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With the recent confirmation by the U.S. government that the fracking process causes earthquakes, the list of fracking's deadly byproducts is growing longer and more worrisome. And while the process produces jobs and natural gas, the host of environmental, health and safety hazards continues to make fracking a hot-button issue that evenly divides Americans.To help keep track of all the bad stuff, here's a roundup of the various nasty things that could happen when you drill a hole in the surface of the earth, inject toxic chemicals into the hole at a high pressure and then inject the wastewater deep underground.But first, let's take a look at some of the numbers:40,000: gallons of chemicals used for each fracturing site8 million: number of gallons of water used per fracking600: number of chemicals used in the fracking fluid, including known carcinogens and toxins such as lead, benzene, uranium, radium, methanol, mercury, hydrochloric acid, ethylene glycol and formaldehyde10,000: number of feet into the ground that the fracking fluid is injected through a drilled pipeline1.1 million: number of active gas wells in the United States72 trillion: gallons of water needed to run current gas wells360 billion: gallons of chemicals needed to run current gas wells300,000: number of barrel of natural gas produced a day from frackingAnd here are eight of the worst side effects of fracking you don't hear about from those slick TV commercials paid for by the industry.1. Burning the furniture to heat the house.During the fracking process, methane gas and toxic chemicals leach out from the well and contaminate nearby groundwater. The contaminated water is used for drinking water in local communities. There have been over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination near fracking areas as well as cases of sensory, respiratory and neurological damage due to ingested contaminated water.In 2011, the New York Times reported that it obtained thousands of internal documents from the EPA, state regulators and fracking companies, which reveal that "the wastewater, which is sometimes hauled to sewage plants not designed to treat it and then discharged into rivers that supply drinking water, contains radioactivity at levels higher than previously known, and far higher than the level that federal regulators say is safe for these treatment plants to handle."A single well can produce more than a million gallons of wastewater, which contains radioactive elements like radium and carcinogenic hydrocarbons like benzene. In addition, methane concentrations are 17 times higher in drinking-water wells near fracking sites than in normal wells. Only 30-50 percent of the fracturing fluid is recovered; the rest is left in the ground and is not biodegradable.“We’re burning the furniture to heat the house,” said John H. Quigley, former secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “In shifting away from coal and toward natural gas, we’re trying for cleaner air, but we’re producing massive amounts of toxic wastewater with salts and naturally occurring radioactive materials, and it’s not clear we have a plan for properly handling this waste."2. Squeezed out.More than 90 percent of the water used in fracking well never returns to the surface. Since that water is permanently removed from the natural water cycle, this is bad news for drought-afflicted or water-stressed states, such as Arkansas, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas and Wyoming."We don't want to look up 20 years from now and say, Oops, we used up all our water," said Jason Banes of the Boulder, Colorado-based Western Resource Advocates.The redirection of water supplies to the fracking industry not only causes water price spikes, but also reduces water availability for crop irrigation.There is a new player for water, which is oil and gas," said Kent Peppler, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. "And certainly they are in a position to pay a whole lot more than we are."3. Bad for babies.The waste fluid left over from the fracking process is left in open-air pits to evaporate, which releases dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, creating contaminated air, acid rain and ground-level ozone.Exposure to diesel particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide and volatile hydrocarbons can lead to a host of health problems, including asthma, headaches, high blood pressure, anemia, heart attacks and cancer.It can also have a damaging effect on immune and reproductive systems, as well as fetal and child development. A 2014 study conducted by the Colorado Department of Environmental and Occupational Health found that mothers who live near fracking sites are 30 percent more likely to have babies with congenital heart defects.Research from Cornell University indicates an increased prevalence of low birth weight and reduced APGAR scores in infants born to mothers living near fracking sites in Pennsylvania. And in Wyoming's Sublette County, the fracking boom has been linked to dangerous spikes in ozone concentrations. A study led by the state's Department of Health found that these ozone spikes are associated with increased outpatient clinic visits for respiratory problems.4. Killer gas.A recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that homes located in suburban and rural areas near fracking sites have an overall radon concentration 39 percent higher than those located in non-fracking urban areas. The study included almost 2 million radon readings taken between 1987 and 2013 done in over 860,000 buildings from every county, mostly homes.A naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by the decay of uranium in rock, soil and water, radon—odorless, tasteless and invisible—moves through the ground and into the air, while some remains dissolved in groundwater where it can appear in water wells. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide, after smoking. The EPA estimates approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. are radon-related."Between 2005-2013, 7,469 unconventional wells were drilled in Pennsylvania. Basement radon concentrations fluctuated between 1987-2003, but began an upward trend from 2004-2012 in all county categories," the researchers wrote.That trending period just happens to start when Pennsylvania's fracking boom began: Between Jan. 1, 2005, and March 2, 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued 10,232 drilling permits; only 36 requests were denied.5. Shifting sands.In addition to all the water and toxic chemicals, fracking requires the use of fine sand, or frac sand, which has driven a silica sand mining boom in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which together have 164 active frac sand facilities with 20 more proposed. Both states are where most of the stuff is produced and where regulations are lax for air and water pollution monitoring. Northeastern Iowa has also become a primary source."Silica can impede breathing and cause respiratory irritation, cough, airway obstruction and poor lung function," according to Environmental Working Group. "Chronic or long-term exposure can lead to lung inflammation, bronchitis and emphysema and produce a severe lung disease known as silicosis, a form of pulmonary fibrosis. Silica-related lung disease is incurable and can be fatal, killing hundreds of workers in the U.S. each year.""I could feel dust clinging to my face and gritty particles on my teeth,” said Victoria Trinko, a resident of Bloomer, Wisconsin. Within nine months of the construction of frac sand mine, about a half-mile from her home, she developed a sore throat and raspy voice and was eventually diagnosed with environment-caused asthma. She hasn't opened her windows since 2012.Across the 33-county frac sand mining area that spans Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, nearly 60,000 people live less than half a mile from existing or proposed mines. And new danger zones will likely pop up around the nation: Due to the fracking boom, environmentalists and public health advocates warn that frac sand mines could spread to several states with untapped silica deposits, including Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.Bryan Shinn, the chief executive of sand mining company U.S. Silica Holdings said in September that due to the fracking boom, they "see a clear pathway to the volume of sand demand that's out there doubling or tripling in the next four to five years."6. Shake, rattle and roll.On April 20, the U.S. Geological Survey released a long-awaited report that confirmed what many scientists have long speculated: the fracking process causes earthquakes. Specifically, over the last seven years, geologically stable regions of the U.S., including parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, have experienced movements in faults that have not moved in millions of years. Plus, it's difficult or impossible to predict where future fracking-caused earthquakes will occur."They're ancient faults," said USGS geophysicist William Ellsworth. "We don’t always know where they are."Ellsworth led the USGS team that analyzed changes in earthquake occurrence rates in the central and eastern United States since 1970. They found that between 1973–2008, there was an average of 21 earthquakes of at least magnitude three. From 2009-2013, the region experienced 99 M3+ earthquakes per year. And the rate is still rising. In Oklahoma, there were 585 earthquakes in 2014—more than in the last 35 years combined."The increase in seismicity has been found to coincide with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells in several locations, including Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Ohio," the report states. "Much of this wastewater is a byproduct of oil and gas production and is routinely disposed of by injection into wells specifically designed and approved for this purpose."For many years, Oklahoma's government has been reluctant to concede the connection between fracking and earthquakes. In October of last year, during a gubernatorial election debate with state Rep. Joe Dorman, a Democrat, Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, declined to say whether or not she believed earthquakes were caused by fracking. Fallin was re-elected.But the government has finally come around. The day after the USGS report was released, on April 21, the Oklahoma Geological Survey, a state agency, released a statement saying that is it "very likely that the majority of recent earthquakes, particularly those is central and north-central Oklahoma, are triggered by the injection of produced water in disposal wells."The same day, the state's energy and environment department launched a website that explains the finding along with an earthquake map and what the government is doing about it all. According to the site, "Oklahoma state agencies are not waiting to take action."Now there is a split between the state's governmental branches: Two days after the executive branch admitted that fracking causes earthquakes, the state's lawmakers, evidently unmoved by the trembling ground, passed two bills, backed by the oil and gas industry, that limit the ability of local communities to decide if they want fracking in their backyards.7. The heat is on.Natural gas is mostly methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas that traps 86 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. And because methane leaks during the fracking process, fracking may be worse than burning coal, mooting the claim that natural gas burns more cleanly than coal."When you frack, some of that gas leaks out into the atmosphere," writes 350.org: A global campaign to confront the climate crisis co-founder Bill McKibben. "If enough of it leaks out before you can get it to a power plant and burn it, then it's no better, in climate terms, than burning coal. If enough of it leaks, America's substitution of gas for coal is in fact not slowing global warming."A recent international satellite study on North American fracking production led by the Institute of Environmental Physics at the University of Bremen in Germany found that "fugitive methane emissions" caused by the fracking process "may counter the benefit over coal with respect to climate change" and that "net climate benefit…is unlikely.""Even small leaks in the natural gas production and delivery system can have a large climate impact—enough to gut the entire benefit of switching from coal-fired power to gas," writes Joe Romm, the founding editor of the blog Climate Progress. "The climate will likely be ruined already well past most of our lifespans by the time natural gas has a net climate benefit."8. Quid pro quo?Finally, one of the more insidious side effects of fracking is less about the amount of chemicals flowing into the ground and more about the amount of money flowing into politicians' campaign coffers from the fracking industry.According to a 2013 report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), contributions from fracking trade groups and companies operating fracking wells to congressional candidates representing states and districts where fracking occurs rose by more than 230 percent between the 2004 and 2012 election cycles, from $2.1 million to $6.9 million.That is nearly twice as much as the increase in contributions from the fracking industry to candidates from non-fracking districts during the same period, outpacing contributions from the entire oil and gas industry to all congressional candidates. Republican congressional candidates have received nearly 80 percent of fracking industry contributions."The fracking boom isn’t just good for the industry, but also for congressional candidates in fracking districts," said CREW executive director Melanie Sloan.The candidate who has received the most in contributions from the fracking industry is Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). Barton received more than $500,000 between the 2004 and 2012 election cycles—over $100,000 more than any other candidate in the nation. It should come as no surprise that Barton sponsored the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which exempted fracking from federal oversight under the Safe Drinking Water Act.On April 21, Colorado and Wyoming filed a lawsuit challenging the new federal fracking regulations issued last month by the Bureau of Land Management for onshore drilling on tribal and public lands, claiming that the rule, which regulates underground injections in the fracking process, "exceeds the agency's statutory jurisdiction.""The debate over hydraulic fracturing is complicated enough without the federal government encroaching on states’ rights," said Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman, in a statement. "This lawsuit will demonstrate that BLM exceeds its powers when it invades the states’ regulatory authority in this area."Coffman, a Republican, is married to Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-8), also a Republican. Coffman and two other GOP representatives from the state, Scott Tipton (CO-3) and Doug Lamborn (CO-5), have sponsored a trio of bills—H.R. 4321, 4382 and 4383 (called the “3 Stooges” bills by environmentalists)—that would fast-track leasing and permitting for drilling and fracking on public lands. These three congressmen, each of whom have received more than $100,000 in contributions from the oil and gas industry, sit on the Natural Resources Committee and naturally oppose federal regulations on fracking.Short-Term ThinkingFracking proponents point to the fact that it produces natural gas and jobs; indeed takes credit for boosting the economy during the recession. But at what cost to public health and the environment? And can the true cost be known when there is a lack of transparency in the fracking industry?With little federal oversight, states have created a non-uniform patchwork of regulation: Illinois requires fracking companies to disclose information about the chemicals they use before they drill and monitor groundwater through the process, while Virginia doesn't require any disclosure."So far, the industry has successfully fended off almost all federal regulation of fracking, in part through key exemptions from federal laws such as the Safe Drinking Water Act, which otherwise would allow the EPA to directly regulate fracking and other aspects of oil and gas production," says CREW.The FRAC Act (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act) would require the energy industry to disclose all chemicals used in fracturing fluid and also repeal fracking's exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act.Of course, everyone wants reliable domestically produced energy that creates jobs and energy independence. But nothing comes for free. And in the case of fracking, still with so many unknowns, the price in the long run may be too great.That's part of the message that Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) hope the American public gets. On April 22, Earth Day, the two lawmakers introduced the Protect Our Public Lands Act, H.R. 1902. The strongest anti-fracking bill ever introduced into Congress, it seeks to ban fracking on public lands. Today, 90 percent of federally managed lands are open for potential oil and gas leasing; the remaining 10 percent are reserved for conservation, recreation, wildlife and cultural heritage."Our national parks, forests and public lands are some of our most treasured places and need to be protected for future generations,” said Pocan. "It is clear fracking has a detrimental impact on the environment and there are serious safety concerns associated with these type of wells. Until we fully understand the effects, the only way to avoid these risks is to halt fracking entirely. We should not allow short-term economic gain to harm our public lands, damage our communities or endanger workers."Sounds logical enough. But with oil and gas money steering the Republican-controlled Congress, the bill is dead in the radioactive wastewater.Source : GoogleThank you

Interesting that you should ask. Just a week or so ago, I ran across a list of Trump’s accomplishments in just 24 months in office. Just to compare, I also looked up Joe Biden’s record of accomplishments made in 44 years of service.I’ll list Joe’s first…1960: “[O]ne of the best pass receivers I had in 16 years as a coach.” — E. John Walsh, football coach at Archmere Academy.1965: Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware in Newark, with a double major in history and political science and a minor in English.1968: Graduated from Syracuse University College of Law with a law degree.1969: Admitted to the Delaware bar.1970-72: Served on New Castle County Council.1972-77: Single parent to two sons, commuting on Amtrak 75 minutes each way between his home in Wilmington, Delaware and Washington, D.C.Joe Biden: Senate accomplishments1973-2009: U.S. Senator from Delaware, initially focussing on consumer protection, environmental issues, government accountability, and arms control. In his 6 terms as a senator, Joe Biden sponsored or co-sponsored 348 pieces of legislation that became law.1981-97: Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 years.1986: Introduced his Global Climate Protection Act, one of the first bills aimed at addressing climate change.1990s: Authored every major piece of crime legislation this decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.1992-1995: Strongly guided Balkans policy in the mid-1990s during the Bosnian War, producing a successful NATO peacekeeping effort.1994: Spearheaded the Violence Against Women Act, criminalizing violence against women and creating unprecedented resources for survivors of assault, which was followed by a 64% drop in domestic violence from 1993 to 2010.1997-2009: Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years, leading legislation related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post-Cold War Europe, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.1997: Led the Senate to approve ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention.1998: Led the Senate to approve NATO enlargement and passage of bills to streamline foreign affairs agencies and punish religious persecution overseas.1999: Co-sponsored the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on President Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milošević over Yugoslav actions in Kosovo.2000: Sponsored the Kids 2000 Act, establishing a public-private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly low-income and at-risk youth.Joe Biden: Vice President accomplishments-2017: Vice President of the United States.2009: Implemented and oversaw the $840 billion stimulus package in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.2009: Chaired the Middle Class Working Families Task Force.2010: Fought for Congressional approval of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which inserted accountability into the financial sector and fortified the stability of the financial system.2011: Led negotiations between Congress and the White House in resolving federal spending levels for the rest of the year and avoiding a government shutdown. Negotiated with Mitch McConnell to agree on deficit-reducing Budget Control Act of 2011.2012: Headed the Gun Violence Task Force in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.2012: Negotiated a deal with Mitch McConnell that led to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, averting a fiscal cliff and implementing the largest middle-class tax cut in history.2014: Co-chaired White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.2014: Served as the Obama administration’s emissary to Eastern European governments like Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine worried over Vladimir Putin’s ambitions in the region.Here’s Trumps list…..Economic Growth4.2 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.Jobs4 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 lowAfrican-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 IncomeMedian 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 OptimismSmall 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 BusinessInvestment 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.DeregulationAchieved 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 CutsBiggest tax cuts and reforms in American history by signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs act into lawProvided 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 DevelopmentEstablished 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 InfrastructureProposed 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 CareSigned 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 statesProposed 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 OpioidsChaired 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 OrderMore 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 ConstitutionNominated 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 ImmigrationSecured $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 forOver 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.TradeNegotiating 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 policiesWithdrew 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 WTOOpened up Argentina to American pork experts for the first time in a quarter-centuryAmerican beef exports have returned to china for the first time in more than a decadeOK’d up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation.EnergyPresidential 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 historyUnited 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 strategyHeld 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 PolicyMoved 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 ForceSince 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.DefenseExecutive 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 affairsSigned 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.

ON TRADEKILLED TPP$350+ billion deal with Saudi Arabia ($110 billion in arms $250 billion in trade/investment) creating 100,000’s of jobs in both countries, historic.Pulled out of PARIS ACCORDHad a major victory on sugar exports from Mexico, made Mexico drop the exports % and the amount of refined sugar. This will help our sugar industry and the US sugar mills that produce refined sugar from raw sugar.Notified Congress of NAFTA renegotiation on May 18th. Talks can start 90 days later on Aug 16th, 2017Sec Ross has slapped more than $2 billion in fines on China and Canada for illegal trade practices.U.S. Department of Agriculture has reached agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to allow the U.S. to begin the beef exports to China (6/12/17). The first beef has been imported to China (06/30/17)Renegotiations of KORUS ( South Korean )trade deal announced on 06/30/17) started per White House week of (07/14/17)The first shipment of LNG to Poland (07/08/17) per Foreign policyPres Trump attended the Three Seas summit in Central Europe to begin the opening up of energy and other economic trade between central/east Europe and the USA (07/6/17) per TimeThe United States Trade Representative released its objectives for upcoming NAFTA negotiations (07/18/17)Canceled the Cuba Trade deal done by Obama (06/16/17)Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through July 21, 2017, Commerce has initiated 54 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 40 percent increase from the previous year. (07/21/17) per Sec Ross of Commerce.The Commerce Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of steel concrete reinforcing bar from Taiwan in an effort to stop dumping (07/21/17)Since the Presidential Summit at Mar-lar-go, the first 100 days USA made progress on important trade issues including credit ratings, bond clearing, electronic payments, commercial banking, and liquefied natural gas. Also, this is the first time since 2003 that the Chinese have allowed for imports of American beef, (07/19/17) per Commerce and Treasury Dept.On EconomyUnemployment rate 4.4% u-3 and 8.6% U6 (for June 07/07/17)222,000 Jobs created in June per BLS (07/7/17)Stock Market at Historic Highs (Dow up 18%, NASDAQ up 21.5%, S&P 500 up 14.9% since election day as of 07/18/17)US homes prices climb at fastest pace In 3 years at an avg of 7% year over year rate per CNBC (06/06/17)Jobless claims hit 28 year low in last week of April per Labor Department.Thurs July 13th claims report also showed the number of people still receiving benefits after an initial week of aid decreased 20,000 to 1.95 million in the week ended July 1. The continuing claims have now been below 2 million for 13 straight weeks, pointing to a strong labor market. (07/13/17) per CNBCOPEC broken can no longer set prices due to USA energy production unleashed per CNN money (05/18/17)Secured $50 billion investment from Japan Japanese telecom and internet conglomerate SoftBank (12/06/16) per WAPOSecured $20 billion investment from Exxon in US Gulf coast refinery (03/07/17) per CNBCGasoline at $1.95/gallon in Central NC lowest price in 12 years. (7/23/17)Gas Prices Drop to 12-Year Low for July 2017 per AAARepealed 14 Obama regulations via CRA saving $60 billion in costs to the economy yearly per American Action Forum (04/20/17)GDP early estimate for 2nd quarter is 2.6% per commerce department. 1.2% higher than 2nd Qrt growth in 2016Federal debt is 132,273,000 billion LOWER since Dec 30th 2016 (as of 06/30/17) per TreasuryDirect - HomeFederal surplus was $182 billion at end of Apr (unexpected) per US TreasuaryConsumer confidence increased to a near 16 year high in June per CNBC (06/27/17)Small business confidence remains at highest levels in more than a decade per CNBC (07/11/17)North Dakota experiencing a boom since Dakota access pipeline finished (500,000 Barrels now flowing through pipeline per day) per AP (05/13/17)Keystone pipeline approved by State Department (03/24/17) construction ongoing…1,079,000 JOBS created since Jan1st (per BLS) 1,395,000 per ADP (07/07/17)Directed Dep’t of Commerce to streamline Federal permitting processes for domestic manufacturingLaunched United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders with Canadian PM Justin TrudeauCut 1.6 billion costs from Air Force one and F-35 airplanes.Regulatory freeze on all federal governmental agencies via EO signed (1/30/17)Making agencies cut 2 regulations for each new one. OMB reporting that as of June 2017 the real ratio is closer to 16 to 1 per Washington Examiner (07/19/17)Saw the opening of the first NEW COAL MINE IN PA in YEARS creating 70 jobs at the mine and more than 400+ supporting jobs in the community. (06/10/17) Per foxnews.Coal prices for Central Appalachian coal has increased 8.95% this year. Increasing the economy for SE OH, SW PA, VA, MD and WVAMaine unemployment at 32 year low. The State dept of unemployment forced to layoff people because of lack of claims (06/14/17) per BangordailynewsFood Stamp spending is down almost $1 billion per month and $12 billion per year per USADBlack unemployment at a 17 year low in May at 7.5% per Bureau of Labor Statistics. (06/24/17)Coal mining rose 19% in USA for first 5 months per US energy Department1st qrt GDP revised up to 1.4%USA now pumping 500k more barrels of oil per day since Dec 31st. Now at 9.3 million bpd. 3rd in the world only 1.2 million bdp behind Russia and Saudi Arabia per energy departmentUSA is the world leader in natural gas production and continues to increase productionInstitute for Supply Management says its manufacturing index rose to 57.8 last month(June) from 54.9 in May. Anything above 50 signals that factory activity is increasing (07/03/17)15 of 18 manufacturing industries posted growth in JUNE per ISM (07/03/17)The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2017 show that food stamp enrollment decreased nationwide by 2.9 percent over the past year (07/05/17)Oil exports FROM the USA are running at 1.3million BPD worth more than $1.5 billion per month to the economy. Per NYT (07/5/17)Crude exports from Corpus Christi have already increased from an average of 68,000 barrels a day during the first half of 2016 to 384,000 barrels a day this April NYT (07/05/17)India-based information technology outsourcing company Infosys plans to hire 2,000 workers within for years in North Carolina and 10,000 total in USA. Infosys emphasized Thursday that the jobs created as part of its U.S. expansion would go to American workers. Per Charlotte Observer (07/06/17)Trade deficit fell 2.2 % in the month of May on higher exports and less imports. China imports dropped 6.1% and Mexico imports increased 5.8% Trade deficit for the year is still growing by about 13.1% yoy per Breitbart even with the drop in May’s numbers. It will take a while to turn the ship but the ship is turning (07/06/17)Labor participation rate 62.8% (07/07/17)In June, mining employment grew by 8,000, with most of the growth in support activities for mining (+7,000). Since a recent employment low in October 2016, mining has added 56,000 jobs. (07/07/17) per BLSFICO scores for Americans has hit and ALL time high per CNBC (07/11/17)Expedited the permitting and approval processes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals and exports, including the approval of the Lake Charles LNG terminal in Louisiana.guidance from the Treasury Department to allow the United States to export coal.(first 6 months)Expedited new pipeline approval and production such as the New Burgos Pipeline to Mexico. (First 6 months)Updated guidance from the Treasury Department to allow the United States to export coal.Signed the Buy American, Hire American EO on (04/18/17)President Trump signed an Executive Order, making it easier for businesses to start and expand apprenticeship programs (06/15/17)FOXCONN making of LCD screens announced at White House they are investing $10 billion into new plant in WI bringing up to 13,000 high paying jobs to WI. (07/26/17)Coal EXPORTS increased by 60.3% for 2017 per US EIA data (07/28/17)US inflation at a 8 month low at 1.6% per BLS due in part to Pres Trump’s energy policy keeping gas prices low. (07/17/17)Pres Trump promoted a policy to leverage $200 billion in his budget proposal into a $1 trillion of projects to privatize the air traffic control system, strengthen rural infrastructure and repair bridges, roads and waterways. (06/07/17) per ReutersOn ImmigrationAuthorized DHS to hire 10,000 ICE officers & 5,000 border patrol agentsSecured funding for more immigration judges for deportation cases in 2017 budgetEnded "catch and release” policyICE arrests up 40% as of MayICE arrests are 75% criminal illegals as of MayIce Arrests for non criminal illegals up 150% as of May due to sanctuary cities polices making Ice go to the home instead of the court houses70%+ decrease in border crossings of illegal aliens in first 6 months per head of ICE (07/18/17)No Cuban refugees seen by Coast Guard in Apr 2017 first time in 7 yearsOpen bidding and plans submitted for the WALL. Finalists selected prototypes to be unveiled this fall per CBP official/Breitbart news. Process being held up by lawsuits on bidding process per ABC news (07/27/17)6ft chain linked fences being replaced by 20ft hardened steel fencing at border (05/04/17) per White houseMore than 3311 gang members have been arrested by ICE as of 07/25/17) per White house briefing by ICE directorThis year the U.S. has already deported 398 MS-13 gang members back to El Salvador – compared to only 534 for all of 2016 per Breitbart news (05/28/17)Texas has passed a law outlawing sanctuary cities (05/08/17)Foods stamp requests by ILLEGALS D O W N per Breitbart (05/19/17)The Trump administration has moved to reopen the cases of hundreds of illegal immigrants who had been given a reprieve from deportation by Obama (06/09/17) per ReutersPer Sec Kelly Plans are to start building the WALL by end of summer.Travel ban EO cut refugees to 50,000 limit has been reached as of 07/12/17). USA now closed to refugee without a close connection to the USAper Breitbart Sec Kelly has refused to expand H2-B visa program in FY 2017. Update 06/22/17 Sec Kelly will expand the H2-b visa program for a limited number of businesses that are in danger of failing and can’t find employment (15,000 visa) per breitbart.Pres Trump and Sec of DHS ended DAPA (06/16/17)Refugees dropped by half entering the USA in first three months of Pres Trump’s admin over Obama’s admin. (6/24/17 per Washington Times)In fiscal year 2017 so far, ICE has removed over 3311 criminal gang members, compared to 2,057 criminal gang members in all of fiscal year 2016. (07/27/17) per WhitehousePer Sec Kelly 66,000 mostly criminal illegals arrested by ICE in first 5 monthsKate’s Law passed the House (06/29/17)No Sanctuary Cities Law Passed the House (06/29/17)Illegal immigrant arrests in San Diego, Ca have more than doubled from 2016 and 2015 figures per the San Diego Union Tribune (07/04/17)In a reversal of Obama administration policy, federal prosecutors with Operation Streamline are filing criminal charges against migrants the first time they are caught crossing the border illegally. Per tucson.com | Tucson.com - Arizona Daily Star - No. 1 Tucson website for news, sports, cars, homes, jobs and breitbart (07/05/17)Refugee Arrivals Plummet in Week After Supreme Court Ruling on Trump Executive Order per Breitbart and Department of State website (07/05/17)The International Entrepreneur Rule obama era loophole was closed by DHS on (07/11/17). The rule allowed illegals to stay in the country for 2 and half years if they were “starting a business” per breitbart.ICE crackdown in Pueblo scaring some families back to Mexico per the Pueblo chieftain (07/10/17)House subcommittee includes $1.6 billion in funds for Wall in approbations bill (07/12/17) goes to full house for vote. Passed Full House (07/25/17)DHS proposes rule change to increase length (from 2 weeks to 90 days) and Distance (from 100 miles from the border to entire USA) for people to be immediately deported freeing up courts and stopping the lawfare over immigration. (07/15/17 ) per dailymailThomas D. Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an interview that since Trump entered office, illegal border crossings have crashed by almost 70 percent, "an historic low," arrests inside the country have jumped 40 percent and that demands for illegal criminals in local jails has skyrocketed 80 percent. (07/18/17) per Washington ExaminerAG Sessions said one goal of DOJ is to totally end illegal immigration (07/18/17) per BreitbartThe Trump Administration is providing funding for the Texas National Guard’s efforts to assist in securing the state’s border with Mexico per Breitbart (07/18/17)Acting ICE Director Thomas D. Homan said he is going to deploy more officers and agents to “sanctuary cities” to arrest illegal criminal (07/18/17) per Washington examinerPresident Trump ordered the creation of the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office at DHS, ensuring that our Government can no longer ignore the victims of criminal acts by illegal aliens. (04/26/17)Trump administration has changed the focus of a Department of Homeland Security immigrant citizenship training program managed by USCIS to “assimilation,” a significant shift from the Obama era focus on “integration.” Per Breitbart (07/28/17)AG Sessions announced new policy on Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants which provide $100’s of millions. The new policy refuses to give them to sanctuary cities. (07/25/17)ON LAW and ORDERAuthorities have arrested an unprecedented number of sexual predators involved in child sex trafficking rings in the United States and around the worldDOJ issues new sentencing guideline to enforce tougher laws on drug dealers (05/12/17) per DOJDOJ stops Obama’s slush funds (06/08/17) per Washington ExaminerMassive raids on gangs going on across the nationMore arrests for voter fraud in 2017 then anytime in recent history.DOJ and DHS ordered to take on transnational criminal gangs (02/07/17) per POTUS EONo tolerance for violence against LEO with a signed EO (02/07/17)Fired FBI director who is and was a nutjob.Nominated Wray for FBI director, confirmation hearing 07/12/17. Confirmed by committee, waiting for full senate confirmation (07/20/17)Nominated 21 conservative judges to the federal courtAG Sessions dismantling the Obama legal doctrine brick by brick at the DOJ per Bloomberg (06/29/17)Operation Broken Heart lead by the DOJ arrested over 1,012 sexual child predators across the nation bringing 69,000 cases against them. (06/28/17)AG Sessions has asked for an extra $26 million to hire 300 prosecutors devoted to gang violence and deportation cases per Bloomberg (06/29/17)DOJ drops case against the Washington Redskins (06/30/17) the era of Political correctness is over.AG Sessions continues to back LEO by condemned murder of NYPD on (07/05/17) calling the attack cowardly.April 13, 2017-Under President Trump, The Justice Department prosecuted two doctors and one other for practicing female genital mutilation– the first such prosecutions under a federal law passed by Congress in 1996 prohibiting the practice.June 30, 2017—The Trump Administration sent 20 ATF agents to Chicago to help the city fight gun violence.AG Sessions and Deputy AG visit GITMO to see operations and conditions in effort to frame future Trump policy on Gitmo. (07/07/17)AG Sessions and Sec Price announce the biggest ever Healthcare Fraud operation. Arresting 412 people including Doctors who have committed more than 1.3 Billion in medical fraud including opiod fraud. (07/13/17)AG Sessions/FBI took down largest dark web site Alphabay (07/20/17)Pres Trump took to twitter to push AG Sessions to drain the swamp in the DOJ/FBI week of (07/24/17)AG Sessions issued new policy on civil asset forfeiture (07/19/17) per DOJON Congressional and Executive actionConfirmed Gorsuch to SCOTUS (04/07/17)Signed 39+ Laws so farSigned more than 30+ EOPres Trump signed EO directing his interior secretary to review the designation of dozens of national monuments on federal lands, calling the protection efforts "a massive federal land grab" by previous administrations. (04/25/17)Obamacare repeal and replace passed House stuck/ Failed in Senate (07/28/17)Pres Trump admin is reviewing all regulations. At the end of June 2017 his admin have done away with 860 regulations so far saving $billions to the economy per OMB and Brietbart (07/21/17)Tax cuts and reform moving through Congress waiting on obamacare repeal. On 07/26/17 the border adjustment tax (BAT) was dropped by the House freeing up movement on tax reform.Submitted 2018 Budget that cuts spending and gives a pathway to a balanced budget in 10 years. (05/23/17)Returned power to make decisions on “transgender bathrooms” to states (02/27/17)Instituted 5-year lobbying ban for all Executive branch appointees (01/28/17)Instituted permanent lobbying ban for foreign governments for all Executive branch appointees (01/28/17)Banned aid helping foreign countries provide abortions (Mexico City Policy) (01/23/17)Formed Commission on voter fraud led by VP Pence had first meeting on 07/19/17)Returned the mission of NASA to space exploration (03/21/17)Installing aspects of extreme vetting at points of entry to the USA per State department and DHSSigned Two bills into Law on June 2nd that makes it easier for family members of slain LEO to get benefits and that helps hire Veterans as LEOSec of VA is starting process to combine the DOD and VA medical records to improve Veteran’s health. Massive shift in government policy (06/05/17)Pushing a massive overhaul of our FAA Air Traffic control (06/05/17)House votes to roll back Dodd Frank goes to the Senate (06/08/17)Senate votes for VA accountability act. Goes to House passed house 06/13/17 major victory for Trump agenda signed into law on 06/23/17Rolled out an apprentice program to train skilled works to fill 6 million open positions. (06/10/17)The U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a sweeping plan on to upend the country's financial regulatory framework, 80% of which will be done from the executive side and does not need Congress. MAGA!!!!! (06/13/17)Signed EO to reshape the education system of the USA to include votech and apprenticeships (06/13/17)Did away with rules requiring the Federal government to report on the Y2K bug 17 years after 2000.President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating an accountability and whistleblower protection office at the Department of Veterans Affairs.(04/ 27/2017)Sec Zinke moves to purge the Interior department of Obama holdovers (6/16/17 per Washington post)Energy Department eliminating the Office of International Climate and Technology22 federal agency task force formed to help the rural America fight regulations and lack of prosperity led by Sec PerdueEnvironmental Protection Agency has ended a nearly $1 million program that provided gym memberships for employees5-0 in special elections (GA6 primary, KS, MT, GA6 final election, SC)Sec Kelly dropped many “Pro-Obama Islamic groups from funding” Groups that pushed for sharia law and closed muslim communities within the USA. (06/23/17 per breitbart)TRAVEL BAN upheld by SCOTUS by 9-0 ruling. Extreme vetting will now become law of the land. (06/26/17)ScottPruitt signed #WOTUS proposed rule, supporting @POTUS order to restore the rule of law.Travel BAN now in full effect across the world. (06/29/17)Signed agreement to construct oil pipeline into Mexico per Pres trump speechOpening up LNG centers to ship LNG across the world (06/29/17)Introduced 6 point plan to unleash American energy (off shore, Nuclear, coal, NG,Oil, renewable) (06/29/17)President Trump Signs EO Reviving the National Space Council (06/30/17)Pentagon halts Obama’s transgender plan (07/01/17 per Breitbart)Sec Devos has stopped two obama regulations from going into effect which would have harmed for profit colleges. The Gainful Employment rule and the Borrower Defense rule (06/30/17)On May 4th, 2017 Pres Trump signed the Religious Freedom EO ordering his admin among other things to not enforce the Johnson amendment.Reduced White House expenses by $22 million by reducing staffing levels from Obama levels. Doing more with lessPres Donald Trump’s first-quarter salary donation will help fund the restoration of two projects at Antietam National Battlefield, Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday per Breitbart (07/05/117)Returned the Winston Churchill bust back to the Oval Office and Kept the Martin Luther King Jr bust proving we can respect and honor both men. Something Obama was unable or unwilling to do.Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered the agency to resolve a backlog of more than 2,000 oil and natural gas permit applications for drilling on public lands per Washington Examiner (07/06/17)The Department of Veterans Affairs announced (07/07/17) 747 disciplinary actions including 526 employees who were fired since January 20th 2017 per CBS news (07/07/17) suspended 200, demoted 33 (22 of which were senior management) and per White house (07/20/17)Sec Carson of HUD announced a $500+ billion “error” in the Obama HUD’s 2015 and 2016 budgets was found by an Audit completed by the Office of Inspector General (04/08/17) per CBNHe had ordered that he gets 2 scoops of Ice Cream per CNN so might be fake news:)Working hard to get the Olympics for the United States (L.A.) (07/10/17) per POTUS twitterHouse cuts State Department funding by 17% in approbations bill (07/12/17) goes to full House for voteThe Department of Veterans Affairs has acted to increase transparency and accountability by launching an online “Access and Quality Tool” to provide veterans a way to access wait time and quality of care data. (07/20/17) per White HousePresident Trump signed legislation allowing our veterans to receive care outside of the Veterans Affairs medical system.President Trump created the Office of American Innovation to streamline and improve the Government for future generations. (03/27/17)Starting later this year, all honorably discharged veterans, no matter their branch of service, will be eligible to shop tax-free online at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service with the same discounts they enjoyed on base while in the military per AP news service (07/21/17)Pres Trump commissioned the U.S.S Ford into service, 100,000 tons of America Might. (07/22/17)Pres Trump reversed Obama policy on Trans genders serving in the military via twitter (07/26/17)House abandons border adjust tax idea in major win for Pres Trump’s tax reform push (07/27/17) major defeat for RyanPres Trump threatens to end subsidies/bailout payments to insurance companies and congressional staff if repeal and replace of Obamacare is not passed via twitters breathing new life into the repeal effort (07/29/17)In first 6 months Pres Trump has signed more than 150 EO, memoranda and proclamations per White House .gov site (07/29/17)On PoliticsPresident Trump's job approval rating in the American counties that fueled his 2016 victory stands at 50 percent, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of these "Trump counties. (07/16/17) per NBCPPD poll from OH has Pres Trump at 54% approval to 41% disapproval (07/15/17) per PPD pollRNC continues to have record high monthly funding contributions while the DNC continues to have record low contributions (07/20/17) per all news sourcesAmericans have never felt better, 74% very happy per rasmussenreports (07/20/17)Number of registered lobbyists plunges 14% in 2017 per Breitbart (07/25/17) showing efforts at draining the swamp are getting some results.Rep Steve Scalise was released from the hospital (07/26/17) prayers answered.Pres Trump revived the tradition that Obama stopped of POTUS speaking at Boy Scouts jamboree. He spoke to 45,000 Boy Scouts (07/25/17) .Russia hoax suffered big defeat this week. Fake media not even reporting on it anymore (07/29/17)On Foreign PolicySecured a 34,000 Arab force to fight ISIS in Iraq and SyriaSent 3 carrier battle groups to NK to pressure them on nuclear program, installed THADD in SK and JapanWorking with China on NK but results are not going well as of (07/29/17).Sent Navy to South China Sea to secure sea linesFired 60 Tomahawks after a gas attack in SyriaGot the G7 countries to agree that a nation has a right to control migration and immigrationHad G7 countries agree NK was a threatHad G7 nations agree that Trade should be FAIR as well as FREE and that nations can punish non fair tradeHad NATO agree to pay more and got more countries to pay their fair share of defense pact (increasing by $10 billion contributions)Have met with more than 100 of the world leaders many at the white housePulled out of Paris Accord and freed the USA from the economic Slavery Obama sold us intoHave surrounded ISIS in Iraq and Syria strongholdsHave killed the ISIS commander in Afghanistan and reduced their strength by 2/3rd in AfghanistanDropped the MOAB on ISIS killing more than 90 ISIS fightersFirst sitting POTUS to pray at the Western WallRestarted peace process between Israel and PLOVisited the lands of the three major religions in the worldOpening of center to defeat radical Islam in cyberspace during Saudi Arabia visit. One orb to find them and in the darkness and bind them.Gave powerful speech in the heart of Islam about the need to reform Islam and drive out the radicalsHad G7 countries agree that refugees should stay as close as possible to home country and be returned when the threat is goneGot the Arab nations to cut ties to Qatar for funding terrorists, massive historic shift in diplomatic actions in the Muslim world.Started the assault on Raqqa in Syria to defeat ISIS on June 6th 2017.Got Romania to up it’s NATO funding to 2.1% of GDPHas the Special Forces helping relieve siege in Philippines.Visited Poland, gave a historic speech in Warsaw and attended the Three Seas summit (07/05/16)Pres Trump’s State department secured the release of American citizen Otto Warmbeir from NK without paying $400 million ransomPres Trump admin secured the release of American citizen, Aya Hijazifor, from Egypt Jail without paying $400 million ransom.Obama appointed Ambassador to Qatar “quit” during the biggest Crisis in Qatar’s history. What was she hiding?Gave Sec Mattis authority to set troop numbers in Afghanistan to turn the tide of the war. 06/16/17 .Rolled back Obama’s Cuban policy. 06/16/17Canada promised to increase defense spending by 70% (06/16/17)Gulf Countries sent Qatar a list of demands to defund terrorism, reject the Muslim brother hood so Qatar can return to the fold, direct consequence of Pres Trump’s trip to the Middle East. Qatar has since rejected these demands setting a possible military conflict (updated 06/30/17). Sec Tillerson is working hard to solve crisis diplomatically (07/11/17)NATO countries (excluding the US) increase defense spending by 4.3% from last year per daily mail and breitbart(06/30/17).Per Iraq military Mosul has fallen. ISIS no longer controls the city. Just a couple pockets of resistance left per independent (06/30/17) PM of IRAQ declares the complete pacification of the city (7/09/17)Imposed Sanctions on major China Bank for its funding of North Korea and has declared the admin will work to cut North Korea off from access to the US financial market. (06/29/17)Approved a $1.42billion arms deal with Taiwan (07/02/17)Reached out by Twitter to offer help to save baby Charlie Gard and has started the conversation on Baby Charlie’s fate. (07/03/17). UK refused to allow Baby Charlie to leave and he died on (07/28/17)The US ambassador to the UN threatens China and other countries that trade with North Korea with blockage from the USA market. (07/05/17)Pres Trump also increases the threat to use trade access to the US market to stop North Korea setting up a potential for a trade war with China and other nations (07/05/17)Gave a major speech in Warsaw Poland to a crowd of thousands reaffirming Western Civilization (07/6/17)Pres Trump has had 50% more meetings with foreign leaders than Pres Obama did during the same time period. Per Breitbart (07/06/17)US, Russia, and Jordan announce ceasefire in Southern Syria (07/07/17) Cease Fire still holding as of (07/29/17)OLD City walls in Raqqa were breached by US led forces on July 4th 2017. Less than a month after the battle for Raqqa began. Per Economist (07/07/17)Pres Trump got three major victories in G20. Trade he had the G20 agree that nations can protect themselves from unfair trade. He got them to agree a nation has control over their borders and can control immigration and migration. He stood firm on the climate hoax known as the Paris accords and included the importance of fossil fuels. Per the G20 communiqué (07/08/17)U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday promised $639 million in aid to feed people left starving because of drought and conflict in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen. (07/08/17) per ReutersSec of State signed a counter terrorism funding agreement with QATAR giving Pres Trump and the Gulf allies major victory and moving along the impasse in the region to a hopeful peaceful solution (07/11/17) per state. GovVisited France to hold bilateral meetings and take part in Bastille day marking the 100th anniversary of the USA entering WW1 (07/13/17)President Donald Trump has sent out another clear message on the worsening political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, promising “strong and swift economic actions” should socialist leader Nicolás Maduro push ahead with plans to create a non-elected “constituent assembly.” (07/18/17) per BreitbartPresident Trump has lifted restrictions that had prevented the Secretary of Defense and our commanders in the field from fully using their judgement and expertise. (07/20/17)The United States sanctioned sixteen 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.(07/20/17) per WhitehouseThe Department of the Treasury sanctioned over 25 entities and individuals involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program, ensuring our ability to monitor potentially malicious actors while preventing future acts of terrorism. (07/20/17)The US has refused to pay $350m in military aid to Pakistan because it is not tackling terrorism, the Pentagon has announced (07/21/17) per FTimesState Department official in charge of diplomatic security bureau resigned. He was in charge during Benghazi (07/26/17) per WAPO . This continues the exodus of Obama/Clinton holdovers at State. Sec Tillerson has down a major effort to reform the Dept of State over the last several months, including firing the entire “7th floor of State” containing the entire senior Clinton/obama admin team on (1/26/17)