Here’s a List of Obama-Era Policies Trump Has Obliterated

As part of his 2016 Presidential Election Campaign, and following his success, President Trump promised to undo many of the policies introduced by former President Obama. 

Thus, we thought it’d be good to take a look at some of the more influential Obama-era policies Trump obliterated. 

Let’s see how Trump changed our lives for the better so far (#Trump2020!):

Education

Several Obama-era guidance documents that encouraged racially-based college admissions under the label of “affirmative action” were successfully repealed in 2018. 

This means students can no longer be admitted purely based on race, ensuring only those who earn it are awarded an admission.

Obama’s administration also pushed through guidance documents under Title IX saying “A school must not treat a transgender student differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.” 

Specifically directed at bathroom usage, this raised concerns among parents especially, and was officially repealed in 2017.

Environmental

The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, as part of the Clean Air Act’s Emission Standards, were first proposed in late 2011 and finalized in 2012, dictating new passenger vehicles were to be limited to a 54.5 miles per gallon maximum by 2025. 

In April 2018, the final determination was withdrawn and the limitations on American car companies were removed.

Related is the successful lowering of penalties for Violations of Fuel Efficiency Standards. In 2016, it was decided this penalty would increase to $14 per tenth of a mile per gallon in 2019. 

In light of the final determination being removed, the penalty was successfully lowered back to $5.50 to reverse its negative economic impacts.

Obama’s Clean Power Plan was also expected to go into effect in 2017 but was successfully withdrawn. 

Trump’s Administration proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule as a replacement, which no longer severely limits America’s coal-burning power plants.

Similarly, the Oil and Gas Fracking Rule was found to impose “burdensome reporting requirements and unjustified costs on the oil and gas industry.” 

As a result of President Trump’s executive order for the review, the rule was successfully repealed.

Health

Title X of the Public Health Services Act allowed for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood to receive federal funding on the condition that none of the funds were used to perform abortions. 

In April 2017, President Trump signed a resolution nullifying this rule and prohibiting abortion providers to receive federal funding. 

The money is now able to go toward aiding institutions in the public’s best interest.

Labor

Obama’s administration tried to raise the white-collar salary level for overtime exemptions from $23,660/year (20th percentile) to $47,476/year (40th percentile). 

This attempt was successfully invalidated in 2017, reverting back to a salary level of $23,660/year, while pending implementation of the new inflation-based adjustment to $35,308/year (20th percentile based on 2019 figures).

Telecommunications

In 2010, the Open Internet Order was issued to establish net neutrality (the prohibition of discriminating against an internet service provider’s customers based on user content). 

This was preserved by the 2015 decision to reclassify ISPs as common carriers. Following a 2017 announcement to the effect, net neutrality was successfully repealed in 2018.

Similarly, the Internet Privacy Rule, prohibiting all telecommunications carriers from using and sharing users’ personal information without first obtaining the user’s express permission, was repealed by President Trump in 2017.

Final Word

While President Trump successfully delayed, amended, and obliterated dozens of Obama-era policies, we feel these had the biggest impact on our lives. 

We look forward to seeing those still under review be resolved ahead of the 2020 elections – and after! 

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