Hello Kurt.
12 Sep 19 10:24, you wrote to metalhead:
me>> Illegal immigrants are on their way out the door. Need more?
KW> Yes. How does your statement back up your claim above?
By freeing up money and resources to be used on citizens, not illegal aliens.
(NB: "Illegal immigrants" isn't the right term since "immigrant" insinuates
legal channels being followed but you know, that sounds comforting to the PC
crowd.)
Employment is now at 157,878,000 people according to the BLS (I'll let you look
up specifics). That's an increase of 590,000 people since July. The
unemployment rates for blacks is at 5.5% and for Hispanics, it's 4.2% as of
August. Both are record lows.
This next list is a little old, from October 2018, but here's a list of 289
accomplishments made by Trump and his administration. You'll note that many of
these weren't covered by the MSM since they're sycophants of the progressive
gods.
(Apologies for errors in formatting; I used Links to dump this to a
CP437-compatible text file and there may be mistakes that I didn't catch.)
From:
https://tinyurl.com/y3vlvvnd (washingtonexaminer.com)
=== Cut ===
Trump's list: 289 accomplishments in just 20 months, `relentless'
promise-keeping
by Paul Bedard | October 12, 2018 08:43 AM
The Trump administration's often overlooked list of achievements has
surpassed those of former President Ronald Reagan at this time and more
than doubled since the last tally of accomplishments after his first year
in office, giving President Trump a solid platform to run for re-election
on.
As Trump nears the two-year mark of his historic election and conducts
political rallies around the country, during which he talks up his wins in
hopes it will energize Republican voters, the administration has counted
up 289 accomplishments in 18 categories, capped by the confirmation of
Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
They include 173 major wins, such as adding more than 4 million jobs, and
another 116 smaller victories, some with outsize importance, such as the
83 percent one-year increase in arrests of MS-13 gang members.
"Trump's successes in reducing the cost of taxes and regulations,
rebuilding our military, avoiding wars of choice and changing the courts
rival those of all previous Republican presidents," said Grover Norquist,
president of Americans for Tax Reform.
"Trump has an advantage over Ronald Reagan: He has a Reagan Republican
House and Senate while Reagan had a [Democratic Speaker] Tip O'Neill House
and a pre-Reagan Republican Senate. Reagan and [former GOP Speaker] Newt
Gingrich were the ice breakers that allowed Trump's victories to grow in
number and significance," he added.
Unlike the Year One list which included many proposals and orders still to
be acted on, the new collection includes dozens of actions already in
place, signed legislation, and enforced executive orders.
For example, while the Year One list bragged about the administration's
efforts to rewrite the much-maligned NAFTA trade deal with Canada and
Mexico, the Year Two list said: "Negotiated an historic U.S.-Mexico-Canada
Trade Agreement to replace NAFTA."
And shockingly the NAFTA achievement is presented as a sidebar to the
larger achievement that reads, "President Trump is negotiating and
renegotiating better trade deals, achieving free, fair, and reciprocal
trade for the United States." Under that umbrella are eight trade deals
cut with Japan, South Korea, Europe and China.
"President Trump is a truly unique leader in American history. He's a kid
from Queens who became an international business leader and made billions
by getting things when no one said he could," said Trump's 2016 campaign
pollster John McLaughlin.
"They told him he couldn't be president and beat the establishment and he
did. For two years the establishment is telling him he can't do things in
Washington and he's succeeding in spite of them. He never retreats. He
doesn't back up. He's relentless. He just wins," he added.
Comparing the two years shows that the latest has an expanded group of
economic achievements while the pro-life category was folded into the
health care section.
Massive overflow crowd tonight in Erie, Pennsylvania. THANK YOU to
everyone who came out and joined us. Together, we are MAKING AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/FkPNNVpccX
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2018
Along the way, there have been some disappointments, such as failing to
replace Obamacare, fund a big infrastructure plan, and build the border
wall.
But the White House believes that despite a lack of media coverage of his
accomplishments, supporters know about them and will head to the voting
polls to help the GOP maintain control of the House and keep the president
on what CNN dubbed a "winning streak."
In the Washington Post Friday, former Bush speechwriter and columnist Marc
Thiessen agreed and said that Trump has proven to be successful at keeping
his campaign promises. He wrote, "The fact is, in his first two years,
Trump has compiled a remarkable record of presidential promise-keeping."
The list:
Economic Growth
* 4.2 percent growth in the second quarter of 2018.
* For the first time in more than a decade, growth is projected to
exceed 3 percent over the calendar year.
Jobs
* 4 million new jobs have been created since the election, and more than
3.5 million since Trump took office.
* More Americans are employed now than ever before in our history.
* Jobless claims at lowest level in nearly five decades.
* The economy has achieved the longest positive job-growth streak on
record.
* Job openings are at an all-time high and outnumber job seekers for the
first time on record.
* Unemployment claims at 50 year low
* African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American unemployment rates have
all recently reached record lows.
* African-American unemployment hit a record low of 5.9 percent in
May 2018.
* Hispanic unemployment at 4.5 percent.
* Asian-American unemployment at record low of 2 percent.
* Women's unemployment recently at lowest rate in nearly 65 years.
* Female unemployment dropped to 3.6 percent in May 2018, the
lowest since October 1953.
* Youth unemployment recently reached its lowest level in more than 50
years.
* July 2018's youth unemployment rate of 9.2 percent was the lowest
since July 1966.
* Veterans' unemployment recently hit its lowest level in nearly two
decades.
* July 2018's veterans' unemployment rate of 3.0 percent matched
the lowest rate since May 2001.
* Unemployment rate for Americans without a high school diploma recently
reached a record low.
* Rate for disabled Americans recently hit a record low.
* Blue-collar jobs recently grew at the fastest rate in more than three
decades.
* Poll found that 85 percent of blue-collar workers believe their lives
are headed "in the right direction."
* 68 percent reported receiving a pay increase in the past year.
* Last year, job satisfaction among American workers hit its highest
level since 2005.
* Nearly two-thirds of Americans rate now as a good time to find a
quality job.
* Optimism about the availability of good jobs has grown by 25
percent.
* Added more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since the election.
* Manufacturing employment is growing at its fastest pace in more
than two decades.
* 100,000 new jobs supporting the production & transport of oil &
natural gas.
American Income
* Median household income rose to $61,372 in 2017, a post-recession
high.
* Wages up in August by their fastest rate since June 2009.
* Paychecks rose by 3.3 percent between 2016 and 2017, the most in a
decade.
* Council of Economic Advisers found that real wage compensation has
grown by 1.4 percent over the past year.
* Some 3.9 million Americans off food stamps since the election.
* Median income for Hispanic-Americans rose by 3.7 percent and surpassed
$50,000 for the first time ever in history.
* Home-ownership among Hispanics is at the highest rate in nearly a
decade.
* Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have
reached their lowest levels ever recorded.
American Optimism
* Small business optimism has hit historic highs.
* NFIB's small business optimism index broke a 35 year-old record
in August.
* SurveyMonkey/CNBC's small business confidence survey for Q3 of
2018 matched its all-time high.
* Manufacturers are more confident than ever.
* 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future,
the highest ever.
* Consumer confidence is at an 18-year high.
* 12 percent of Americans rate the economy as the most significant
problem facing our country, the lowest level on record.
* Confidence in the economy is near a two-decade high, with 51 percent
rating the economy as good or excellent.
American Business
* Investment is flooding back into the United States due to the tax
cuts.
* Over $450 billion dollars has already poured back into the U.S.,
including more than $300 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
* Retail sales have surged. Commerce Department figures from August show
that retail sales increased 0.5 percent in July 2018, an increase of
6.4 percent from July 2017.
* ISM's index of manufacturing scored its highest reading in 14 years.
* Worker productivity is the highest it has been in more than three
years.
* Steel and aluminum producers are re-opening.
* Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and NASDAQ have all notched
record highs.
* Dow hit record highs 70 times in 2017 alone, the most ever
recorded in one year.
Deregulation
* Achieved massive deregulation at a rapid pace, completing 22
deregulatory actions to every one regulatory action during his first
year in office.
* Signed legislation to roll back costly and harmful provisions of
Dodd-Frank, providing relief to credit unions, and community and
regional banks.
* Federal agencies achieved more than $8 billion in lifetime net
regulatory cost savings.
* Rolled back Obama's burdensome Waters of the U.S. rule.
* Used the Congressional Review Act to repeal regulations more times
than in history.
Tax Cuts
* Biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history by signing the Tax
Cuts and Jobs act into law
* Provided more than $5.5 trillion in gross tax cuts, nearly 60
percent of which will go to families.
* Increased the exemption for the death tax to help save Family
Farms & Small Business.
* Nearly doubled the standard deduction for individuals and
families.
* Enabled vast majority of American families will be able to file
their taxes on a single page by claiming the standard deduction.
* Doubled the child tax credit to help lessen the financial burden
of raising a family.
* Lowered America's corporate tax rate from the highest in the
developed world to allow American businesses to compete and win.
* Small businesses can now deduct 20 percent of their business
income.
* Cut dozens of special interest tax breaks and closed loopholes
for the wealthy.
* 9 in 10 American workers are expected see an increase in their
paychecks thanks to the tax cuts, according to the Treasury
Department.
* More than 6 million of American workers have received wage increases,
bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to tax cuts.
* Over 100 utility companies have lowered electric, gas, or water rates
thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
* Ernst & Young found 89 percent of companies planned to increase worker
compensation thanks to the Trump tax cuts.
* Established opportunity zones to spur investment in left behind
communities.
Worker Development
* Established a National Council for the American Worker to develop a
national strategy for training and retraining America's workers for
high-demand industries.
* Employers have signed Trump's "Pledge to America's Workers,"
committing to train or retrain more than 4.2 million workers and
students.
* Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing
more than $1 billion for states each year to fund vocational and
career education programs.
* Executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students
and workers.
Domestic Infrastructure
* Proposed infrastructure plan would utilize $200 billion in Federal
funds to spur at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment
across the country.
* Executive order expediting environmental reviews and approvals for
high priority infrastructure projects.
* Federal agencies have signed the One Federal Decision Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) streamlining the federal permitting process for
infrastructure projects.
* Rural prosperity task force and signed an executive order to help
expand broadband access in rural areas.
Health Care
* Signed an executive order to help minimize the financial burden felt
by American households Signed legislation to improve the National
Suicide Hotline.
* Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into
law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve
treatments.
* Signed Right-to-Try legislation, expanding health care options for
terminally ill patients.
* Enacted changes to the Medicare 340B program, saving seniors an
estimated $320 million on drugs in 2018 alone.
* FDA set a new record for generic drug approvals in 2017, saving
consumers nearly $9 billion.
* Released a blueprint to drive down drug prices for American patients,
leading multiple major drug companies to announce they will freeze or
reverse price increases.
* Expanded short-term, limited-duration health plans.
* Let more employers to form Association Health Plans, enabling more
small businesses to join together and affordably provide health
insurance to their employees.
* Cut Obamacare's burdensome individual mandate penalty.
* Signed legislation repealing Obamacare's Independent Payment Advisory
Board, also known as the "death panels."
* USDA invested more than $1 billion in rural health care in 2017,
improving access to health care for 2.5 million people in rural
communities across 41 states
* Proposed Title X rule to help ensure taxpayers do not fund the
abortion industry in violation of the law.
* Reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy to keep foreign aid
from supporting the global abortion industry.
* HHS formed a new division over protecting the rights of conscience and
religious freedom.
* Overturned Obama administration's midnight regulation prohibiting
states from defunding certain abortion facilities.
* Signed executive order to help ensure that religious organizations are
not forced to choose between violating their religious beliefs by
complying with Obamacare's contraceptive mandate or shutting their
doors.
Combating Opioids
* Chaired meeting the 73rd General Session of the United Nations
discussing the worldwide drug problem with international leaders.
* Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand,
introducing new measures to keep dangerous drugs out of our
communities.
* $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
* DEA conducted a surge in April 2018 that arrested 28 medical
professions and revoked 147 registrations for prescribing too many
opioids.
* Brought the "Prescribed to Death" memorial to President's Park near
the White House, helping raise awareness about the human toll of the
opioid crisis.
* Helped reduce high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent in 2017.
* Opioid Summit on the administration-wide efforts to combat the opioid
crisis.
* Launched a national public awareness campaign about the dangers of
opioid addiction.
* Created a Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
which recommended a number of pathways to tackle the opioid crisis.
* Led two National Prescription Drug Take Back Days in 2017 and 2018,
collecting a record number of expired and unneeded prescription drugs
each time.
* $485 million targeted grants in FY 2017 to help areas hit hardest by
the opioid crisis.
* Signed INTERDICT Act, strengthening efforts to detect and intercept
synthetic opioids before they reach our communities.
* DOJ secured its first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl
manufacturers.
* Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team, aimed at
disrupting online illicit opioid sales.
* Declared the opioid crisis a Nationwide Public Health Emergency in
October 2017.
Law and Order
* More U.S. Circuit Court judges confirmed in the first year in office
than ever.
* Confirmed more than two dozen U. S. Circuit Court judges.
* Followed through on the promise to nominate judges to the Supreme
Court who will adhere to the Constitution
* Nominated and confirmed Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh
to the Supreme Court.
* Signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to develop a
strategy to more effectively prosecute people who commit crimes
against law enforcement officers.
* Launched an evaluation of grant programs to make sure they prioritize
the protection and safety of law enforcement officers.
* Established a task force to reduce crime and restore public safety in
communities across Signed an executive order to focus more federal
resources on dismantling transnational criminal organizations such as
drug cartels.
* Signed an executive order to focus more federal resources on
dismantling transnational criminal organizations such as drug cartels.
* Violent crime decreased in 2017 according to FBI statistics.
* $137 million in grants through the COPS Hiring Program to preserve
jobs, increase community policing capacities, and support crime
prevention efforts.
* Enhanced and updated the Project Safe Neighborhoods to help reduce
violent crime.
* Signed legislation making it easier to target websites that enable sex
trafficking and strengthened penalties for people who promote or
facilitate prostitution.
* Created an interagency task force working around the clock to
prosecute traffickers, protect victims, and prevent human trafficking.
* Conducted Operation Cross Country XI to combat human trafficking,
rescuing 84 children and arresting 120 human traffickers.
* Encouraged federal prosecutors to use the death penalty when possible
in the fight against the trafficking of deadly drugs.
* New rule effectively banning bump stock sales in the United States.
Border Security and Immigration
* Secured $1.6 billion for border wall construction in the March 2018
omnibus bill.
* Construction of a 14-mile section of border wall began near San Diego.
* Worked to protect American communities from the threat posed by the
vile MS-13 gang.
* ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division arrested 796
MS-13 members and associates in FY 2017, an 83 percent increase
from the prior year.
* Justice worked with partners in Central America to secure
criminal charges against more than 4,000 MS-13 members.
* Border Patrol agents arrested 228 illegal aliens affiliated with
MS-13 in FY 2017.
* Fighting to stop the scourge of illegal drugs at our border.
* ICE HSI seized more than 980,000 pounds of narcotics in FY 2017,
including 2,370 pounds of fentanyl and 6,967 pounds of heroin.
* ICE HSI dedicated nearly 630,000 investigative hours towards
halting the illegal import of fentanyl.
* ICE HSI made 11,691 narcotics-related arrests in FY 2017.
* Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand introduced
new measures to keep dangerous drugs out the United States.
* Signed the INTERDICT Act into law, enhancing efforts to detect
and intercept synthetic opioids.
* DOJ secured its first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl
manufacturers.
* DOJ launched their Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement
(J-CODE) team, aimed at disrupting online illicit opioid sales.
* Released an immigration framework that includes the resources required
to secure our borders and close legal loopholes, and repeatedly called
on Congress to fix our broken immigration laws.
* Authorized the deployment of the National Guard to help secure the
border.
* Enhanced vetting of individuals entering the U.S. from countries that
don't meet security standards, helping to ensure individuals who pose
a threat to our country are identified before they enter.
* These procedures were upheld in a June 2018 Supreme Court
hearing.
* ICE removed over 226,000 illegal aliens from the United States in
2017.
* ICE rescued or identified over 500 human trafficking victims and
over 900 child exploitation victims in 2017 alone.
* In 2017, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more
than 127,000 aliens with criminal convictions or charges, responsible
for
* Over 76,000 with dangerous drug offenses.
* More than 48,000 with assault offenses.
* More than 11,000 with weapons offenses.
* More than 5,000 with sexual assault offenses.
* More than 2,000 with kidnapping offenses.
* Over 1,800 with homicide offenses.
* Created the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office in
order to support the victims and families affected by illegal alien
crime.
* More than doubled the number of counties participating in the 287(g)
program, which allows jails to detain criminal aliens until they are
transferred to ICE custody.
Trade
* Negotiating and renegotiating better trade deals, achieving free,
fair, and reciprocal trade for the United States.
* Agreed to work with the European Union towards zero tariffs, zero
non-tariff barriers, and zero subsides.
* Deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to
Europe.
* Litigated multiple WTO disputes targeting unfair trade practices
and upholding our right to enact fair trade laws.
* Finalized a revised trade agreement with South Korea, which
includes provisions to increase American automobile exports.
* Negotiated an historic U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement to
replace NAFTA.
* Agreement to begin trade negotiations for a U.S.-Japan trade
agreement.
* Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China
and $12 billion in Vietnam.
* Established a Trade and Investment Working Group with the United
Kingdom, laying the groundwork for post-Brexit trade.
* Enacted steel and aluminum tariffs to protect our vital steel and
aluminum producers and strengthen our national security.
* Conducted 82 anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations in
2017 alone.
* Confronting China's unfair trade practices after years of Washington
looking the other way.
* 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China and
later imposed an additional 10% tariff on $200 billion of Chinese
goods.
* Conducted an investigation into Chinese forced technology
transfers, unfair licensing practices, and intellectual property
theft.
* Imposed safeguard tariffs to protect domestic washing machines
and solar products manufacturers hurt by China's trade policies
* Withdrew from the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
* Secured access to new markets for America's farmers.
* Recent deal with Mexico included new improvements enabling food
and agriculture to trade more fairly.
* Recent agreement with the E.U. will reduce barriers and increase
trade of American soybeans to Europe.
* Won a WTO dispute regarding Indonesia's unfair restriction of
U.S. agricultural exports.
* Defended American Tuna fisherman and packagers before the WTO
* Opened up Argentina to American pork experts for the first time
in a quarter-century
* American beef exports have returned to china for the first time
in more than a decade
* OK'd up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade
retaliation.
Energy
* Presidential Memorandum to clear roadblocks to construction of the
Keystone XL Pipeline.
* Presidential Memorandum declaring that the Dakota Access Pipeline
serves the national interest and initiating the process to complete
construction.
* Opened up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration.
* Coal exports up over 60 percent in 2017.
* Rolled back the "stream protection rule" to prevent it from harming
America's coal industry.
* Cancelled Obama's anti-coal Clean Power Plan and proposed the
Affordable Clean Energy Rule as a replacement.
* Withdrew from the job-killing Paris climate agreement, which would
have cost the U.S. nearly $3 trillion and led to 6.5 million fewer
industrial sector jobs by 2040.
* U.S. oil production has achieved its highest level in American history
* United States is now the largest crude oil producer in the world.
* U.S. has become a net natural gas exporter for the first time in six
decades.
* Action to expedite the identification and extraction of critical
minerals that are vital to the nation's security and economic
prosperity.
* Took action to reform National Ambient Air Quality Standards,
benefitting American manufacturers.
* Rescinded Obama's hydraulic fracturing rule, which was expected to
cost the industry $32 million per year.
* Proposed an expansion of offshore drilling as part of an all-of-the
above energy strategy
* Held a lease sale for offshore oil and gas leases in the Gulf of
Mexico in August 2018.
* Got EU to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the
United States.
* Issued permits for the New Burgos Pipeline that will cross the
U.S.-Mexico border.
Foreign Policy
* Moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
* Withdrew from Iran deal and immediately began the process of
re-imposing sanctions that had been lifted or waived.
* Treasury has issued sanctions targeting Iranian activities and
entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods
Force
* Since enacting sanctions, Iran's crude exports have fallen off,
the value of Iran's currency has plummeted, and international
companies have pulled out of the country.
* All nuclear-related sanctions will be back in full force by early
November 2018.
* Historic summit with North Korean President Kim Jong-Un, bringing
beginnings of peace and denuclearization to the Korean Peninsula.
* The two leaders have exchanged letters and high-level officials
from both sides have met resulting in tremendous progress.
* North Korea has halted nuclear and missile tests.
* Negotiated the return of the remains of missing-in-action
soldiers from the Korean War.
* Imposed strong sanctions on Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro and
his inner circle.
* Executive order preventing those in the U.S. from carrying out certain
transactions with the Venezuelan regime, including prohibiting the
purchase of the regime's debt.
* Responded to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.
* Rolled out sanctions targeting individuals and entities tied to
Syria's chemical weapons program.
* Directed strikes in April 2017 against a Syrian airfield used in
a chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians.
* Joined allies in launching airstrikes in April 2018 against
targets associated with Syria's chemical weapons use.
* New Cuba policy that enhanced compliance with U.S. law and held the
Cuban regime accountable for political oppression and human rights
abuses.
* Treasury and State are working to channel economic activity away
from the Cuban regime, particularly the military.
* Changed the rules of engagement, empowering commanders to take the
fight to ISIS.
* ISIS has lost virtually all of its territory, more than half of
which has been lost under Trump.
* ISIS' self-proclaimed capital city, Raqqah, was liberated in
October 2017.
* All Iraqi territory had been liberated from ISIS.
* More than a dozen American hostages have been freed from captivity all
of the world.
* Action to combat Russia's malign activities, including their efforts
to undermine the sanctity of United States elections.
* Expelled dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United
States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in
Seattle, WA.
* Banned the use of Kaspersky Labs software on government
computers, due to the company's ties to Russian intelligence.
* Imposed sanctions against five Russian entities and three
individuals for enabling Russia's military and intelligence units
to increase Russia's offensive cyber capabilities.
* Sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs, and 12 companies they
own or control, who profit from Russia's destabilizing
activities.
* Sanctioned 100 targets in response to Russia's occupation of
Crimea and aggression in Eastern Ukraine.
* Enhanced support for Ukraine's Armed Forces to help Ukraine
better defend itself.
* Helped win U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
* Helped win U.S.-Mexico-Canada's united bid for 2026 World Cup.
Defense
* Executive order keeping the detention facilities at U.S. Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay open.
* $700 billion in military funding for FY 2018 and $716 billion for FY
2019.
* Largest military pay raise in nearly a decade.
* Ordered a Nuclear Posture Review to ensure America's nuclear forces
are up to date and serve as a credible deterrent.
* Released America's first fully articulated cyber strategy in 15 years.
* New strategy on national biodefense, which better prepares the nation
to defend against biological threats.
* Administration has announced that it will use whatever means necessary
to protect American citizens and servicemen from unjust prosecution by
the International Criminal Court.
* Released an America first National Security Strategy.
* Put in motion the launch of a Space Force as a new branch of the
military and relaunched the National Space Council.
* Encouraged North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to
increase defense spending to their agree-upon levels.
* In 2017 alone, there was an increase of more than 4.8 percent in
defense spending amongst NATO allies.
* Every member state has increased defense spending.
* Eight NATO allies will reach the 2 percent benchmark by the end
of 2018 and 15 allies are on trade to do so by 2024.
* NATO allies spent over $42 billion dollars more on defense since
2016.
* Executive order to help military spouses find employment as their
families deploy domestically and abroad.
Veterans affairs
* Signed the VA Accountability Act and expanded VA telehealth services,
walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care.
* Delivered more appeals decisions - 81,000 - to veterans in a single
year than ever before.
* Strengthened protections for individuals who come forward and identify
programs occurring within the VA.
* Signed legislation that provided $86.5 billion in funding for the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest dollar amount in
history for the VA.
* VA MISSION Act, enacting sweeping reform to the VA system that:
* Consolidated and strengthened VA community care programs.
* Funding for the Veterans Choice program.
* Expanded eligibility for the Family Caregivers Program.
* Gave veterans more access to walk-in care.
* Strengthened the VA's ability to recruit and retain quality
healthcare professionals.
* Enabled the VA to modernize its assets and infrastructure.
* Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act in 2017, which
authorized $2.1 billion in addition funds for the Veterans Choice
Program.
* Worked to shift veterans' electronic medical records to the same
system used by the Department of Defense, a decades old priority.
* Issued an executive order requiring the Secretaries of Defense,
Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to submit a joint plan to
provide veterans access to access to mental health treatment as they
transition to civilian life.
* Increased transparency and accountability at the VA by launching an
online "Access and Quality Tool," providing veterans with access to
wait time and quality of care data.
* Signed legislation to modernize the claims and appeal process at the
VA.
* Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, providing
enhanced educational benefits to veterans, service members, and their
family members.
* Lifted a 15-year limit on veterans' access to their educational
benefits.
* Created a White House VA Hotline to help veterans and principally
staffed it with veterans and direct family members of veterans.
* VA employees are being held accountable for poor performance, with
more than 4,000 VA employees removed, demoted, and suspended so far.
* Signed the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act, increasing the
number of VA employees that can assist justice-involved veterans.
=== Cut ===
Later,
Sean
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Friendly Debate (18+ please) 
