Here is the fact: Donald Trump ran on the Republican ticket and the Senate has a GOP majority, which is the party that has promised to rid the nation of ObamaCare for the last seven years. As if that little piece of truth isn’t bad enough for the Donald Trump administration, the news gets worse for the Trump supporters.
Forget the noise about the palace intrigue and the scandals surrounding Trump and focus on the reality of the U.S. governance model.
Any long-term legislation must be approved by the Congress. That is the nature of the U.S. democracy, i.e. the checks-and-balances of the three parts of government.
Donald Trump has been telling those that are willing to listen to him that he has done more than any other president in history. Trump uses the numerous executive orders that he has signed to support his argument.
What Donald Trump has neglected to tell you and what his surrogates are hoping you do not notice is that presidential executive orders have limited shelf life and the inability to fundamentally change the public policy of the nation.
There are two things we can look at to prove this.
The first is that Donald Trump has trumpeted up the number of executive orders that he has issued to reverse or remove Barack Obama executive orders. The fact that Trump can use his executive orders to remove his predecessor’s executive orders clearly demonstrates that executive orders have a finite shelf life. They cannot be used to create long-term public policy.
The inability to repeal ObamaCare also demonstrates that presidential executive orders have inherent limits. If an executive order had the power to change national public policy then ObamaCare would be thing of the past.
That ObamaCare is still the law of the land proves that public policy can only be created through the legislature, which is Congress.
In this is where it all goes wrong for Donald Trump. Even with his party in control of both houses of Congress, Donald Trump has been unable to deliver the single most important legislation that both him, and his party both agree on – the repeal of ObamaCare.
Trump and surrogates are blaming the Democrats, who have no power to impede the revocation of ObamaCare, or to the so-called “swamp” politics of the nation. Lost in the misdirection attempts is that neither of these two issues would stop the repeal of ObamaCare if the Republican Congress had any belief in the legitimacy of the Donald Trump presidency.
Obviously, they do not.
Because of that, the Donald Trump presidency will likely go down in history and the “do nothing” presidency.
It was predictable from months ago the republicans would not repeal something as important and fundamental as Obamacare (i just love that name!). But trumps supporters really dont care if he “delivers.” They didnt vote for him to deliver. They voted for him to do what he is doing, attacking, villifying, and bringing the house down. That’s it. Thats what my trump supporting friends say. Its interesting to me bc trump has created so much chaos and he doesnt seem to be in tune with his soul brother in korea. Its a dangerous time indeed.
Martin
So finally you are getting it at least at some base level power resides in Congress not the presidency. Yep it’s all gone wrong my behind! The economy is rolling along.The Dow will break 22 thousand very soon. 401 K values are soaring! National debt is falling like a rock! People are getting jobs for a change. Martin as the saying goes it the economy stupid most everything else is secondary and that is why the left lost the last election because they did not get this fact. Apparently you do not get this fact either.
Hi martin thank you for writing another great blog in impeccable english, your third language. Thank you for sharing the fruits of your beautiful mexican education with all of us. Thank you for all your well thought out and researched facts. One good thing, when you finally retire in mexico you can still write your stinging blogs as the internet crosses borders, just like people and ideas do!
The economy grew at over 2% last quarter (something economists were saying couldn’t happen). Unemployment is down to 4% nationally and is 3% in some areas. Jobs are reshoring and manufacturing investments are being announced. And, if Foxconn does follow through on its promise to create 3,000 jobs in Wisconsin for a factory making large flat panel displays (their track record is sketchy), it will be because Mexico’s President supported taxing the hell out of the TV industry. The ACA repeal failed because the GOP (and Dems) are stilled owned by insurance companies who like being on the government dole. Eventually, someone will listen to Rand Paul and we’ll get a healthcare insurance system that makes sense for consumers, but it won’t happen until ACA fully implodes.
I cannot prophesie but it is unlikely the congress will allow obamacare to fail. Thats my bet.
anglocentric
And our GDP is up by 2,6% but the sky is falling!
Also the health insurance and health care industries have given Congress more than a billion dollars and this year shaping up to be a banner year for these interest lobbyist dollars to Congress.
theresa Obamacare it dead and Congress will do nothing because when Obamacare totally goes down the toilet then the Health insurance industry can charge the highest price possible for the least amount of coverage and the American consumers have to buy into it by law. You guys just do not get it this was the ultimate out come of ACA from the start with that ACA would fail and the American people would be on the hook to the insurance industries.
It could be that obama care will dissintegrate but my feeling is it wont. Congress will save it and it should. Americans are not willing to go back to the old just fend for yourself system, just like we have become accustomed to free inoculations. Getting your shots if you want them is not in question
It’s look just down right terrible!
S GDP Summary
Last Value: 19.23T
Latest Period: Jun 2017
Updated: Jul 28, 2017, 08:34 EDT
Next Release: Aug 30, 2017, 08:30 EDT (R)
Frequency: Quarterly
Unit: USD
Adjustment: Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate
Average Growth Rate: 6.29%
Value Previously: 19.06T
Change From Previous: 0.89%
Value One Year Ago: 18.54T
Change From One Year Ago: 3.72%
First Period: Mar 1947
First Value: 243.10B
theresa average Americans do not have nearly three hundred million to match these interest lobbyist dollars to Congress this year so whose interest will hold sway?
thersa you are gullible if you think the leadership in Congress, Republicans or Democrats, give a rat’s behind about the average American people getting affordable health insurance or health care much less the working poor or the poor. Snowball has a better chance on a hot griddle than Congress doing anything about saving ACA this year much less next year.
When el trompas made all those promises he claimed that he and he alone would do it all.
Obviously he doesn’t seem to know how government works, he thinks it’s his fiefdom to do as he pleases. He threatens, he humiliates, and goes after individuals on a very personal level, certainly not the qualities of a leader, a statesman. He’s a flawed little-boy-man who’s more interested in his twitter-chismes to satiate his sadistic nature than getting things done.
The Rs aren’t too willing to go after Obamacare because it has worked in a positive way for many of their R-constituents. Hence we saw them running, hiding, and avoiding town hall meetings.
Pati
Please do tell us how the Republicans letting Obamcare fail endears them to their Republicans constituents. This one we want to hear!
I shouldn’t have to explain this to you and the little angry man who resides in your head (you’re always with this we-weakness, I have to assume that there’s a little angry man in your head) but those reports of the Rs running, hiding (with nothing left to save but their political lives) were all over the MSN and the Intertubes.
I listened to the call-ins when C-SPAN covered the ACA and callers who identified themselves as Republican voters talked how ACA has been a life saver, especially for those with cancer and diabetes. C-SPAN dedicated many programs to this topic.
Currently in the news is the trompatista Tomi Lahren denouncing Obamacare but admitting how ACA helps her because she is covered by mommy’s and daddy’s insurance. When it serves the Rs it’s ACA but when it serves some else it’s Obamacare.
Me thinks that you and that little angry man in your head have been too busy ranting, driving yourselves insane when someone differs in their opinion to that of the two of yous (or more in case there are more little angry men in your heads – like Babushka dolls).
I think/guess that while the congress may not care about the average american, they do care about their own reelection. I do believe that there will be hell to pay if they take away the threads of a very necessary safety net. But believe me, i could very well be wrong.
Hi Martin
Can you tell us what is going on with Gonzalez and demoting Kurt Fenstermacher. It sounds as if something sinister is going on. Thanks.
Just saw on the news how scaramuchi just got his walking papers after ten whole days on the job. Trump changes his staffers amost as often as he switches out his wives!
lol, if Obama is so good why did the premiums skyrocket, leaving people without insurance? Why did the people choose the penalties over the costs of insurance? Why did Obamacare on its best day leave 4 million uninsured ? Why did people lose theirs Doctor although promised they wouldn’t ? If Obamacare so good why did the US legislature develop several reasons why they should not lose their elite insurance to Obamacare?
Anyone can tour the world giving tax dollars to those that hate us. Anyone can insult our nation while apologizing and bowing. Anyone can sign executive orders instead of seeking a concenus from the congress. Anyone can vacation the world instead of governing. Changing wives ? It’s ok to ignore the wife and flirt in public with other women ? Anyone can sabotage a new President and refuse to accept the fact that they are no longer in office. Anyone can open our borders to potential danger. This better to change staffers that keep those that develop policy that favors our enemies.
The list is endless and common sense observations/conclusions.
I see a small brain trapped in a small body and blind to the truth.
I wish obama had taken more vacations. He didnt take enough as we see from the example set by trump. I never heard that obama flirted but so what if he did. And he is so charming and elegant. Obama and his wife and kids are classy and educated. The difference between them and the trumps is startling. Melania, the pole dancer, delivered a pathetic version of mrs obamas speech. The only thing smart she has done that i can see is plagiarize the brilliant and accomplished mrs. Obama. But poor melania is the third wife and does not have much standing in the family or in the country. She’s still “thinking” about what project shes going to work on in her role as first lady. Not too much brain power there. The longer the trumps are in the limelight the better for us admirers of the classy obamas. And it is so amusing to watch the bigots who have never reconciled the fact that a black man and his very black family were the first family of the country and the white house was their home. The bigots are shrieking, swinging from the trees. Its good fun to watch especialky when juxtaposed with the trumps.
theresa
Guess you missed along the way that Micheal Obama was accused of plagiarism in a couple of her speeches too. Please give us a break with the pom pom cheer leading of how great the Obama’s were. Yep Trump is so bad the Dow break 22,000. theresa if you have a 401 k give the money back from your soaring 401K profits and or donate them to charity if you do not you are a hypocrite!