Within the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, he has signed more memorandums than any other president since Franklin Roosevelt. Along with major memos, such as his now-nullified travel ban and Environmental Protection Agency silence, he also signed minor memorandums that slipped past the public eye. Although these memorandums may lack notoriety, they have the potential to wreak monumental havoc on the American people.
Fantasy to reality
Many of Trump’s campaign promises, such as banning Muslims and creating a massive border wall, seemed like a comedy sketch when he spoke about them every time he stood behind a podium with his iconic campaign logo attached to the front. Thanks to executive orders, which hold the power to surpass the power of congress, these unrealistic wishes became realities.
Although these orders seem intimidating, his smaller, ambiguous memorandums could create far greater problems for this nation in the time to come.
Presidential memorandums hold a heavy bearing, but sneak by the public eye easily. These documents hold less preference in action than executive orders, but still require implementation within the government. Memorandums like the revocation of the Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning memorandum signed by former President Obama shuffled by quietly. The signature on this document signified the termination of funding for health insurance in Mexico City, hereby leaving Mexican citizens within the city the possibility of revocation of their health care.
Problematic losses
Another memorandum that could harm the American people is the Presidential Memorandum on Fiduciary Duty Rule, which froze an extremely important law that benefits clients in financial markets. This freeze is problematic because it could result in major losses at market for consumers.
Other executive orders, such as the Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officers, seems vaguely-worded and could potentially have harmful effects on the current policies and laws on incriminating those who commit crimes against officials. This could become problematic in situations where the use of violence was out of self-defense. This executive order, although having a positive and innocent intent, could tip the scales of equity in particular situations of police brutality.
Irreparable harm
The executive order that could, by far, affect students the most is the Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda. This order states that for every new regulation implemented by any parts of the federal government, two with standing regulations must be identified for elimination. At first glance, this order seeks to cut down federal spending, which is generally a good thing to do. Thinking about this deeply, though, this could do irreparable harm because new regulations could be created for the sole sake of terminating two other unnecessary regulations that Trump’s administration seeks to eradicate.
As students, paying attention to small executive orders and memorandums can reap large benefits. From the start of his presidency, Trump signed executive orders that could do large damage to students, such as signing a order to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Orders like these and the enforcement of the regulatory reform agenda could have realistic effects in the years. Now more than ever, students need to pay attention to all orders signed by the president, big or small.
