad: After months of heavy fighting, Iraqi coalition forces finally pushed ISIS fighters out of Mosul in early July. The U.S. is also supporting efforts to rid the Philippines of ISIS cells.
Government reform: Trump created the Office of American Innovation in July to streamline and improve the government for future generations.
Government reform: Trump signed an executive order in July implementing tough new lobbying standards for political appointees, including a five-year ban on lobbying and a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign countries.
Law enforcement: In July, federal gun-crime prosecutions by the DOJ in the preceding three months increased 23 percent over the same period in 2016.
Law enforcement: In what Attorney General Jeff Sessions described as the “largest health-care fraud takedown operation in American history,” the DOJ in July charged more than 400 people, including doctors and medical facilities, who it said were prescribing unnecessary opioids to addicts and fueling the current drug crisis.
Law enforcement: Sessions and the DOJ cracked down on illegal leaks of classified information from within the government, pursuing three times more investigations in the first six months of the Trump administration than had been open at the end of the Obama administration. The administration created a counterintelligence unit within the FBI for the investigations
JUNE
Unemployment: The jobless rate decreased from 4.8 percent to 4.4 percent from January through June 2017. In contrast, during the first six months of 2009, Obama’s first year in office, the rate increased from 7.8 percent to 9.5 percent.
Oil pipelines: Trump approved the Dakota Access Pipeline project and the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, which is expected to create more than 42,000 jobs and $2 billion in earnings. The Dakota Access Pipeline, which is transporting 500,000 barrels of oil a day, has reinvigorated the North Dakota economy. In June, Trump approved production of the New Burgos Pipeline to Mexico.
Inflation: The rate decreased to an eight-month low in June to 1.6 percent.
China trade: For the first time since 2003, American beef imports have returned to China, opening up a $2.5 billion market to American ranchers and producers.
Cuba relations: Trump in June delivered on his campaign promise to roll back the Obama administration’s agreement with Cuba, which Trump contends benefitted the Cuban regime at the expense of the Cuban people.
Apprenticeships: Trump signed an executive order in June making it easier for businesses to start and expand apprenticeship programs.
Property rights: Trump issued an executive order in June to begin the process of rescinding the 2015 Waters of the United States rule, which has been used to expand federal control over private land. Under the Obama administration, the broadly crafted rule was applied to “navigable waters” such as man-made ditches and water that accumulated after heavy rain.
Homeland security: On June 19, DHS announced it had implemented a method of tracking whether or not visitors leave the United States. Twenty years ago, Congress ordered the installation of an entry-exit tracking system, but the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations never took action, allowing millions of people to remain on temporary visas. Approximately 416,500 people overstayed their visas in 2015 alone.
Paris Climate Accord: Trump, in June, pulled the U.S. out of the global agreement, which, according to a study by NERA Consulting, could have cost the United States economy nearly $3 trillion. According to the same study, by 2040, 6.5 million industrial sector jobs could have been lost, including 3.1 million manufacturing sector jobs.
NATO: Trump’s urging of NATO members to pay their fair share of financial support for the military alliance has resulted in an increase of allied contributions of $10 billion, according to NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Russia: The administration in June implemented the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which blacklisted certain Russian citizens for human rights violations.
Russia: In June, on the same day President Trump met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and entities involved in the conflict with Ukraine.
Immigration: ICE arrested an average of 13,085 people each month from February through June, whereas the average during the last three months of the Obama administration was 9,134 arrests per month.
Immigration: Trump’s Department of Homeland Security canceled in June the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program created by the Obama administration in November 2014 that would have given amnesty to about 4 million illegal immigrants.
Military: In June, the Trump administration authorized the Defense Department to set troop levels in Afghanistan. The expanded authority given to the military could also be seen in U.S. operations in Somalia.
Veterans Administration reform: Trump signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act in June to allow senior officials in the VA to fire failing employees and to establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers. The department reported it had fired more than 500 employees since January 2017 and suspended nearly 200 as part of the president’s efforts to restore integrity and accountability.
Veterans Administration reform: In June, the VA announced the adoption of a medical records system successfully used by the Defense Department, ending a decades-old problematic rift in sharing information between the two agencies.
Veterans Administration reform: A new White House VA Hotline to help veterans, fully staffed by veterans, went live in June.
Education: Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, in June appointed Adam Kissel, a noted critic of the Obama administration’s implementation of Title IX – the much-abused 1972 federal law that bars discrimination in education “on the basis of sex” – and a strong supporter of free speech, as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs. The staff of the Title IX enforcement office was reduced in the 2018 budget.
MAY
Middle East: Trump strengthened traditional alliances with Israel and the Arab nations, which had deteriorated badly under President Obama.
Middle East: During a visit to Saudi Arabia in May, his first foreign trip as president, he announced the signing of a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, with another $350 billion of arms for the following 10 years. American and Saudi businesses signed similar agreements on the same day, with billions of dollars to be invested in the U.S. Trump also gave a major speech to leaders of 50 Islamic nations, challenging them to fight Islamic terror.
Personal income: According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. personal income rose 0.4 percent in May, while a 0.3 increase was expected.
Housing: The U.S. Census Bureau found housing sales recently have doubled compared to the same period under President Obama. The annualized housing sales rate for May 2017 was 610,000, compared to just 376,000 in 2009. New home prices hit a record high in May, according to the Commerce Department. In 2011, houses for sale were on the market an average 84 days. This year, it’s just 45 days.
Mexico trade: Mexico agreed in June to curb its exporting of raw and refined sugar to the U.S, benefitting the American industry.
Trade: Trump announced in May that he intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, to better reflect the modern economy while benefitting every party to the pact.
Syria: After the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against civilians, President Trump authorized strikes in May against the airbase that launched the chemical attacks, destroying 20 percent of Syria’s operational aircraft.
Immigration: In May, the administration said the number of child illegal immigrants entering the nation monthly had fallen below 1,000 for the first time in several years.
Voter fraud: In May, Trump created a commission to investigate voter fraud chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and vice-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
Education: In May, the administration announced it will create a school choice plan and give states the option of implementing it, rather than making it a federal program.
Religious liberty: On the annual National Day of Prayer in May, Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty that included a loosening of IRS restrictions, known as the Johnson Amendment, against political activities by tax-exempt religious organizations. The order also attempted to make it easier for employers not to provide contraceptives if they had religious objections and gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions greater authority regarding religious liberty policy.
Abortion: In May, the administration broadened the scope of the Mexico City Policy to restrict funding to any international health organization that performs or gives information about abortions, expanding the amount of money affected from $600,000 to nearly $9 billion
APRIL
U.S. Supreme Court: Keeping a major campaign promise, President Trump nominated to the highest court a strict constructionist and originalist in the mold of Antonin Scalia, Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as an associate justice in April. In his first term, in June, Gorsuch voted in every case with the justice generally regarded as the most conservative, Clarence Thomas. The conservative Committee for Justice said in a report that Gorsuch’s early performance says a lot about both what he will be like as a Supreme Court justice “and what the president can be counted on to do as more high court vacancies occur. Conservatives hoping for a solid conservative majority on the court in the near future had good reason to cheer.”
Immigration: The administration announced illegal border crossings had decreased by 40 percent in the first month of Trump’s presidency. By Trump’s 100th day in office, crossings had decreased by 73 percent, thanks to the president’s policies deterring people from attempting to enter the country.
Offshore oil drilling: In April, Trump signed an executive order to extend offshore oil and gas drilling and reissue a leasing program to develop offshore resources. The order reversed Obama’s December ban on drilling in the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
China trade: Trump initiated an investigation in April into whether or not Chinese and other foreign-made steel and aluminum threaten U.S. national security. China has 26 percent of the steel market in the U.S., and Chinese steel imports are up nearly 20 percent over the last year.
Made in the USA: President Trump signed the “Buy American and Hire American” executive order in April, prioritizing the interests of American businesses and workers. “Buy American” protects American industry from unfair competition by targeting the abusive use of waivers and exceptions to laws on the books. Trump’s “Hire American” effort calls for the reform of visa programs, ensuring that they no longer displace American workers, while fully enforcing laws governing the entry of foreign workers.
Agriculture regulations: In April, in an effort to help farmers affected by NAFTA and the trade imbalance with Canada, Trump signed an executive order ordering the Department of Agriculture to find and eliminate unnecessary regulations.
G-7: In April, the administration refused to sign the G-7 joint statement because the other nations could not agree to include support for nuclear and fossil fuels without support for the Paris climate agreement. The G-7, consequently, did not issue a joint statement.
Russia: In April, the administration refused to issue waivers to any companies that wanted to do business with Russia, which was under economic sanctions, including ExxonMobil, which had applied for a waiver.
Immigration: In March and April, the DOJ announced plans to speed up the deportation of imprisoned illegal aliens, instructing U.S. attorneys to employ stricter guidelines in the prosecution of immigration crimes while seeking to hire 125 immigration judges in the next two years.
Immigration: Trump signed an executive order in April cutting funding for sanctuary cities, and despite encountering opposition from city officials, ICE agents have been enforcing U.S. immigration laws in those cities.
Immigration: In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, arrests and deportations of criminal aliens such as MS-13 members were up 38 percent compared with the last year of the Obama administration. ICE conducted a crackdown on the gangs that resulted in the arrests of nearly 1,400 people. The Trump administration also cooperated with Central American countries to combat MS-13 recruitment in the region. An estimated 6,000 MS-13 gang members were arrested during the president’s first five months.
Military: In April, Trump gave Defense Secretary James Mattis authority to set troop levels in Iraq and Syria for the fight against ISIS. And military commanders were granted authority to perform military actions without approval from Washington. As a direct result, this newly autonomous U.S. military made large advances against ISIS.
Islamic jihad: Under the increased autonomy Trump gave the Defense Department, the U.S. dealt a heavy blow to ISIS in Afghanistan in April, dropping a GBU-43B – known as MOAB or the “Mother Of All Bombs” – the largest non-nuclear bomb in existence, on a complex of ISIS tunnels. At least 94 ISIS fighters were killed, including four commanders, and tunnels and weapon stockpiles were destroyed.
Veterans Administration reform: In April, Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds enabling veterans who live more than 40 miles from the closest eligible VA medical facility, experience wait times of more than 30 days to schedule an appointment, or meet other special criteria to be treated outside the VA system.
Law enforcement: In April, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in an effort to give back local control to police departments, ordered the Department of Justice to review Obama’s agreements with local police departments.
Education: In April, Trump signed an executive order requiring Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to review department regulations with the intent of returning power to the states and local governments.
Abortion: In what was regarded as the first major national pro-life bill in more than a decade, Trump signed in April a Congressional Review bill into law annulling a recent Obama administration regulation that would have prohibited states from discriminating in awarding Title X family planning funds based on whether a local clinic also performs abortions.
Abortion: The Trump administration in April cut off U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund, which has links to inhumane abortion programs such as China’s one-child policy (which became a two-child policy in 2015). More than $32 million was instead shifted to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Abortion: In April, Trump appointed pro-life advocate Dr. Charmaine Yoest, the former president of Americans United for Life, as assistant secretary of public affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services, replacing a strong Planned Parenthood supporter. Later, two pro-life advocates who had worked for the Family Research Council were appointed to key positions. And Valerie Huber, an abstinence education advocate, was appointed in June as chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health at the HHS.
MARCH
G-20: In March, the Trump administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade. Any mention of climate change was eliminated from its joint statement.
Trade deficit: Trump signed an executive order in March directing a review of and reporting on major U.S. trade deficits.
Middle East: In March, the administration, led by U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, condemned a report against Israel by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia that was deemed anti-Semitic, prompting the resignation of the commission’s executive director.
Syria: In March, the Trump administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade. Any mention of climate change was eliminated from its joint statement.
Government reform: In March, Trump signed an executive order to perform an audit of every executive branch agency to reduce spending and waste and improve services.
FEBRUARY
Savings for oil companies: Trump signed a bill in February that eliminated a Dodd-Frank rule requiring oil companies such as Exxon Mobile to publicly disclose the taxes and fees they pay to foreign governments, which would have cost the industry as much as $385 million annually.
Finance reform: The administration ordered a review of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law in February while urging Congress to remove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s authority to supervise banks and financial companies, returning that power to other federal and state regulators.
Russia: The administration countered Russian propaganda by launching two government-run media outlets in February broadcasting in Russian.
Military: In February the administration reached a tentative deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase 90 F-35 jets at the lowest price in the program’s history. The first 90 planes were about $725 million below budget, with billions of dollars in additional savings expected. The deal saved at least one U.S. ally, Japan, $100 million.
Government reform: In February, the president announced he did not plan on filling numerous government positions he considered unnecessary.
Law enforcement: In February, President Trump signed three executive orders to strengthen law enforcement.The first strengthens the law against international crime organizations. The second combats anti-law-enforcement crimes. The third seeks a strategy for reducing crime in general, including, in particular, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime.
School bathrooms: Trump, in February, reversing Obama’s executive order requiring public schools to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their preferred “gender identity.”
Second Amendment: President Trump signed a bill into law in February repealing an Obama-era Social Security Administration rule adding mental disability determinations to the background check registry. The Obama regulation potentially allowed the denial of Second Amendment rights to many competent, mentally healthy citizens.
JANUARY
Trans-Pacific Partnership: Trump signed an executive order in January removing the U.S. from the international pact, which critics charged was a monumental compromise to American sovereignty and would take millions of jobs away from American workers.
Persecuted Christians: Reversing Obama administration policy, Trump pledged in January that Christian refugees suffering persecution in Muslim countries would be given priority over other refugees seeking to enter the United States.
Homeland security: Trump signed an executive order in January banning people from seven countries regarded by the Obama administration as havens for terrorism from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocked all refugees for 120 days while the administration assessed its security process. After legal challenges, the administration issued a revised order in March, and in June the U.S. Supreme Court decided a version of the ban could go into effect until the court addresses its constitutionality in October.
Immigration: The DOJ resumed the criminal prosecution of first-time illegal border crossers after it had been stopped by the Obama administration.
Government reform: Trump signed an executive order in January to expedite environmental reviews of infrastructure projects, to jumpstart industry spending and investment.
Manufacturing regulations: Trump signed an executive order in January reducing regulations on manufacturers.
Abortion: In January, Trump expressed strong support for the annual pro-life March for Life. Vice President Mike Pence became the first vice president to speak at the event, and White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway also spoke.
Regulatory reform: Trump set up task forces in every agency to remove “job killing regulations” and increase “economic opportunity.” The Trump administration is on track to finish the first phase of its regulatory reform program with $645 million in net annual regulatory savings, according to an analysis by the American Action Forum. By comparison, during President Obama’s years in office, more than 22,700 regulations were imposed on Americans at a cost to American consumers, businesses, and workers of more than $120 billion each year. AAF called Trump’s order reducing regulation and controlling regulatory costs “one of the most significant developments in regulatory policy in decades,” noting it was the first time in U.S. history that the executive branch has established a regulatory budget.
Women in business: Trump launched the United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in February.
Immigration: Trump expanded deportation priorities, signing an executive order in January that includes people who “have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense,” which could include anyone who entered the country illegally, leading to a significant increase in arrests.
Military: In January, Trump signed a memorandum to begin the expansion and rebuilding of the U.S. military.
Government reform: Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 placing a hiring freeze on federal employees.
Regulatory reform: Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that for every new regulation, two regulations must be revoked. In practice, the administration has exceeded that mark, rescinding or delaying more than 860 regulations, or 16 regulations for every new one implemented.
Abortion: In January, Trump signed an order reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which defunded the International Planned Parenthood Federation and other organizations that promote foreign abortions.
President’s salary: President Trump, as promised during his election campaign, has donated his salary.
Technology: After his election, Trump met with top tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. According to Gates, it was “a good conversation about innovation, how it can help in health, education, the impact of foreign aid and energy, and a wide-ranging conversation about the power of innovation.”
1 note · View note
strike-back-now-info · 7 years ago
Text
Trump has done more in his 1st 100 days then the last 4 Presidents.
Trump has done more in his 1st 100 days then the last 4 Presidents. Donald J. Trump has been in an ongoing pitched battle to communicate his plans – and his eventual successes – to Americans. Through public rallies and social media, he has managed to bypass the traditional information gatekeepers and has spoken directly to the people.
 Yet, Americans are subjected to a relentless drumbeat from the Democratic Party, amplified by virtually the entire establishment press, that Trump is not only undisciplined, unfit for office and possibly racist, but that embarrassingly little has been accomplished by the Trump administration.
 And while he has befuddled and disappointed some – with major promises such as Obamacare repeal and a border wall unfulfilled or put on the backburner – the stunning reality is this: Donald Trump has amassed a long and remarkable list of actions and accomplishments that will surprise average Americans, even those who support the president and consider themselves well-informed politically.
 Here, then, is an accounting of the truly significant achievements of the first eight months of the Trump presidency, compiled in conjunction with the Thank Trump Card Campaign, which has a dedicated website, ThankTrump.us.
 The accomplishments are all the more noteworthy as they have been carried out in an environment of unrelenting negativity on the part of not only the Democrats and almost the entire news media, but the Beltway establishment itself, the entire donor class, the “Deep State,” and even many Republicans wedded to the D.C. “swamp.”
 NOVEMBER
 China trade:
 During President Trump’s visit to China in November, trade and investment deals worth more than $250 billion were announced that are expected to create jobs for American workers, farmers and ranchers by increasing U.S. exports to China and stimulating investment in American communities.
 Government transparency: The federal government on Nov. 9 made public more than 13,000 additional documents from its files on President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, under orders from President Trump. It was the fourth released since October when the president allowed the immediate release of 2,800 records by the National Archives.
 International liberty: President Trump proclaimed Nov. 7, the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, as the National Day for the Victims of Communism
 Religious liberty: The Department of Agriculture issued a guidance Nov. 6 that ensures Christians who opposed same-sex marriage would not be discriminated against for their beliefs.
 Job growth: President Trump announced in the Oval Office Nov. 2 that the semiconductor manufacturing company Broadcom Limited is moving its headquarters from Singapore to the United States. Broadcom is a Fortune 100 company that already employs more than 7,500 workers in the United States, and that number is expected to grow exponentially, with an estimated $20 billion to be spent on employees annually. Broadcom CEO Hock E. Tan said the decision to relocate Broadcom was driven by “his desire to give back to this country that has given me so much.”
 Government reform: EPA Director Scott Pruitt placed 66 new experts on three different EPA scientific committees who espouse more conservative views than their predecessors. To prevent conflicts of interest, Pruitt signed a directive Oct. 31 banning scientists who receive EPA grants from serving on the agency’s independent advisory board
 OCTOBER
 Job growth: The White House announced Oct. 25 a new drone Integration Pilot Program that will accelerate drone integration into the national airspace system. Under the program, the Department of Transportation will enter into agreements with state, local, and tribal governments to establish innovation zones for testing complex UAS operations and to attempt different models for integrating drones into local airspace. Calling drones “a critical, fast-growing part of American aviation, increasing efficiency, productivity, and jobs, the White House said they “present opportunities to enhance the safety of the American public, increase the efficiency and productivity of American industry, and create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”
 Government reform: Melania Trump, while embracing a more active and public schedule as first lady, is running one of the leanest East Wing operations in recent history, according to a Fox News analysis of White House personnel reports that found she has significantly reduced the number of aides on the first lady’s office payroll in comparison to her predecessor, Michelle Obama. During President Obama’s first year in office, 16 people were listed working for Michelle Obama, earning a combined $1.24 million a year. This year, just four people were listed working for Melania Trump as of June, with salaries totaling $486,700.
 Obamacare: Trump signed an executive order Oct. 12 that directs three federal agencies to rewrite regulations to encourage the establishment of cheaper health plans that can be purchased across state lines and are not bound by certain Obamacare rules and regulations. The directive would allow small-business owners, trade groups and others to join together to purchase health insurance. The plans would not be required to include benefits such as prescription drugs. Trump also wants to expand the sale of stopgap policies that don’t cover pre-existing conditions, mental health services, and other costly benefits.
 Consumer optimism: U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly surged to a 13-year high as Americans’ perceptions of the economy and their own finances rebounded following several major hurricanes, a University of Michigan survey showed Oct. 13.
 Iran nuclear agreement: President Trump announced Oct. 13 he will not certify the Iran nuclear deal and vowed that the U.S. would pull out unless changes are made. He also unveiled a new strategy, the culmination of nine months of deliberation with Congress and allies, on how to best protect American security from the rogue mullah-led regime. The plan includes denying the regime funding and any paths to a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles. The Department of the Treasury sanctioned more than 25 entities and individuals involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program. The U.S. also sanctioned 16 entities and individuals that have supported Iran’s military and Revolutionary Guard Corps in the development of drones, fast attack boats, and other military equipment.
 United Nations: The United States is quitting the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, announced the move will be made before the end of the year “This decision was not taken lightly and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.”
 Homeland security: The Supreme Court dismissed a major challenge to President Trump’s travel ban on majority-Muslim countries Oct. 10 because it has been replaced by a new version, sending the controversy back to the starting block. The ruling is a victory for the Trump administration, which had asked the court to drop the case after Trump signed a proclamation Sept. 24 that replaced the temporary travel ban on six nations with a new, indefinite ban affecting eight countries. That action made the court challenge moot, the justices ruled.
 EPA reform: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Oct. 9 a new set of rules that will override the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s drive to curb global climate change. The agency is moving to undo, delay or block more than 30 environmental rules, the largest regulatory rollback in the agency’s 47-year history.
 Immigration: The Trump administration submitted to Congress Oct. 8 a 70-point proposal that calls for increased border security, interior enforcement of immigration laws and a merit-based immigration system. It includes funding and completing construction of a southern border wall, improving expedited removal of illegal aliens, protecting innocent people in “sanctuary cities,” ending extended-family chain migration and establishing a point-based system for green cards to protect U.S. workers and taxpayers.
 Religious liberty: Attorney General Sessions on Oct. 6 issued guidance to all administrative agencies and executive departments regarding religious liberty protections in federal law in keeping with Trump’s May 4 executive order. The guidance interprets existing protections for religious liberty in federal law, identifying 20 high-level principles that administrative agencies and executive departments can put to practical use to ensure the religious freedoms of Americans are lawfully protected. Attorney General Sessions also issued a second memorandum to the Department of Justice, directing implementation of the religious liberty guidance within the department. Among the principles are “the freedom of religion extends to persons and organizations,” “Americans do not give up their freedom of religion by participating in the marketplace, partaking of the public square, or interacting with government” and government “may not restrict acts or abstentions because of the beliefs they display.”
 Missile defense: The Department of Defense reprogrammed approximately $400 million for U.S. missile defense systems.
 Religious liberty: The Trump administration expanded religious and moral exemptions for mandated contraceptive coverage under Obamacare. Obama’s signature legislation required that nearly all insurance plans cover abortion-inducing drugs and contraception, forcing citizens to violate sincerely held religious or moral beliefs, pay steep fines, or forgo offering or obtaining health insurance entirely. The interim final rules note that the United States “has a long history of providing conscience protections in the regulation of health care entities and individuals with objections based on religious beliefs and moral convictions.” The rule aligns with the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling protecting the Little Sisters of the Poor, which says the government cannot fine religious groups for following their faith.
 Immigration: Amid strong Democratic opposition, the House Homeland Security Committee gave first approval to the broad scope of President Trump’s border wall Oct. 4, clearing a bill that would authorize $10 billion in new infrastructure spending, new waivers to speed up construction, and 10,000 more border agents and officers to patrol the U.S.-Mexico line.
 Space exploration: President Trump revived the National Space Council for the first time in 25 years to assist him in developing and implementing long-range strategic goals for the nation’s space policy. The pacing program will refocus on human exploration and discovery. Vice President Mike Pence, who chaired the National Space Council’s Oct. 5 meeting, said the administration aims to establish a renewed American presence on the moon and from that foundation become the first nation to bring mankind to Mars. The administration also will renew America’s commitment to creating the space technology needed to protect national security. And Pence pointed out the intelligence community reports that Russia and China are pursuing a full range of anti-satellite technology designed to threaten our U.S. military effectiveness.
 Abortion: The Office of Management and Budget on Oct. 2 issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) to strongly support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36), which would generally make it unlawful for any person to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion of an unborn child after 20 weeks post-fertilization.
 Protecting life: The president issued a statement Oct. 1 renewing the nation’s “strong commitment to promoting the health, well-being, and inherent dignity of all children and adults with Down syndrome.” The president observed, “there remain too many people – both in the United States and throughout the world – that still see Down syndrome as an excuse to ignore or discard human life.” He said Americans and their government “must always be vigilant in defending and promoting the unique and special gifts of all citizens in need” and “should not tolerate any discrimination against them, as all people have inherent dignity.”
 Protecting life: The Department of Health and Human Services has published a draft of a new strategic plan that states in its introduction that life begins at conception. The personhood of the unborn child is central to the abortion debate — as even the justice who wrote the landmark Roe v. Wade opinion has acknowledged — because, if established in law, it would nullify a “right” to abortion. The largely overlooked HHS strategic plan for 2018-22 states the agency “accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception.”
 Tax reform: Trump is working with Congress to lower taxes by seven points for the middle class and lower business taxes to a 15 percent rate.SEPTEMBER
 Lower courts: Trump is filling up lower courts with lifetime appointees. In the estimation of Democratic official Ron Klain, a “massive transformation is underway in how our fundamental rights are defined by the federal judiciary.” Klain, lamenting Trump’s moves, said the president “is proving wildly successful in one respect: naming youthful conservative nominees to the federal bench in record-setting numbers.” On Sept. 28, Trump announced the eighth wave of judicial candidates, with nine more names.
 Canada trade: In September, the Commerce Department, siding with Boeing, slapped a 219 percent tariff on the import of Canadian-made Bombardier jets, arguing they are supported by subsidies from the governments of Canada and the U.K., creating an unfair market.
 Korea trade: Trump began the process of renegotiating the United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement in September.
 Climate: In September, Trump shut down a climate-change advisory panel under the direction of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that critics have contended was formed largely to promote President Obama’s climate policies, arguing it lacked representation from “those who think the empirical evidence points to human actions contributing little to global warming and that attempting to reduce it would slow the conquest of poverty around the world.” The EPA also has decided not to renew the appointments of dozens of scientists on various scientific advisory panels.
 Homeland security: In September, Trump signed an executive order to enhance vetting capabilities and processes for detecting attempted entry into the United States by terrorists or other public-security threats.
 North Korea: After some 25 years of failed negotiations to contain Pyongyang’s nuclear program, the communist regime’s latest threatening actions were met by President Trump with a warning that military action, including a preemptive nuclear attack, would be considered. After Trump’s warnings, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Unbacked off on his threat to attack the U.S. territory of Guam.
 North Korea: On Sept. 7, the U.S. fully deployed the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea despite objections from Pyongyang’s chief ally, China.
 North Korea: In September, Trump signed an executive order significantly expanding U.S. authority to target individuals, companies, and financial institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea, most of which are Chinese. Meanwhile, China’s central bank has ordered banks in its massive banking system to immediately stop doing business with North Korea.
 United Nations: In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump told the global body in September, “I put America first and you should do the same with your nations.” In the speech, he also explicitly denounced socialism and communism, pointing to Venezuela as an example of what happens when socialism is successfully implemented.
 Immigration: President Trump, in September, rescinded Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order, which gave de facto amnesty to some 800,000 people who came to the country as children with their illegal-alien parents. Trump delayed implementing his order for six months to give Congress time to come up with a legislative solution.
 Stock markets: Through the first week of September, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had 34 record highs. From Election Day to the Inauguration, the Dow rose more than 1,500 points. It climbed another 2,500 points from Inauguration Day, reaching more than 22,400 in mid-September, a gain of more than $4 trillion in wealth since Trump was elected. The Dow’s spike from 19,000 to above 21,000 in just 66 days was the fastest 2,000-point rise ever. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ also have set all-time highs. On Aug. 7, the Dow closed with an all-time high for the ninth day in a row, the first time the market has had a run of that length twice under one pre-president
 AUGUST
 North Korea: In August, the U.S. initiated a resolution in the U.N. Security Council establishing sanctions that would cut North Korea’s export revenue by a third. Another resolution passed Sept. 11 with new sanctions.
 North Korea: The U.S. implemented its own sanctions in August on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and entities for conducting business with North Korea.
 Business optimism: In August, the National Federation of Independent Business said its Small-Business Optimism Index reached 105.3, the highest since 2006 and an 11 percent jump since the week before Trump was elected. The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index said small business owners are the most optimistic since July 2007. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort measure reached a 16-year high, with current views of the economy also reaching a 16-year high. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose in July to near a 16 year high, with consumers short-term outlook improving.
 Job growth: While the new administration certainly can’t take all of the credit – and the government itself doesn’t create jobs – employers make hiring decisions based on the long-term economic outlook, and the president has a great deal to do with that. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nearly 1.3 million new jobs were created during Trump’s first 200 days. Meanwhile, Obama, in his first six months, saw the loss of more than 4.1 million jobs in his first 200 days. The bureau said 6,000 construction jobs were added in July for a total of 82,000 since January. In addition, 16,000 manufacturing jobs were added in July, a total of 70,000 since January. The labor-force participation rate increased to 62.9 percent in July. In June, there were 6 million job openings in the U.S., one of the highest levels recorded.
 U.S. manufacturing: During Trump’s first six months, the manufacturing index was the highest it had been since 1983 under President Reagan. The National Association of Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey showed the highest two-quarter average, of 91.4 percent, for manufacturing optimism in the survey’s 20-year history. The Institute for Supply Management reported its June barometer of manufacturing rose to 57.8, the fastest pace in three years.
 China trade: The president signed an order in August to investigate Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. The IP Commission Report estimates that the annual cost to the United States economy from IP theft could be as high as $600 billion, with China as the major contributor.
 Infrastructure: The Trump administration aims to dramatically reduce permitting time for projects from 10 years to two years, spurring investment and job creation.
 Argentina trade: The U.S. struck a deal in August to export pork to Argentina that will allow U.S. pork to enter the Argentine market for the first time since 1992, a potential $10 million a year market for American producers.
 Trade: More than $2 billion in fines were assessed to China and Canada in August for illegal trade practices.
 Immigration: DHS in August ended the Central American Minors Parole Program that had allowed certain minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to enter the U.S.
 Immigration: A report in August said that due to reforms and additional hirings of immigration judges, the number of deportation orders increased by nearly 28 percent compared to the same period of time in 2016.
 Immigration: In August, the government also said that of the 42,000 illegal immigrants in federal prisons, nearly all of them either had deportation orders or were being investigated for possible deportation.
 Immigration: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in August denied requests from employers to import cheap foreign labor into the U.S. for high-skilled jobs if the employers could not explain why they wanted to pay a lower wage for such work.
 Military: Trump elevated the Department of Defense’s Cyber Command to the status of Unified Combatant Command in August, demonstrating an increased focus on cybersecurity.
 Military: In August, Trump directed the military not to move forward with a controversial Obama-era mandate to allow, for the first time, transgender individuals to be recruited into the armed forces.
 Islamic Jihad: In August, Trump presented in an address to the nation a new military strategy that put Pakistan on notice for supporting jihadists and warned Kabul it would no longer receive a “blank check,” moving the U.S. away from the Bush-era policy of “nation-building” and focusing on “killing terrorists.”
 Veterans Administration reform: President Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act in August, streamlining the lengthy process that veterans undergo when appealing disability benefits claims with the VA. More than 470,000 veterans are awaiting decisions regarding their appeals. The Veterans Affairs administration is the first agency to post information on employee disciplinary action online.
 Veterans Administration reform: The president signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act in August, which provides educational benefits to veterans, service members, and their family members, including tuition, fees, books, housing and other additional costs.
 Government reform: The president signed an executive order in August projected to save billions of dollars by streamlining and expediting the permitting process for infrastructure projects. The order establishes a two-year goal for the federal government to process all of the actions required by federal law for the environmental reviews and permits of major infrastructure projects.
 Welfare reform: In August, the Department of Health and Human Services rescinded an Obama-era directive that had allowed states to request a waiver to ignore work requirements for the poor in order to receive welfare.
 Welfare reform: In August, more than 1.1 million fewer Americans were on food stamps under President Trump, compared to the Obama administration.
 Law enforcement: In August, the DOJ launched an opioid fraud and abuse unit to fight opioid prescription abuses.
 Second Amendment: In August, the Justice Department terminated Operation Choke Point, an Obama program encouraging banks not to do business with “high risk” businesses, which was used to target gun dealers
 JULY
 Gross Domestic Product: GDP in the second quarter of the
 year increased by 2.6 percent, more than doubling the first quarter performance.
 Unemployment: The jobless rate decreased from 4.8 percent to 4.4 percent from January through June 2017. In contrast, during the first six months of 2009, Obama’s first year in office, the rate increased from 7.8 percent to 9.5 percent.
 Oil drilling on federal lands: In July, Trump signed an order boosting oil and gas development on federal lands.
 Coal power: In July, President Trump kept his campaign promise to coal miners and rolled back the previous administration’s “Stream Protection Rule,” which targeted the industry with estimated costs of at least $81 million a year.
 Made in the USA: Trump has convinced companies such as Ford, Chrysler, and Carrier Air Conditioners to manufacture and build plants in the United States. At the White House, Corning announced with the president it was investing $500 million in new U.S. production, creating 1,000 new jobs. Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, which makes the iPhone, announced in July it was investing $10 billion in Wisconsin to build a factory that will employ 3,000 workers directly and up to 22,000 workers indirectly.
 Disarming jihad: In July, the Trump administration ended a CIA program to arm “moderate” Syrian rebels after previous efforts of its kind were shown to have aided Islamic jihadists, including the terrorists who carried out the disastrous Benghazi attack in which four Americans, including the ambassador, were killed.
 Islamic jihad: After months of heavy fighting, Iraqi coalition forces finally pushed ISIS fighters out of Mosul in early July. The U.S. is also supporting efforts to rid the Philippines of ISIS cells.
 Government reform: Trump created the Office of American Innovation in July to streamline and improve the government for future generations.
 Government reform: Trump signed an executive order in July implementing tough new lobbying standards for political appointees, including a five-year ban on lobbying and a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign countries.
 Law enforcement: In July, federal gun-crime prosecutions by the DOJ in the preceding three months increased 23 percent over the same period in 2016.
 Law enforcement: In what Attorney General Jeff Sessions described as the “largest health-care fraud takedown operation in American history,” the DOJ in July charged more than 400 people, including doctors and medical facilities, who it said were prescribing unnecessary opioids to addicts and fueling the current drug crisis.
 Law enforcement: Sessions and the DOJ cracked down on illegal leaks of classified information from within the government, pursuing three times more investigations in the first six months of the Trump administration than had been open at the end of the Obama administration. The administration created a counterintelligence unit within the FBI for the investigations
 JUNE
 Unemployment: The jobless rate decreased from 4.8 percent to 4.4 percent from January through June 2017. In contrast, during the first six months of 2009, Obama’s first year in office, the rate increased from 7.8 percent to 9.5 percent.
 Oil pipelines: Trump approved the Dakota Access Pipeline project and the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, which is expected to create more than 42,000 jobs and $2 billion in earnings. The Dakota Access Pipeline, which is transporting 500,000 barrels of oil a day, has reinvigorated the North Dakota economy. In June, Trump approved production of the New Burgos Pipeline to Mexico.
 Inflation: The rate decreased to an eight-month low in June to 1.6 percent.
 China trade: For the first time since 2003, American beef imports have returned to China, opening up a $2.5 billion market to American ranchers and producers.
 Cuba relations: Trump in June delivered on his campaign promise to roll back the Obama administration’s agreement with Cuba, which Trump contends benefitted the Cuban regime at the expense of the Cuban people.
 Apprenticeships: Trump signed an executive order in June making it easier for businesses to start and expand apprenticeship programs.
 Property rights: Trump issued an executive order in June to begin the process of rescinding the 2015 Waters of the United States rule, which has been used to expand federal control over private land. Under the Obama administration, the broadly crafted rule was applied to “navigable waters” such as man-made ditches and water that accumulated after heavy rain.
 Homeland security: On June 19, DHS announced it had implemented a method of tracking whether or not visitors leave the United States. Twenty years ago, Congress ordered the installation of an entry-exit tracking system, but the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations never took action, allowing millions of people to remain on temporary visas. Approximately 416,500 people overstayed their visas in 2015 alone.
 Paris Climate Accord: Trump, in June, pulled the U.S. out of the global agreement, which, according to a study by NERA Consulting, could have cost the United States economy nearly $3 trillion. According to the same study, by 2040, 6.5 million industrial sector jobs could have been lost, including 3.1 million manufacturing sector jobs.
 NATO: Trump’s urging of NATO members to pay their fair share of financial support for the military alliance has resulted in an increase of allied contributions of $10 billion, according to NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg.
 Russia: The administration in June implemented the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which blacklisted certain Russian citizens for human rights violations.
 Russia: In June, on the same day President Trump met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and entities involved in the conflict with Ukraine.
 Immigration: ICE arrested an average of 13,085 people each month from February through June, whereas the average during the last three months of the Obama administration was 9,134 arrests per month.
 Immigration: Trump’s Department of Homeland Security canceled in June the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program created by the Obama administration in November 2014 that would have given amnesty to about 4 million illegal immigrants.
 Military: In June, the Trump administration authorized the Defense Department to set troop levels in Afghanistan. The expanded authority given to the military could also be seen in U.S. operations in Somalia.
 Veterans Administration reform: Trump signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act in June to allow senior officials in the VA to fire failing employees and to establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers. The department reported it had fired more than 500 employees since January 2017 and suspended nearly 200 as part of the president’s efforts to restore integrity and accountability.
 Veterans Administration reform: In June, the VA announced the adoption of a medical records system successfully used by the Defense Department, ending a decades-old problematic rift in sharing information between the two agencies.
 Veterans Administration reform: A new White House VA Hotline to help veterans, fully staffed by veterans, went live in June.
 Education: Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, in June appointed Adam Kissel, a noted critic of the Obama administration’s implementation of Title IX – the much-abused 1972 federal law that bars discrimination in education “on the basis of sex” – and a strong supporter of free speech, as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs. The staff of the Title IX enforcement office was reduced in the 2018 budget.
 MAY
 Middle East: Trump strengthened traditional alliances with Israel and the Arab nations, which had deteriorated badly under President Obama.
 Middle East: During a visit to Saudi Arabia in May, his first foreign trip as president, he announced the signing of a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, with another $350 billion of arms for the following 10 years. American and Saudi businesses signed similar agreements on the same day, with billions of dollars to be invested in the U.S. Trump also gave a major speech to leaders of 50 Islamic nations, challenging them to fight Islamic terror.
 Personal income: According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. personal income rose 0.4 percent in May, while a 0.3 increase was expected.
 Housing: The U.S. Census Bureau found housing sales recently have doubled compared to the same period under President Obama. The annualized housing sales rate for May 2017 was 610,000, compared to just 376,000 in 2009. New home prices hit a record high in May, according to the
 Commerce Department. In 2011, houses for sale were on the market an average 84 days. This year, it’s just 45 days.
 Mexico trade: Mexico agreed in June to curb its exporting of raw and refined sugar to the U.S, benefitting the American industry.
 Trade: Trump announced in May that he intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, to better reflect the modern economy while benefitting every party to the pact.
 Syria: After the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against civilians, President Trump authorized strikes in May against the airbase that launched the chemical attacks, destroying 20 percent of Syria’s operational aircraft.
 Immigration: In May, the administration said the number of child illegal immigrants entering the nation monthly had fallen below 1,000 for the first time in several years.
 Voter fraud: In May, Trump created a commission to investigate voter fraud chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and vice-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
 Education: In May, the administration announced it will create a school choice plan and give states the option of implementing it, rather than making it a federal program.
 Religious liberty: On the annual National Day of Prayer in May, Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty that included a loosening of IRS restrictions, known as the Johnson Amendment, against political activities by tax-exempt religious organizations. The order also attempted to make it easier for employers not to provide contraceptives if they had religious objections and gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions greater authority regarding religious liberty policy.
 Abortion: In May, the administration broadened the scope of the Mexico City Policy to restrict funding to any international health organization that performs or gives information about abortions, expanding the amount of money affected from $600,000 to nearly $9 billion
 APRIL
 U.S. Supreme Court: Keeping a major campaign promise, President Trump nominated to the highest court a strict constructionist and originalist in the mold of Antonin Scalia, Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as an associate justice in April. In his first term, in June, Gorsuch voted in every case with the justice generally regarded as the most conservative, Clarence Thomas. The conservative Committee for Justice said in a report that Gorsuch’s early performance says a lot about both what he will be like as a Supreme Court justice “and what the president can be counted on to do as more high court vacancies occur. Conservatives hoping for a solid conservative majority on the court in the near future had good reason to cheer.”
 Immigration: The administration announced illegal border crossings had decreased by 40 percent in the first month of Trump’s presidency. By Trump’s 100th day in office, crossings had decreased by 73 percent, thanks to the president’s policies deterring people from attempting to enter the country.
 Offshore oil drilling: In April, Trump signed an executive order to extend offshore oil and gas drilling and reissue a leasing program to develop offshore resources. The order reversed Obama’s December ban on drilling in the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
 China trade: Trump initiated an investigation in April into whether or not Chinese and other foreign-made steel and aluminum threaten U.S. national security. China has 26 percent of the steel market in the U.S., and Chinese steel imports are up nearly 20 percent over the last year.
 Made in the USA: President Trump signed the “Buy American and Hire American” executive order in April, prioritizing the interests of American businesses and workers. “Buy American” protects American industry from unfair competition by targeting the abusive use of waivers and exceptions to laws on the books. Trump’s “Hire American” effort calls for the reform of visa programs, ensuring that they no longer displace American workers, while fully enforcing laws governing the entry of foreign workers.
 Agriculture regulations: In April, in an effort to help farmers affected by NAFTA and the trade imbalance with Canada, Trump signed an executive order ordering the Department of Agriculture to find and eliminate unnecessary regulations.
 G-7: In April, the administration refused to sign the G-7 joint statement because the other nations could not agree to include support for nuclear and fossil fuels without support for the Paris climate agreement. The G-7, consequently, did not issue a joint statement.
 Russia: In April, the administration refused to issue waivers to any companies that wanted to do business with Russia, which was under economic sanctions, including ExxonMobil, which had applied for a waiver.
 Immigration: In March and April, the DOJ announced plans to speed up the deportation of imprisoned illegal aliens, instructing U.S. attorneys to employ stricter guidelines in the prosecution of immigration crimes while seeking to hire 125 immigration judges in the next two years.
 Immigration: Trump signed an executive order in April cutting funding for sanctuary cities, and despite encountering opposition from city officials, ICE agents have been enforcing U.S. immigration laws in those cities.
 Immigration: In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, arrests and deportations of criminal aliens such as MS-13 members were up 38 percent compared with the last year of the Obama administration. ICE conducted a crackdown on the gangs that resulted in the arrests of nearly 1,400 people. The Trump administration also cooperated with Central American countries to combat MS-13 recruitment in the region. An estimated 6,000 MS-13 gang members were arrested during the president’s first five months.
 Military: In April, Trump gave Defense Secretary James Mattis authority to set troop levels in Iraq and Syria for the fight against ISIS. And military commanders were granted authority to perform military actions without approval from Washington. As a direct result, this newly autonomous U.S. military made large advances against ISIS.
 Islamic jihad: Under the increased autonomy Trump gave the Defense Department, the U.S. dealt a heavy blow to ISIS in Afghanistan in April, dropping a GBU-43B – known as MOAB or the “Mother Of All Bombs” – the largest non-nuclear bomb in existence, on a complex of ISIS tunnels. At least 94 ISIS fighters were killed, including four commanders, and tunnels and weapon stockpiles were destroyed.
 Veterans Administration reform: In April, Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds enabling veterans who live more than 40 miles from the closest eligible VA medical facility, experience wait times of more than 30 days to schedule an appointment, or meet other special criteria to be treated outside the VA system.
 Law enforcement: In April, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in an effort to give back local control to police departments, ordered the Department of Justice to review Obama’s agreements with local police departments.
 Education: In April, Trump signed an executive order requiring Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to review department regulations with the intent of returning power to the states and local governments.
 Abortion: In what was regarded as the first major national pro-life bill in more than a decade, Trump signed in April a Congressional Review bill into law annulling a recent Obama administration regulation that would have prohibited states from discriminating in awarding Title X family planning funds based on whether a local clinic also performs abortions.
 Abortion: The Trump administration in April cut off U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund, which has links to inhumane abortion programs such as China’s one-child policy (which became a two-child policy in 2015). More than $32 million was instead shifted to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
 Abortion: In April, Trump appointed pro-life advocate Dr. Charmaine Yoest, the former president of Americans United for Life, as assistant secretary of public affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services, replacing a strong Planned Parenthood supporter. Later, two pro-life advocates who had worked for the Family Research Council were appointed to key positions. And Valerie Huber, an abstinence education advocate, was appointed in June as chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health at the HHS.
 MARCH
 G-20: In March, the Trump administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade. Any mention of climate change was eliminated from its joint statement.
 Trade deficit: Trump signed an executive order in March directing a review of and reporting on major U.S. trade deficits.
 Middle East: In March, the administration, led by U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, condemned a report against Israel by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia that was deemed anti-Semitic, prompting the resignation of the commission’s executive director.
 Syria: In March, the Trump administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade. Any mention of climate change was eliminated from its joint statement.
 Government reform: In March, Trump signed an executive order to perform an audit of every executive branch agency to reduce spending and waste and improve services.
 FEBRUARY
 Savings for oil companies: Trump signed a bill in February that eliminated a Dodd-Frank rule requiring oil companies such as Exxon Mobile to publicly disclose the taxes and fees they pay to foreign governments, which would have cost the industry as much as $385 million annually.
 Finance reform: The administration ordered a review of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law in February while urging Congress to remove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s authority to supervise banks and financial companies, returning that power to other federal and state regulators.
 Russia: The administration countered Russian propaganda by launching two government-run media outlets in February broadcasting in Russian.
 Military: In February the administration reached a tentative deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase 90 F-35 jets at the lowest price in the program’s history. The first 90 planes were about $725 million below budget, with billions of dollars in additional savings expected. The deal saved at least one U.S. ally, Japan, $100 million.
 Government reform: In February, the president announced he did not plan on filling numerous government positions he considered unnecessary.
 Law enforcement: In February, President Trump signed three executive orders to strengthen law enforcement.The first strengthens the law against international crime organizations. The second combats anti-law-enforcement crimes. The third seeks a strategy for reducing crime in general, including, in particular, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime.
 School bathrooms: Trump, in February, reversing Obama’s executive order requiring public schools to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their preferred “gender identity.”
 Second Amendment: President Trump signed a bill into law in February repealing an Obama-era Social Security Administration rule adding mental disability determinations to the background check registry. The Obama regulation potentially allowed the denial of Second Amendment rights to many competent, mentally healthy citizens.
 JANUARY
 Trans-Pacific Partnership: Trump signed an executive order in January removing the U.S. from the international pact, which critics charged was a monumental compromise to American sovereignty and would take millions of jobs away from American workers.
 Persecuted Christians: Reversing Obama administration policy, Trump pledged in January that Christian refugees suffering persecution in Muslim countries would be given priority over other refugees seeking to enter the United States.
 Homeland security: Trump signed an executive order in
 January banning people from seven countries regarded by the Obama administration as havens for terrorism from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocked all refugees for 120 days while the administration assessed its security process. After legal challenges, the administration issued a revised order in March, and in June the U.S. Supreme Court decided a version of the ban could go into effect until the court addresses its constitutionality in October.
 Immigration: The DOJ resumed the criminal prosecution of first-time illegal border crossers after it had been stopped by the Obama administration.
 Government reform: Trump signed an executive order in January to expedite environmental reviews of infrastructure projects, to jumpstart industry spending and investment.
 Manufacturing regulations: Trump signed an executive order in January reducing regulations on manufacturers.
 Abortion: In January, Trump expressed strong support for the annual pro-life March for Life. Vice President Mike Pence became the first vice president to speak at the event, and White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway also spoke.
 Regulatory reform: Trump set up task forces in every agency to remove “job killing regulations” and increase “economic opportunity.” The Trump administration is on track to finish the first phase of its regulatory reform program with $645 million in net annual regulatory savings, according to an analysis by the American Action Forum. By comparison, during President Obama’s years in office, more than 22,700 regulations were imposed on Americans at a cost to American consumers, businesses, and workers of more than $120 billion each year. AAF called Trump’s order reducing regulation and controlling regulatory costs “one of the most significant developments in regulatory policy in decades,” noting it was the first time in U.S. history that the executive branch has established a regulatory budget.
 Women in business: Trump launched the United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in February.
 Immigration: Trump expanded deportation priorities, signing an executive order in January that includes people who “have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense,” which could include anyone who entered the country illegally, leading to a significant increase in arrests.
 Military: In January, Trump signed a memorandum to begin the expansion and rebuilding of the U.S. military.
 Government reform: Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 placing a hiring freeze on federal employees.
 Regulatory reform: Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that for every new regulation, two regulations must be revoked. In practice, the administration has exceeded that mark, rescinding or delaying more than 860 regulations, or 16 regulations for every new one implemented.
 Abortion: In January, Trump signed an order reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which defunded the International Planned Parenthood Federation and other organizations that promote foreign abortions.
 President’s salary: President Trump, as promised during his election campaign, has donated his salary.
 Technology: After his election, Trump met with top tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. According to Gates, it was “a good conversation about innovation, how it can help in health, education, the impact of foreign aid and energy, and a wide-ranging conversation about the power of innovation.”
0 notes
amybkirkusa · 8 years ago
Text
Sudan Now Open for Business, but Risks Remain
On October 12, 2017, the United States made permanent its lifting of a longtime general embargo on trade and investment with Sudan. As a result, U.S. individuals and companies are now generally free to engage in transactions involving Sudan, the Government of Sudan or many formerly sanctioned Sudanese persons without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While this presents opportunities for new business in Sudan, any U.S. person considering business relating to Sudan should be aware of the legal restrictions that remain in place and the risks associated with such an undertaking.
Background
For almost two decades, Executive Orders (EOs) by Presidents Bill Clinton (EO 13067) and George W. Bush (EO 13412), along with the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), have generally prevented U.S. persons from conducting transactions involving the Government of Sudan or certain sanctioned Sudanese persons, importing goods or services of Sudanese origin, exporting any goods or services to Sudan, or performing any contract “in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan,” among other things. This trade and investment embargo was prompted by findings that the Government of Sudan was engaged in support for international terrorism, efforts to destabilize its neighboring countries, and myriad human rights violations.
On January 13, 2017, President Obama issued EO 13761, which observed that the dangerous and unstable situation in Sudan that had prompted sanctions by his predecessors “has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past 6 months.” In particular, the order praised Sudan for “a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.” The order, which was one of President Obama’s final acts in office, called for a conditional return of U.S. trade and investment transactions with Sudan with permanent revocation of sanctions after a six-month monitoring period and approval by certain U.S. agencies. Consistent with this order, OFAC issued a temporary general license on January 17, 2017, authorizing transactions that were previously prohibited by the aforementioned sanctions. As it turns out, the January 17 general license marked the end of the main set of sanctions against Sudan.
On July 11, 2017, President Trump signed EO 13804, which extended the six-month period initially set forth by President Obama to October 12, 2017, so as to permit “a more comprehensive analysis of the Government of Sudan’s actions.” On October 6, 2017, OFAC announced that as of October 12, 2017, the revocation of the SSR and EOs 13067 and 13412 would take permanent effect.
Remaining Restrictions and Risks
As an initial matter, it is important to note that last month’s revocation only applies to those sanctions imposed pursuant to EOs 13067 and 13412. Sanctions imposed pursuant to other Executive Orders, such as those relating to the region of Darfur within Sudan (EO 13400), remain in place. And while a number of Sudanese individuals and entities have now been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), other Sudanese nationals and persons operating in Sudan that were designated because of their support for terrorist activities and/or their involvement in the Darfur and South Sudan conflicts will remain on the SDN List. Consequently, any US person seeking to do business in Sudan should maintain screening and due diligence processes to detect and prevent any transactions involving these restricted parties.
In addition, the revocation does not affect the U.S. State Department’s designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST). This has several implications.
First, SSTs are subject to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), which requires licenses for all exports of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. To that end, OFAC has issued General License A, which authorizes exports and re-exports of certain TSRA items to Sudan. Companies in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries who wish to do business in Sudan should ensure that they comply with the conditions of General License A.
Second, Sudan’s designation as an SST implicates the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations (TLGSR), which prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transfers from the Government of Sudan that would pose a risk of furthering terrorist acts in the United States.
Third, as an SST, Sudan remains subject to far-reaching export controls implemented through the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This means that the export or re-export to Sudan of items on the Commerce Control List (CCL), part of EAR, continues generally to require a license from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The CCL includes a variety of types of goods, software and technology, including items relating to computers, telecommunications systems, and aerospace. For exports to Sudan of items that are not on the CCL (aka “EAR99 items”), a license is generally not required, but, depending on factors relating to end users and end uses, any of a variety of other export license requirements could apply.
There are a few other practical concerns that should be considered by U.S. companies and individuals who have been doing, or intend to do, business in Sudan. One is the lack of retroactivity in the revocation of sanctions. OFAC has confirmed that the revocation will not affect past, present, or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to activities that were prohibited prior to the embargo’s rescission. Another is the high risk of corruption in the form of bribery and money laundering. Sudan remains one of the most challenging environments for anti-corruption in the world as evidenced by its ranking of 170 out of 176 nations in the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index. Any transaction involving the Government of Sudan or Sudanese officials should thus be rigorously assessed and monitored to ensure compliance with the FCPA and any applicable AML regulations. Finally, that Sudan remains a SST in the eyes of the State Department and contains large groups of sanctioned persons suggests there is a risk that the U.S. could re-impose comprehensive sanctions if there is any breakdown in Sudan’s recent progress towards stability and cooperation.
from News About Securities Fraud http://blogs.orrick.com/securities-litigation/2017/11/10/sudan-now-open-for-business-but-risks-remain/
0 notes
wolainterns · 8 years ago
Text
U.S. - Cuba Relations: Efforts at Engagement During a Trump Presidency
By Brett Jacobson - Cuba Program.
Tumblr media
In a June 15 press release, WOLA joined human rights organizations, civil society organizations, news publications, and American businesses in speaking out against President Donald Trump's expected move to tighten restrictions on U.S. travel and trade with Cuba. The following day, President Trump signed a six page policy directive that establishes new travel and trade restrictions for U.S. citizens and corporations. The memorandum specifically prohibits U.S. economic involvement with entities controlled by the Cuban military conglomerate GAESA, limits the travel of American individuals using the "people to people exchange" distinction, and could greatly reduce the number of Cubans that can receive remittances. The goal of the directive is to channel funds "towards the Cuban people and away from a regime that has failed to meet the most basic requirements of a free and just society." But, the extent to which this policy directive benefits ordinary Cubans has been greatly criticized, with experts asserting that the Trump policy limits the economic opportunities of Cubans on the island.  
Republican Voters Favor Engagement
Despite the fanfare at President Trump's mid-June announcement, Republican voters as a whole tend to support increased engagement with Cuba. According to a Morning Consult poll released by Engage Cuba in the days leading up to President Trump's announcement, "64% of Republicans support maintaining policies that relaxed travel and trade restrictions on Cuba, as opposed to only 22% who oppose." In addition to this, the poll found that 55% of Republicans favor ending the trade embargo in its entirety, while only 26% oppose that idea. The poll represents a shift in disposition among Americans as a whole, with the overwhelming majority of U.S. voters supporting some form of relaxation of restrictions towards Cuba. Additionally, the statistics gathered illustrate the nature of President Trump's Cuba foreign policy as appealing to a niche, hardline Cuban community and rather than sentiments of the majority of Republican voters. Perhaps the most vocal members of this hardline Cuban community, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) also spoke at the Miami policy announcement in June and were central to the U.S. Cuba foreign policy formulation. Both praised President Trump for his commitment and follow-through in rolling back large portions of former President Obama's 2014 normalization policies. While Rubio and Diaz-Balart are active critics of any attempt to engage with the Cuban government, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers are continuing legislative efforts to open economic and travel opportunities to American citizens and businesses.  
New legislation to address outdated policy
One piece of legislation, H.R. 525 - Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, is a bill on which Republican lawmakers have taken the lead in promoting the expansion of U.S. economic relationships with Cuba in the agricultural sector. The bill, which currently has 40 Republican cosponsors, would amend the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to allow for U.S. firms to export agricultural products to Cuba on credit, instead of requiring Cuban cash payments in advance. While Trump's Cuba policy prohibits U.S. economic involvement on the island in many sectors, agriculture remains a sector where US-Cuban trade relations could greatly improve. Currently Cuba imports around 60-80% of its food, creating an export market that amounts to roughly $2 billion annually. Of that market, the American agricultural producers only supply around $132 million worth of goods. Given the United States' geographic advantage in trade with Cuba, cosponsors of H.R. 525 see an economic opportunity in allowing Cuba to purchase U.S. agricultural products on credit. While many of the cosponsors of the bill will not go as far as supporting a complete lifting of the economic embargo on Cuba, many members of Congress have begun to recognize that isolationist economic policies are outdated, and often inhibit U.S. interests.  
In addition to H.R. 525, three other pieces of legislation have been introduced this Congress with more ambitious goals of advancing US-Cuba engagement to levels only seen before the implementation of the travel ban and economic embargo on Cuba. H.R. 351, a bill to end current restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba, and H.R. 442,a bill to lift the economic embargo on Cuba have both been introduced to the House this Congress with bipartisan support. S. 1699, a bill to lift the embargo on Cuba, has also been introduced to the Senate. This surge of legislative efforts to address the outdated policy of isolation towards Cuba reflects the change in sentiment among Americans from all sides of the political spectrum. Despite an executive office that is hostile to policies promoting U.S. - Cuba engagement, U.S. legislators and constituents have an opportunity to effect foreign policy change through the legislative process and underscore the nature of President Trump's Cuba policy as out of touch with U.S. foreign policy interests.
Moving Forward
While criticism of President Trump's foreign policy directive on Cuba has been multifaceted, it has become clear that the position that President Trump has assumed in regards to Cuba is not one that is reflective of the majority Republican lawmakers or constituents. Instead, the influence of staunch anti-engagement politicians Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart has resulted in a policy that is largely disconnected from the sentiments of the American people-- and from U.S. economic interests and the well-being of Cubans on the island. Moving forward, U.S. citizens and lawmakers need to continue to advocate for engagement with Cuba in order to further U.S. national security interests in the region, expand travel to the island, and support economic opportunity for both U.S. businesses and Cuban people on the island.
0 notes
techfreedom · 8 years ago
Text
Closing the Door on Cuba Will Harm the U.S. and Stifle Tech
WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, President Trump is expected to announce his intent to reverse current policies that have opened up travel to and trade with Cuba. Beginning in late 2014, the previous administration began to thaw relations with the island nation, which has allowed:
U.S. companies to export certain consumer devices, telecommunications equipment, software, and applications to Cuba,
U.S. telecoms to establish subsidiaries or joint ventures with Cuban companies and enter into licensing agreements with them to provide connectivity, and
imports of Cuban-origin mobile applications into the U.S.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans approve of ending the trade embargo with Cuba, including 59% of Republicans. This week, TechFreedom joined Americans for Tax Reform and a coalition of free-market groups in urging the White House and Congress to support policies that would ease economic sanctions and travel restrictions on Cuba.
The letter states:
Engagement with other communist regimes has proven that American influence grows as trade develops. Countries like Vietnam, Burma, Laos and most famously China prove that previously hostile countries can move in a better direction when encouraged to trade with free nations. National security would greatly benefit from trade and travel relations with Cuba that will improve stability in the region.
Conversely, reversing the recent improvements in America-Cuba trade and travel would put thousands of U.S. jobs at risk. Your successful presidential campaign was correct in stressing the need to boost the job market; putting up more trade barriers runs counter to that goal. Congress must act to continue economic gains.
“American technology is a powerful democratizing force,” said TechFreedom Executive Director Austin Carson. “While over five decades of embargo failed to produce any tangible benefit, the past few years of eased restrictions have yielded significant dividends for both nations. Increased travel and trade has opened a window for Cubans to absorb the values of a free society through the use of technology, including property rights and free expression. Every year, more Cubans are getting online, and America should be leading our close neighbor into its digital future. Ceding this opportunity to Russia and China would harm our economy, hinder democratic progress, and reinforce the United States as a convenient scapegoat for the failures of the Castro regime.”
TechFreedom is a member of Engage Cuba, a national coalition of private companies, organizations, and local leaders dedicated to advancing federal legislation to lift the 55-year-old Cuba embargo in order to empower the Cuban people and open opportunities for U.S. businesses.
We can be reached for comment at [email protected]. See our other work on Cuba, including:
Our statement on the possibility of reversing the previous Administration’s Cuba policy
Tech Policy Podcast #137: Cuba’s Digital Future
A blog post on the state of Internet access in Cuba
A summary of the Cuban tech entrepreneur panel co-hosted by TechFreedom and Engage Cuba
About TechFreedom: 
TechFreedom is a non-profit, non-partisan technology policy think tank. We work to chart a path forward for policymakers towards a bright future where technology enhances freedom, and freedom enhances technology.
0 notes
cubaverdad · 8 years ago
Text
Crawford advances excise tax bill to help restart Cuba exports
Crawford advances excise tax bill to help restart Cuba exports Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford's effort to restart trade with Cuba draws criticism from U.S.-Cuba experts. Forrest Laws | Jun 05, 2017 In a perfect world, the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration would agree the 57-year-old Cuban Embargo hasn't worked and probably never will and remove all barriers to trade between the U.S. and a nation located barely 90 miles off its coast. This is no perfect world, of course, and those in Congress who believe U.S. farmers should be able to sell rice and other commodities to Cuba without needless restrictions are once again having to find ways to advance their agenda. Rick Crawford, who represents the largest rice-growing district in the country in northeast Arkansas, is drafting legislation that could attach a 2-percent excise tax on certain agricultural exports to Cuba. Rep. Crawford has been in discussions with Miami-area Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., about the legislation. The 2-percent tax would help pay the claims of those who lost property when Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. But Rep. Crawford's proposal is already drawing criticism from Cuba experts who claim the legislation would make a bad problem worse. The USA Rice Federation, one of the organizations which has the most to gain – or lose – by changes in the embargo, is supporting the legislation although rice farmers or merchants ostensibly would have to pay the tax when sales were made to Cuba. 2 percent better than nothing "If that's what it takes to keep the issue moving forward in Congress, then that's what it takes, and we're with Congressman Crawford," said Ben Mosely, vice president of government affairs for USA Rice. "Paying 2 percent on some trade is better than paying nothing on no trade at all." U.S. rice producers made their first sales to Cuba in four decades after Congress passed the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. But the sales began to diminish and then virtually stopped after U.S. officials required the Cuban government to pay for the rice before it could leave U.S. ports. Crawford has introduced or co-sponsored several bills to remove some of those restrictions. The excise tax proposal, which would be the latest, has run into criticism from experts with the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc., in New York. An essay by John S. Kavulich, president of the Council, and a frequent critic of those who want to perpetuate the blockade, claims the 2-percent excise tax legislation is an affront to the "5,913 companies and individuals who have waited 57 years for an equitable resolution to the expropriation of assets" that occurred in 1960. "Rep. Crawford is not solving a problem; he is making the existing problem worse and creating additional problems," said Kavulich. "He may believe that his efforts of bipartisan engagement are creating a space for bipartisan dialogue with a goal of closure. He is not. He is solidifying delay and distraction. Rice from Arkansas will not be flooding the Republic of Cuba marketplace because of his efforts." Long-term payback Kavulich said U.S. agricultural commodity and food product exports have reached about $5.3 billion since the first deliveries in December 2001 under provisions of the TSREEA. If the proposed 2 percent had been collected since the first TSREEA-related exports to the Republic of Cuba, the total thus far would be $106 million or 1 percent of the current value of the certified claims. "United States citizens, owners of privately-held companies, and shareholders of publicly-held companies should not be required to make (reimburse) payments for actions by the government of the Republic of Cuba," said Kavulich. "Why would the Trump administration, which extols the role of exporters in the United States economy, support creating an additional impediment to the one statutorily-permitted category with the greatest history and greatest potential?" Rep. Curbelo recently told a Miami-area newspaper he supports the 2-percent tax on sales of agricultural products as a possible means of compensating former owners who lost property when Fidel Castro came to power. "Although no definitive agreement has been reached, the concept that the victims of Castro's tyranny may perceive some benefit from U.S.-Cuba transactions deserves to be considered," he said. "During the previous administration everything was granted to the dictatorship without demanding anything. Now that has to change." Other members of the Cuban-American congressional delegation say they are studying the proposal, but have not agreed to support it. USA Rice Federation leaders said the recognition of aggrieved "certified claimants" and the proposed method of repaying them in the new legislation is considered a compromise to keep anti-Castro Members of Congress talking about trade normalization. Door slammed shut? They say that, despite advances toward normalization of trade between the U.S. and Cuba in recent years, it appeared the door was being slammed shut by hardliners in Congress and the new administration. "Congressman Crawford has wedged his foot in the door to keep it open, and that's good news," said USA Rice's Ben Mosley. Prior to the U.S. embargo, Cuba was the No. 1 one export market for U.S. rice. However, no U.S. rice has been sold to Cuba since 2008 when the U.S. Treasury Department blocked Cuba from using the letters of credit usually employed in foreign sales. "U.S. rice is quite popular on the Island due to superior taste, cooking qualities, and logistical advantages over other suppliers, and we believe Cuba could once again become a top market as soon as the many export and financial restrictions that stand in the way are lifted." But Kavulich and members of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council claim the legislation is rushing to a solution filled with the potential for unintended consequences. "In an eagerness to "accomplish" something, the result may be the creation of a statutory template and judicial precedent impacting United States bilateral and multilateral relationships, as well as, complicate the commercial, economic and political landscape from which to resolve other United States-Republic of Cuba issues," Kavulich said. "Representative Crawford would be best advised to await 24 February 2018, the inauguration of the next president of the Republic of Cuba, when the bilateral dynamic may well be more… dynamic. Change for the sake of change is not always productive- and can be harmful." For more information on the Cuban Embargo, visit http://ift.tt/1rV0iry. Source: Crawford advances excise tax bill to help restart Cuba exports - http://ift.tt/2s9e5Bs via Blogger http://ift.tt/2sNzxIG
0 notes
deniseyallen · 8 years ago
Text
Rob's Rundown: Week of January 30 - February 3, 2017
Sunday, January 29
On CNN’s State of the Union, Portman Discusses Executive Order on Immigration Visas & Russia Sanctions 
On Sunday, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) spoke with Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union about the president’s new executive order program on immigration visas and the importance of keeping Russian sanctions in place until it changes its behavior. 
Excerpts of the interview can be found here and the video can be found here.
Monday, January 30
Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers Introduce Energy Efficiency Legislation 
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Energy Savings Through Public-Private Partnerships Act, legislation that encourages the use of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Savings Contracts (UESCs) in federal buildings.
“As the largest single user of energy in the United States, the federal government should lead by example on the issue of energy conservation,” said Senator Portman. “This bipartisan measure will help make the federal government more energy efficient, lower energy costs, and save taxpayer dollars, and that’s something I believe all Americans support.”
For more information, go here.
Tuesday, January 31
Portman Statement on the Nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to Serve on the U.S. Supreme Court 
Portman issued the following statement on the nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:
“I welcome the nomination of Judge Gorsuch to serve as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The job of a Supreme Court justice is to fairly and impartially apply the law, and to protect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, not to advance public policy goals by legislating from the bench. Judge Gorsuch has an outstanding record as a fair-minded, independent, and universally-respected judge. I look forward to considering his nomination as he goes through a fair and thorough evaluation process.” 
Portman Working to Ensure Timely Implementation of CARA 
The heroin and prescription drug epidemic is having a devastating impact on Ohio families and communities. That’s why Senator Portman worked tirelessly to get his bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) signed into law, and that’s why he is now working hard to make sure that CARA is implemented as quickly as possible. CARA represents a comprehensive approach to expanding education, treatment, and recovery services to help combat the heroin and prescription drug epidemic. Thanks in large part to Portman’s efforts, key components of CARA are now being implemented. That is in addition to his efforts to secure more funding for this crisis. The following is a quick recap of resources authorized by CARA that are now available to help turn the tide of addiction:
Funding for Drug Courts and Veterans Courts Now Available
Authorized by CARA, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is now seeking applications to establish or enhance drug court services, including treatment and recovery support services for states and local communities. For more information, go here.
Funding for Addiction Recovery Services Now Available
Authorized by CARA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is expected to award 10 grants totaling $1.5 million, including $150,000 for Ohio, for the remainder of FY 2017 to support addiction recovery services. For more information, go here.
Resources to Help Local Communities Combat the Heroin Epidemic Now Available
Authorized by CARA, the DOJ is now accepting applications for a new grant program that will provide additional resources for a number of key priorities, including treatment, recovery services, and diversion programs that serve as an alternative to incarceration. For more information, go here.
Expanding Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Authorized by CARA, SAMHSA is expanding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options by allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe MAT to treat an opioid use disorder. For more information, go here.
Wednesday, February 1
Portman Votes to Confirm HHS & Treasury Secretary Nominees 
Portman issued the following statement after the Senate Finance Committee approved the nominations of Rep. Tom Price to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Steven Mnuchin to be the Secretary of the Treasury:
“Our economy needs a shot in the arm. Too many Ohio families today are dealing with the middle-class squeeze, stuck with stagnant wages and higher expenses, including the skyrocketing costs of ObamaCare. We can do better. 
“During his confirmation hearing, Steve Mnuchin committed to working with me to reform our broken tax code and crack down on unfair imports, and I look forward to working with him to accomplish those goals. Likewise, as we move forward with efforts to replace ObamaCare with a better system that lowers health care costs, Rep. Price expressed his commitment to me that he’d work with us on a replacement that would help ensure access to addiction treatment for individuals currently getting insurance coverage through ObamaCare’s exchanges or Medicaid expansion. He also committed to fully implement the Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act. 
“I remain committed to improving our economy and job creation, combatting this heroin epidemic, and delivering results for Ohio, and that will continue to be my focus as we move forward in this Congress.”
Portman Responds to New Report on Fentanyl Influx from China 
Portman issued the following statement on a new report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on the influx of fentanyl from China that has helped fuel the heroin crisis in the United States over the last several years:
“The heroin and prescription drug epidemic is taking lives, tearing apart families and devastating communities not only in Ohio but across the country. Synthetic forms of heroin, like fentanyl, are many times more powerful than heroin and have made the drugs for sale on our streets deadlier and more addictive than ever. Last year, over a period of just two months, in my hometown of Cincinnati more than 1,000 overdoses were traced back to the influx of these synthetic drugs. This new report confirms that China is the global source of fentanyl and that Chinese exporters use various methods to covertly ship drugs into the United States, including through the mail. To confront this problem, last Congress I introduced the STOP Act, which is designed to help stop these dangerous synthetic drugs from being shipped across our borders to drug traffickers here in the United States. I plan to reintroduce this bill soon to stop this poison from reaching our communities and prevent deadly drug overdoses.”
For more information, go here.
Thursday, February 2
Portman Statement on the Nomination of Betsy DeVos to Become Education Secretary
Portman issued the following statement on the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be the next Secretary of Education:
“I support Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education because during the confirmation process she committed to strongly support public education and because of her support for local control, instead of having the federal government dictate education policy at the state and local level.  I look forward to working with her to improve our K-12 public education system, make college more affordable, stand up for children with disabilities, and close the skills gap by promoting Career and Technical Education (CTE) to give young people more opportunities to succeed.”
Portman, Brown Introduce Tax Cut for Steel Industry
Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that they will reintroduce the Steel Industry Preservation Act, bipartisan legislation that would create a tax credit for domestic steel companies, lower the cost of steel production, and promote job growth within the industry. Portman and Brown both co-sponsored the legislation last congress.
“With threats of foreign steel companies cheating and undercutting quality American products, it’s more important than ever to make sure we protect the American steel industry and the hard working Ohioans that depend on it. The Steel Industry Preservation Act will support these jobs and our economy by making steel less expensive to produce which in turn will make our domestic product more competitive on the world stage,” said Portman.
The Steel Industry Preservation Act would provide a tax credit for steel companies that produce steel industry fuel, which is created by reusing waste products from steel production in an environmentally sustainable way. In addition to the tax credit, the production of steel industry fuel lowers the cost of steel production and promotes job creation. 
Portman and Brown have also worked to give domestic industries the ability to fight unfair trade practices and Senator Portman has been widely acclaimed for his commitment to steel workers. In June 2015, their Leveling the Playing Field Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama, ushering in the most significant changes to trade remedy law since 2002.
Portman Praises New Steps to Help Stop the Overprescribing of Opioids
Portman issued the following statement on steps being taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to limit the prescription of opioids in Medicare Part D:
“Since I first got involved in drug prevention in the mid-1990s, overdoses to prescription painkillers have quadrupled. Back then, the addictive nature of painkillers was not fully understood, and doctors prescribed them freely. In just 20 years, the number of opioid prescriptions in the United States tripled. Now, addiction to prescription drugs or heroin has become an epidemic across the country. It is estimated that in Ohio alone, more than 200,000 people are addicted to heroin or prescription drugs and that four out of every five heroin users started out on prescription drugs. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, which I authored and which President Obama signed into law last summer, will change the way our VA health system treats these prescriptions, and I am encouraged that Medicare officials are also taking steps to prevent overprescribing and stop new addictions from starting. CARA will also raise awareness about this link between heroin and prescription drugs. I believe these important steps will help save lives.”
For more information, go here.
Portman Joins Bipartisan Colleagues in Sending Letter to President Trump on Iran
Portman, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined 21 of his bipartisan colleagues in a letter to President Trump after reports that Iran conducted a ballistic missile test late last week.
A signed PDF of the letter is at this link.
Portman: STOP Act Will Help Combat Heroin Epidemic
Thursday night was a familiar sight on the Senate floor: U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) delivering remarks about the heroin and prescription drug epidemic affecting hundreds of thousands of his constituents and the constituents in the states of every one of his colleagues. Portman, who gave 29 floor speeches last year on the topic, is working tirelessly to full implement his bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), and his efforts are yielding results. If we fully implement “CARA in the coming months,” said Portman in his remarks, “we can then bring down the demand for these drugs and keep these poisons from coming into our communities.” In addition, following a new report on an influx of dangerous synthetic drugs from China, Portman urged his colleagues to take up his Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, to build on CARA by helping to stop these dangerous synthetic drugs from being brought into our communities.
Transcript of the speech can be found here and a video can be found here
Friday, February 3
Portman, Brown Announce Recommendations for U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal for the Northern and Southern District of Ohio
U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced their recommendations to President Trump for the positions of U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio. For more information about the Northern and Southern District nominees, go here and here.
from Rob Portman http://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/rob-s-rundown?ContentRecord_id=E5632D62-9CA2-43F5-9A27-95ECBD07ED62
0 notes
amybkirkusa · 8 years ago
Text
Sudan Now Open for Business, but Risks Remain
On October 12, 2017, the United States made permanent its lifting of a longtime general embargo on trade and investment with Sudan. As a result, U.S. individuals and companies are now generally free to engage in transactions involving Sudan, the Government of Sudan or many formerly sanctioned Sudanese persons without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While this presents opportunities for new business in Sudan, any U.S. person considering business relating to Sudan should be aware of the legal restrictions that remain in place and the risks associated with such an undertaking.
Background
For almost two decades, Executive Orders (EOs) by Presidents Bill Clinton (EO 13067) and George W. Bush (EO 13412), along with the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), have generally prevented U.S. persons from conducting transactions involving the Government of Sudan or certain sanctioned Sudanese persons, importing goods or services of Sudanese origin, exporting any goods or services to Sudan, or performing any contract “in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan,” among other things. This trade and investment embargo was prompted by findings that the Government of Sudan was engaged in support for international terrorism, efforts to destabilize its neighboring countries, and myriad human rights violations.
On January 13, 2017, President Obama issued EO 13761, which observed that the dangerous and unstable situation in Sudan that had prompted sanctions by his predecessors “has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past 6 months.” In particular, the order praised Sudan for “a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.” The order, which was one of President Obama’s final acts in office, called for a conditional return of U.S. trade and investment transactions with Sudan with permanent revocation of sanctions after a six-month monitoring period and approval by certain U.S. agencies. Consistent with this order, OFAC issued a temporary general license on January 17, 2017, authorizing transactions that were previously prohibited by the aforementioned sanctions. As it turns out, the January 17 general license marked the end of the main set of sanctions against Sudan.
On July 11, 2017, President Trump signed EO 13804, which extended the six-month period initially set forth by President Obama to October 12, 2017, so as to permit “a more comprehensive analysis of the Government of Sudan’s actions.” On October 6, 2017, OFAC announced that as of October 12, 2017, the revocation of the SSR and EOs 13067 and 13412 would take permanent effect.
Remaining Restrictions and Risks
As an initial matter, it is important to note that last month’s revocation only applies to those sanctions imposed pursuant to EOs 13067 and 13412. Sanctions imposed pursuant to other Executive Orders, such as those relating to the region of Darfur within Sudan (EO 13400), remain in place. And while a number of Sudanese individuals and entities have now been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), other Sudanese nationals and persons operating in Sudan that were designated because of their support for terrorist activities and/or their involvement in the Darfur and South Sudan conflicts will remain on the SDN List. Consequently, any US person seeking to do business in Sudan should maintain screening and due diligence processes to detect and prevent any transactions involving these restricted parties.
In addition, the revocation does not affect the U.S. State Department’s designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST). This has several implications.
First, SSTs are subject to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), which requires licenses for all exports of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. To that end, OFAC has issued General License A, which authorizes exports and re-exports of certain TSRA items to Sudan. Companies in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries who wish to do business in Sudan should ensure that they comply with the conditions of General License A.
Second, Sudan’s designation as an SST implicates the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations (TLGSR), which prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transfers from the Government of Sudan that would pose a risk of furthering terrorist acts in the United States.
Third, as an SST, Sudan remains subject to far-reaching export controls implemented through the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This means that the export or re-export to Sudan of items on the Commerce Control List (CCL), part of EAR, continues generally to require a license from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The CCL includes a variety of types of goods, software and technology, including items relating to computers, telecommunications systems, and aerospace. For exports to Sudan of items that are not on the CCL (aka “EAR99 items”), a license is generally not required, but, depending on factors relating to end users and end uses, any of a variety of other export license requirements could apply.
There are a few other practical concerns that should be considered by U.S. companies and individuals who have been doing, or intend to do, business in Sudan. One is the lack of retroactivity in the revocation of sanctions. OFAC has confirmed that the revocation will not affect past, present, or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to activities that were prohibited prior to the embargo’s rescission. Another is the high risk of corruption in the form of bribery and money laundering. Sudan remains one of the most challenging environments for anti-corruption in the world as evidenced by its ranking of 170 out of 176 nations in the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index. Any transaction involving the Government of Sudan or Sudanese officials should thus be rigorously assessed and monitored to ensure compliance with the FCPA and any applicable AML regulations. Finally, that Sudan remains a SST in the eyes of the State Department and contains large groups of sanctioned persons suggests there is a risk that the U.S. could re-impose comprehensive sanctions if there is any breakdown in Sudan’s recent progress towards stability and cooperation.
from News About Securities Fraud http://blogs.orrick.com/securities-litigation/2017/11/10/sudan-now-open-for-business-but-risks-remain/
0 notes
amybkirkusa · 8 years ago
Text
Sudan Now Open for Business, but Risks Remain
On October 12, 2017, the United States made permanent its lifting of a longtime general embargo on trade and investment with Sudan. As a result, U.S. individuals and companies are now generally free to engage in transactions involving Sudan, the Government of Sudan or many formerly sanctioned Sudanese persons without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While this presents opportunities for new business in Sudan, any U.S. person considering business relating to Sudan should be aware of the legal restrictions that remain in place and the risks associated with such an undertaking.
Background
For almost two decades, Executive Orders (EOs) by Presidents Bill Clinton (EO 13067) and George W. Bush (EO 13412), along with the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), have generally prevented U.S. persons from conducting transactions involving the Government of Sudan or certain sanctioned Sudanese persons, importing goods or services of Sudanese origin, exporting any goods or services to Sudan, or performing any contract “in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan,” among other things. This trade and investment embargo was prompted by findings that the Government of Sudan was engaged in support for international terrorism, efforts to destabilize its neighboring countries, and myriad human rights violations.
On January 13, 2017, President Obama issued EO 13761, which observed that the dangerous and unstable situation in Sudan that had prompted sanctions by his predecessors “has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past 6 months.” In particular, the order praised Sudan for “a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.” The order, which was one of President Obama’s final acts in office, called for a conditional return of U.S. trade and investment transactions with Sudan with permanent revocation of sanctions after a six-month monitoring period and approval by certain U.S. agencies. Consistent with this order, OFAC issued a temporary general license on January 17, 2017, authorizing transactions that were previously prohibited by the aforementioned sanctions. As it turns out, the January 17 general license marked the end of the main set of sanctions against Sudan.
On July 11, 2017, President Trump signed EO 13804, which extended the six-month period initially set forth by President Obama to October 12, 2017, so as to permit “a more comprehensive analysis of the Government of Sudan’s actions.” On October 6, 2017, OFAC announced that as of October 12, 2017, the revocation of the SSR and EOs 13067 and 13412 would take permanent effect.
Remaining Restrictions and Risks
As an initial matter, it is important to note that last month’s revocation only applies to those sanctions imposed pursuant to EOs 13067 and 13412. Sanctions imposed pursuant to other Executive Orders, such as those relating to the region of Darfur within Sudan (EO 13400), remain in place. And while a number of Sudanese individuals and entities have now been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), other Sudanese nationals and persons operating in Sudan that were designated because of their support for terrorist activities and/or their involvement in the Darfur and South Sudan conflicts will remain on the SDN List. Consequently, any US person seeking to do business in Sudan should maintain screening and due diligence processes to detect and prevent any transactions involving these restricted parties.
In addition, the revocation does not affect the U.S. State Department’s designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST). This has several implications.
First, SSTs are subject to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), which requires licenses for all exports of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. To that end, OFAC has issued General License A, which authorizes exports and re-exports of certain TSRA items to Sudan. Companies in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries who wish to do business in Sudan should ensure that they comply with the conditions of General License A.
Second, Sudan’s designation as an SST implicates the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations (TLGSR), which prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transfers from the Government of Sudan that would pose a risk of furthering terrorist acts in the United States.
Third, as an SST, Sudan remains subject to far-reaching export controls implemented through the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This means that the export or re-export to Sudan of items on the Commerce Control List (CCL), part of EAR, continues generally to require a license from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The CCL includes a variety of types of goods, software and technology, including items relating to computers, telecommunications systems, and aerospace. For exports to Sudan of items that are not on the CCL (aka “EAR99 items”), a license is generally not required, but, depending on factors relating to end users and end uses, any of a variety of other export license requirements could apply.
There are a few other practical concerns that should be considered by U.S. companies and individuals who have been doing, or intend to do, business in Sudan. One is the lack of retroactivity in the revocation of sanctions. OFAC has confirmed that the revocation will not affect past, present, or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to activities that were prohibited prior to the embargo’s rescission. Another is the high risk of corruption in the form of bribery and money laundering. Sudan remains one of the most challenging environments for anti-corruption in the world as evidenced by its ranking of 170 out of 176 nations in the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index. Any transaction involving the Government of Sudan or Sudanese officials should thus be rigorously assessed and monitored to ensure compliance with the FCPA and any applicable AML regulations. Finally, that Sudan remains a SST in the eyes of the State Department and contains large groups of sanctioned persons suggests there is a risk that the U.S. could re-impose comprehensive sanctions if there is any breakdown in Sudan’s recent progress towards stability and cooperation.
from News About Securities Fraud http://blogs.orrick.com/securities-litigation/2017/11/10/sudan-now-open-for-business-but-risks-remain/
0 notes
amybkirkusa · 8 years ago
Text
Sudan Now Open for Business, but Risks Remain
On October 12, 2017, the United States made permanent its lifting of a longtime general embargo on trade and investment with Sudan. As a result, U.S. individuals and companies are now generally free to engage in transactions involving Sudan, the Government of Sudan or many formerly sanctioned Sudanese persons without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While this presents opportunities for new business in Sudan, any U.S. person considering business relating to Sudan should be aware of the legal restrictions that remain in place and the risks associated with such an undertaking.
Background
For almost two decades, Executive Orders (EOs) by Presidents Bill Clinton (EO 13067) and George W. Bush (EO 13412), along with the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), have generally prevented U.S. persons from conducting transactions involving the Government of Sudan or certain sanctioned Sudanese persons, importing goods or services of Sudanese origin, exporting any goods or services to Sudan, or performing any contract “in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan,” among other things. This trade and investment embargo was prompted by findings that the Government of Sudan was engaged in support for international terrorism, efforts to destabilize its neighboring countries, and myriad human rights violations.
On January 13, 2017, President Obama issued EO 13761, which observed that the dangerous and unstable situation in Sudan that had prompted sanctions by his predecessors “has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past 6 months.” In particular, the order praised Sudan for “a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.” The order, which was one of President Obama’s final acts in office, called for a conditional return of U.S. trade and investment transactions with Sudan with permanent revocation of sanctions after a six-month monitoring period and approval by certain U.S. agencies. Consistent with this order, OFAC issued a temporary general license on January 17, 2017, authorizing transactions that were previously prohibited by the aforementioned sanctions. As it turns out, the January 17 general license marked the end of the main set of sanctions against Sudan.
On July 11, 2017, President Trump signed EO 13804, which extended the six-month period initially set forth by President Obama to October 12, 2017, so as to permit “a more comprehensive analysis of the Government of Sudan’s actions.” On October 6, 2017, OFAC announced that as of October 12, 2017, the revocation of the SSR and EOs 13067 and 13412 would take permanent effect.
Remaining Restrictions and Risks
As an initial matter, it is important to note that last month’s revocation only applies to those sanctions imposed pursuant to EOs 13067 and 13412. Sanctions imposed pursuant to other Executive Orders, such as those relating to the region of Darfur within Sudan (EO 13400), remain in place. And while a number of Sudanese individuals and entities have now been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), other Sudanese nationals and persons operating in Sudan that were designated because of their support for terrorist activities and/or their involvement in the Darfur and South Sudan conflicts will remain on the SDN List. Consequently, any US person seeking to do business in Sudan should maintain screening and due diligence processes to detect and prevent any transactions involving these restricted parties.
In addition, the revocation does not affect the U.S. State Department’s designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST). This has several implications.
First, SSTs are subject to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), which requires licenses for all exports of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. To that end, OFAC has issued General License A, which authorizes exports and re-exports of certain TSRA items to Sudan. Companies in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries who wish to do business in Sudan should ensure that they comply with the conditions of General License A.
Second, Sudan’s designation as an SST implicates the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations (TLGSR), which prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transfers from the Government of Sudan that would pose a risk of furthering terrorist acts in the United States.
Third, as an SST, Sudan remains subject to far-reaching export controls implemented through the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This means that the export or re-export to Sudan of items on the Commerce Control List (CCL), part of EAR, continues generally to require a license from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The CCL includes a variety of types of goods, software and technology, including items relating to computers, telecommunications systems, and aerospace. For exports to Sudan of items that are not on the CCL (aka “EAR99 items”), a license is generally not required, but, depending on factors relating to end users and end uses, any of a variety of other export license requirements could apply.
There are a few other practical concerns that should be considered by U.S. companies and individuals who have been doing, or intend to do, business in Sudan. One is the lack of retroactivity in the revocation of sanctions. OFAC has confirmed that the revocation will not affect past, present, or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to activities that were prohibited prior to the embargo’s rescission. Another is the high risk of corruption in the form of bribery and money laundering. Sudan remains one of the most challenging environments for anti-corruption in the world as evidenced by its ranking of 170 out of 176 nations in the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index. Any transaction involving the Government of Sudan or Sudanese officials should thus be rigorously assessed and monitored to ensure compliance with the FCPA and any applicable AML regulations. Finally, that Sudan remains a SST in the eyes of the State Department and contains large groups of sanctioned persons suggests there is a risk that the U.S. could re-impose comprehensive sanctions if there is any breakdown in Sudan’s recent progress towards stability and cooperation.
from News About Securities Fraud http://blogs.orrick.com/securities-litigation/2017/11/10/sudan-now-open-for-business-but-risks-remain/
0 notes
amybkirkusa · 8 years ago
Text
Sudan Now Open for Business, but Risks Remain
On October 12, 2017, the United States made permanent its lifting of a longtime general embargo on trade and investment with Sudan. As a result, U.S. individuals and companies are now generally free to engage in transactions involving Sudan, the Government of Sudan or many formerly sanctioned Sudanese persons without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While this presents opportunities for new business in Sudan, any U.S. person considering business relating to Sudan should be aware of the legal restrictions that remain in place and the risks associated with such an undertaking.
Background
For almost two decades, Executive Orders (EOs) by Presidents Bill Clinton (EO 13067) and George W. Bush (EO 13412), along with the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), have generally prevented U.S. persons from conducting transactions involving the Government of Sudan or certain sanctioned Sudanese persons, importing goods or services of Sudanese origin, exporting any goods or services to Sudan, or performing any contract “in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan,” among other things. This trade and investment embargo was prompted by findings that the Government of Sudan was engaged in support for international terrorism, efforts to destabilize its neighboring countries, and myriad human rights violations.
On January 13, 2017, President Obama issued EO 13761, which observed that the dangerous and unstable situation in Sudan that had prompted sanctions by his predecessors “has been altered by Sudan’s positive actions over the past 6 months.” In particular, the order praised Sudan for “a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward the improvement of humanitarian access throughout Sudan, as well as cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.” The order, which was one of President Obama’s final acts in office, called for a conditional return of U.S. trade and investment transactions with Sudan with permanent revocation of sanctions after a six-month monitoring period and approval by certain U.S. agencies. Consistent with this order, OFAC issued a temporary general license on January 17, 2017, authorizing transactions that were previously prohibited by the aforementioned sanctions. As it turns out, the January 17 general license marked the end of the main set of sanctions against Sudan.
On July 11, 2017, President Trump signed EO 13804, which extended the six-month period initially set forth by President Obama to October 12, 2017, so as to permit “a more comprehensive analysis of the Government of Sudan’s actions.” On October 6, 2017, OFAC announced that as of October 12, 2017, the revocation of the SSR and EOs 13067 and 13412 would take permanent effect.
Remaining Restrictions and Risks
As an initial matter, it is important to note that last month’s revocation only applies to those sanctions imposed pursuant to EOs 13067 and 13412. Sanctions imposed pursuant to other Executive Orders, such as those relating to the region of Darfur within Sudan (EO 13400), remain in place. And while a number of Sudanese individuals and entities have now been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), other Sudanese nationals and persons operating in Sudan that were designated because of their support for terrorist activities and/or their involvement in the Darfur and South Sudan conflicts will remain on the SDN List. Consequently, any US person seeking to do business in Sudan should maintain screening and due diligence processes to detect and prevent any transactions involving these restricted parties.
In addition, the revocation does not affect the U.S. State Department’s designation of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST). This has several implications.
First, SSTs are subject to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), which requires licenses for all exports of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices. To that end, OFAC has issued General License A, which authorizes exports and re-exports of certain TSRA items to Sudan. Companies in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries who wish to do business in Sudan should ensure that they comply with the conditions of General License A.
Second, Sudan’s designation as an SST implicates the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations (TLGSR), which prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transfers from the Government of Sudan that would pose a risk of furthering terrorist acts in the United States.
Third, as an SST, Sudan remains subject to far-reaching export controls implemented through the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This means that the export or re-export to Sudan of items on the Commerce Control List (CCL), part of EAR, continues generally to require a license from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The CCL includes a variety of types of goods, software and technology, including items relating to computers, telecommunications systems, and aerospace. For exports to Sudan of items that are not on the CCL (aka “EAR99 items”), a license is generally not required, but, depending on factors relating to end users and end uses, any of a variety of other export license requirements could apply.
There are a few other practical concerns that should be considered by U.S. companies and individuals who have been doing, or intend to do, business in Sudan. One is the lack of retroactivity in the revocation of sanctions. OFAC has confirmed that the revocation will not affect past, present, or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to activities that were prohibited prior to the embargo’s rescission. Another is the high risk of corruption in the form of bribery and money laundering. Sudan remains one of the most challenging environments for anti-corruption in the world as evidenced by its ranking of 170 out of 176 nations in the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index. Any transaction involving the Government of Sudan or Sudanese officials should thus be rigorously assessed and monitored to ensure compliance with the FCPA and any applicable AML regulations. Finally, that Sudan remains a SST in the eyes of the State Department and contains large groups of sanctioned persons suggests there is a risk that the U.S. could re-impose comprehensive sanctions if there is any breakdown in Sudan’s recent progress towards stability and cooperation.
from News About Securities Fraud http://blogs.orrick.com/securities-litigation/2017/11/10/sudan-now-open-for-business-but-risks-remain/
0 notes
cubaverdad · 8 years ago
Text
Bill allowing private financing of food/agriculture exports to Cuba introduced in Senate
Bill allowing private financing of food/agriculture exports to Cuba introduced in Senate BY MIMI WHITEFIELD [email protected] Two farm state senators reintroduced a bill Thursday aimed at making U.S. agricultural exports more competitive in the Cuban market by allowing private financing of ag exports. It was the first Cuba-related bill introduced since President Donald Trump has been in the White House. Three Cuba-related bills were reintroduced in the House in January before he took office. North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and John Boozman, R-AZ, and a bipartisan group of 12 senators reintroduced the Agricultural Export Expansion Act, which would lift a ban on private banks and companies offering credit for agricultural exports to Cuba. Current law requires upfront cash payments for agricultural exports to the island, which farm state legislators say puts them at a disadvantage when competing against exports from other countries whose exporters sell to Cuba on credit. "This small step would help level the playing field for American farmers and exporters while simultaneously exposing Cubans to American ideals, values and products. This bill is a win-win for American farmers and the Cuban people." said Boozman. "Our farmers rely on exports, and exports help create more American jobs," said Heitkamp. "Cuba is a natural market for North Dakota crops like dry beans, peas, and lentils, and there's no good reason for us to restrict farmers' export opportunities—which support good-paying American jobs—by continuing this outdated policy." Since 2001 when the first exports of agricultural and food products were allowed under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act, more than $5.3 billion worth of U.S. agriculture products have been sent to the island, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. In recent years such exports have dropped off from a high of $710.1 million in 2008 to $202.1 million last year. The main U.S. products exported in 2016 were frozen chicken, corn, and soybeans and soybean products. Cuba imports about $2 billion worth of food annually. "Being able to sell our commodities to Cuba just as easily as we sell to other markets like Mexico and Canada would be huge, especially for U.S.-grown rice," said Jeff Rutledge, a Newport, Ark. rice farmer and president of the Arkansas Rice Council. Other factors that have impacted the level of U.S. food and agricultural sales to Cuba have been Havana's lack of foreign exchange, shifting commodity prices, restrictions based on an avian flu outbreak in the United States that affected poultry exports in 2015, and a Cuban government policy that at times has rewarded companies that lobby for the lifting of the embargo. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) joined in cosponsoring the agricultural financing bill, which was first introduced in 2015. FOLLOW MIMI WHITEFIELD ON TWITTER: @HERALDMIMI Source: Bill introduced to allow private financing of ag exports to Cuba | Miami Herald - http://ift.tt/2kmzrF6 via Blogger http://ift.tt/2l0iVOe
0 notes