Blog Post #1: The Cabinet
I got this up late so I'll give you until Monday, 1/16 to respond.
Pick one of President elect Trump's Cabinet nominees and answer the following prompt.
- What is their name and experience for the position?
- Why do you think he picked this person?
- If they are are approved what is your prediction for the public policy area that they will be in charge of?
Be sure to substantiate your opinion with evidence. You will need at least 3 sources for this post.
Labels: cabinet
posted by Ms. Aby @ 12:43 PM
49 Comments:
I picked Rex Tillerson as a Trump Cabinet nominee to discuss. According to theguardian.com Tillerson is a CEO of the oil company Exon Mobil, and he also has close business ties with Russia(1). Furthermore, Putin also bestowed the Order of Friendship on Tillerson in 2013(1). This shows that Tillerson has close ties with Russia. I believe that Trump picked Rex Tillerson as one of his cabinet picks, because Tillerson has worked for a major company and knows how to deal with the pressure that comes with being in a Presidents cabinet. Furthermore, according to CNN.com" Trump said that" He is in charge of, I guess the largest company in the world""(2). This shows that Trump, believes that Trump believes that Tillerson has the same type of experience as Trump. Thus, making Trump a good cabinet pick. In my opinon, if Rex Tillerson is approved for a cabinet position I believe he would be become the Secretary of State, because he has dealt with foreign countries in the past, as a CEO of ExonMobil. Furthermore, nbcnews.com supports this when it states that Trump like Tillerson, because he has a lot of experience with foreign governments"(3).
Sources:
1. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/09/donald-trump-administration-cabinet-picks-so-far
2. http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/11/politics/new-cabinet/#secretary_of_state
3. http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-s-cabinet-picks-so-far-n690296
As nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development President-elect Trump has nominated Ben Carson. Carson graduated from Southwestern and was a senior commander in the ROTC program. He then went on to become a neurosurgeon by attending the School of Medicine in the University of Michigan. Carson became the youngest U.S. physician to become the pediatric director neurosurgery at John Hopkins at age 33. He performed many life-saving operations on conjoined twins that started to gain media attention. He also is a cancer survivor, and fully recovered from prostate cancer in 2002. By publishing several books in the last decade, Carson became a supporter of the conservative agenda and a political player. On May 4, 2015, Carson announced his bid to become the Republican-nominee for President. Early on in the race, he was seen as a leading candidate, but slowly faded into the background as Trump gained ground and questions arose about the violence in his past. After no results from Super Tuesday, Carson suspended his campaign on March 4, 2016 (1). Despite Carson's extensive health background, Trump has nominated him for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I believe Trump has nominated Carson for this position because of his urban background and as a favor to Carson. Carson's father left his mother when Carson was 8, and she raised both him and his brother as a single mother in both Boston and Detroit. The family struggled with money throughout Carson's childhood but both boys were pushed to excel in school by their mother. Despite Carson's reservations about serving in a Trump administration, Carson's has accepted this nomination as payback for his great support for Trump on the campaign trail, despite him having no government experience in this policy area (2). As far as my prediction for the direction in which Carson could take policy, it is well known that he wants to enlarge the role of the private industry in backing home mortgages and increase HUD-backed housing supported by faith groups (3). However, Carson also said that he would be would not object to the agency's funds going to the Trump Organization if it helped low-income Americans (4). I am interested in seeing if this plays out in the future.
(1) http://www.biography.com/people/ben-carson-475422#synopsis
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/12/politics/ben-carson-hud-confirmation-hearing/index.html
(3) http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-carson-hud-20170112-story.html
(4) http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/ben_carson_future_hud_secretary_knows_nothing_about_hud.html
Thanks you 2 for getting us off and running this tri!
Retired General James Mattis is the nominee for the secretary of Defense. I think he is experienced for this position. He opposed Trump’s views on Russia, NATO, and when he “emerged from his confirmation hearing on Thursday with seemingly broad support” (2). He also gave “frank and concise answers on everthing from cybersecurity policy to what he expects will be the biggest threats to the United States” (3). I think that Trump picked him because he had experience in the armed forces and was a high ranking NATO official. I think if Mattis is approved he will use the military to its full potential and argue with President Elect Trump about who are enemies and biggest threats are and oppose him when needed. I believe that Mattis will be a great Secretary of Defense and that he will challenge Trump about the security and safety of our nation.
Sources
http://time.com/4632952/donald-trump-cabinet-confirmation-hearings-splits/
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/12/politics/james-mattis-defense-confirmation/
http://www.businessinsider.com/big-takeaways-general-mattis-confirmation-2017-1
I am Picking retired General James "Mad Dog" Mattis for this post. Gen Mattis is the nominee for the Secretary of Defense. He is a retired general in the Marine Corps and is one of the most famous generals of all time. Having spent 40 some years in the Marine Corps, he understands how the DoD works and how to improve it (Source 1). I think that Trump picked this person purely by reputation, and then once they had met, chose Mattis due to his methods of speech and demeanor. He also favors a lot of the same policy decisions and ideas that Trump himself does, while still remaining a more moderate man than the golden-haired president elect (source 2). General Mattis is one of the few nominees for Trump's cabinet who is truly supported by everyone. Democrats recognize his experience, his recognition of Russian threats, and his relatively pro LGBT stance in the military; when asked about the issue by Senator Gillibrand, he stated "Frankly, Senator, I've never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with" (Source 3). On the other side, Republicans can also recognize his vast experience and his foreign policy views. Ultimately, I think General Mattis will do great things for the DoD and for the country as a whole.
(Source 1) http://freebeacon.com/national-security/the-best-from-mad-dog-mattis/
(Source 2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-chosen-retired-marine-gen-james-mattis-for-secretary-of-defense/2016/12/01/6c6b3b74-aff9-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html?utm_term=.82e843315d72
(Source 3) http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/12/mattis-shuts-gillibrand-down-on-lgbt-military-i-dont-care-who-people-go-to-bed-with-video/
As nominee for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, President Elect Donald Trump has chosen Scott Pruitt, Attorney General of Oklahoma. Before becoming AG, Pruitt graduated from Georgetown College with a degree in political science, University of Tulsa with a JD, and served 8 years in the OK Senate. However, he has absolutely no experience for the position of Administrator of the EPA. The EPA is exactly what it stands for, it protects the environment, and the current Administrator, Gina McCarthy, received a master's degree in Environmental Health Engineering and Planning and Policy (1). This alone already shows her qualifications, but she has also "worked at both the state and local levels on critical environmental issues and helped coordinate policies on economic growth, energy, transportation and the environment" (1). Pruitt, however, is actually a very strong critic of the EPA and advocates strongly for less government intervention. He also had previously sued the EPA for its regulation of power plants (2). Conservatives all across America constantly criticize the EPA because they believe that climate change does not exist, and that the EPA uses up too much of the budget and creates too many regulations. Trump most likely chose Pruitt as Administrator so when he is in office, he can lessen the amounts of government intervention when it comes to climate change (2). If Pruitt is approved, he will most definitely decrease the amount of regulations that the Obama administration has set up. For example, he will most likely reverse the regulations on big companies that Obama administered. The Federal government will most likely leave it up to state governments to decide these regulations, but in states where big companies thrive, these regulations may not likely be reinstated. This will increase the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases emitted, and will lead to detrimental environmental consequences, like the decaying of the coral reef or destroying of the ozone layer (3).
(1) https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epas-administrator
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/07/politics/trump-picks-scott-pruitt-to-head-epa/
(3) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-scott-pruitt-donald-trump-environmental-protection-agency-epa/
The Cabinet nominee I decided to research was Mike Pompeo, President-elect Trump’s nominee for C.I.A Director. In terms of experience, Pompeo is very accomplished. He has served as a Captain in the United States Army. (2) Education wise, Pompeo majored in Mechanical Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy, he also received his J.D. at Harvard and later worked for Williams & Connolly as a lawyer. Pompeo has also been representing the fourth congressional district of Kansas, as a Republican, since 2011, and was the state’s representative in the RNC. (3) He has also been on several committees and subcommittees, including the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi and the Subcommittee on the C.I.A.
Aside from the fact that they are both Republican and that Pompeo has a lot of experience; Trump and Pompeo, do not seem to see eye to eye on quite a few issues. In his campaign Trump announced he plans to bring back the forbidden interrogation tactic, waterboarding. (1) “Absolutely not. Moreover I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect or then president,” said Pompeo.
If Pompeo is approved by the Senate, I think that Pompeo will be a relatively good Director, more for the reason of his experience than anything. It will be interesting to see how Pompeo contributes with the ongoing issue of Russia, other foreign and domestic problems, and surveillance.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-s-cia-pick-mike-pompeo-backs-intelligence-report-russian-n706156
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/who-is-mike-pompeo-233518
http://pompeo.house.gov/biography/committees.htm
President- elect Trump has nominated Jeff Sessions as attorney general. According to ABC News he is serving his fourth term as a Senator from Alabama. He also served as Alabama’s attorney general, and worked as a lawyer in Russellville and Mobile, Alabama. Before that he was a captain for the Army Reserve in 1970. Trump probably picked Sessions as attorney general because he has served as a Senator for over 20 years and is a Republican, like Trump. Sessions also supported Trump during his campaign, and according to ABC news he was one of the first in Congress last February. Sessions is also qualified to be attorney general because of his background working in law as a lawyer, and as the attorney general in Alabama. One other reason that Trump may have appointed Sessions because he has worked so close with Congress for so long they are probably more likely to approve him. According to the Article on Fivethirtyeight.com Sessions told the senate that he will enforce laws whether he supports them or not, as long as they are the laws of the land. He also said that he will oppose torture, a ban on muslims entering the country, and a muslim registry even though Trump has often said he opposes these things. I think it is good that Sessions told Congress he will enforce all laws even if he does not necessarily agree with them since it is his job as attorney general to enforce the laws of the land. According to an npr.com article Sessions will be tough on crimes, but minority groups are worried about his views on civil rights. Even though those groups are worried about what his actions will be in bringing justice to certain minority groups I do not think that his political views and votes from the past are quite as important since his job would be to enforce laws that already exist. They still have a valid reason to be worried, and I think congress should take that into account when they are approving Trump’s selections.
1.) https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-we-learned-and-didnt-about-jeff-sessions-at-his-confirmation-hearing/
2.) http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jeff-sessions/story?id=40279756
3.) http://www.npr.org/2017/01/11/509347580/in-day-2-jeff-sessions-attorney-general-hearings-turn-to-civil-rights
I picked the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. Tillerson is qualified for his nominated position due to his numerous years as the CEO of Exxon Mobil, which brought him into contact with numerous countries through international relations, namely Russia, which is a source of controversy today (1). I believe that Trump picked Tillerson due to similar negotiation and management styles. For example, Tillerson reportedly threw a book and stormed out in a rage during negotiations with Yemen for the construction of a natural gas export plant (1). Also, Tillerson is similar to Trump in that he has no formal foreign policy experience, and has an extensive background in international business (2). As to how Tillerson will handle the position, I am unsure. During his nomination hearing, he said many things that contradicted Trump’s views, including fulfilling alliance commitments agreements while Trump only believes in mutual protection if allies pay their fair share. (3). But, Tillerson also gave inconclusive answers in regards to his company’s efforts to lobby sanctions against Russia and frequently made statements implying that he would not make combatting human rights offenses a priority, and he even refused to admit that some dictators violated human rights (3). I am unsure of whether Tillerson will be successful in his job. Because of Trump’s abrasive nature, maintaining relations with other countries will be a challenge for this presidency. While Tillerson seems to be in some degree of disagreement with Trump, his views seem to be a confusing mix of humanitarian and dangerously narrow-minded.
(1): https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/business/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-russia.html
(2):http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/politics/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-exxonmobil-ceo/
(3):https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/rex-tillerson-confirmation-hearings.html
I want to begin my post by saying that I honestly had a hard time settling on which cabinet nominee to blog about. I wanted to choose a nominee who either held what could be deemed as troubling views or little experience in their respective fields, but to be honest most of Donald Trump's nominees (in my opinion) meet these requirements. However, I settled on Trump's Secretary of Education nominee, Betsy DeVos. Mrs. DeVos has been politically active for most of her career. She once served as the chairperson of the Republican Party for the state of Michigan (1). Her husband was the president of Amway and the Orlando Magic NBA team. With the great amount of wealth accrued (in the billions), they have donated consistently (and with largesse) to Christian organizations and Republican candidates for office (2). Most of her career has occurred at the state level; she is relatively inexperienced with Washington politics. Furthermore, she would be better defined as an activist in regards to politics, rather than someone who has held administrative positions. Betsy DeVos is widely known for her outspoken promotion of voucher programs that are funded by taxpayers (2). She also has stated that she does not support the Common Core standards implemented under the Obama administration (3). Her policy positions, if implemented, have dramatic implications for the future of the public school system in America. Her nomination is actually relatively surprising. During the Republican nomination campaign, she denounced Trump, calling him an “interloper” and saying that he “does not represent the Republican Party” (4). Most of Trump’s cabinet picks have been loyal supporters, so this nomination is a clear deviation from that trend. Donald Trump didn’t make education much of a concern in his platform, but according to his campaign website, he supports federal investment towards “school choice” (5). Therefore, they are somewhat in agreement on some basic ideas about our country’s educational system. Together, they will likely hope to decentralize planning and let the states have more control over curriculum and other means of controlling their educational system. She will likely face some resistance from Democrats, but the chances that she will not be approved are slim with the Republicans controlling the Senate (6).
(1)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/betsy-devos-trumps-education-pick-has-steered-money-from-public-schools.html
(2)http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/11/5-things-to-know-about-betsy-devos-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary/508661/
(3)https://twitter.com/betsydevos?lang=en
(4)http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/23/trump-picks-billionaire-betsy-devos-school-voucher-advocate-as-education-secretary/
(5)https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/education/
(6)http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
I have picked Trump’s nominee for the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. DeVos was a top donor during Trump’s campaign, and is a “school choice advocate” (1). She was once the chair of the Michigan Republican Party, was a member of the Republican National Committee, and was even considered to head the RNC (2). Both sides of the political spectrum are angry at Trump’s nominee for this important position. Liberals are unhappy because DeVos argues for a charter school system, along with school voucher programs. Meanwhile, Conservatives are unhappy because of DeVos’ support of Common Core standards, which Trump has promised to eradicate. Trump chose DeVos because "Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and passionate education advocate... Under her leadership we will reform the US education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families.” In Michigan, she campaigned to legalize public funding of religious schools, violating the separation of church and state. Finally, it came out a couple of days ago that DeVos hid a $125,000 dollar donation to a “Michigan committee that successfully opposed a ballot initiative that would have enshrined collective-bargaining rights in the state constitution”, from her disclosures submitted to a Senate committee before her hearing (3). This paints a suspicious picture, if she felt that this donation was something she needed to omit. If Betsy DeVos is to become our Secretary of Education, I’m worried about the spread of charter schools and minimization of traditional public education in her policy field. She has done this with relative success in Michigan, and as the Secretary of Education of the nation, she will have more power.
(1).http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/23/politics/betsy-devos-picked-for-education-secretary/
(2).http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/betsy-dick-devos-family-amway-michigan-politics-religion-214631
(3).https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/betsy-devos-omitted-125000-political-donation-from-senate-disclosure-form/2017/01/13/7a82c368-d9ba-11e6-9f9f-5cdb4b7f8dd7_story.html?utm_term=.f7cfe5a46b9a
For the department of energy Trump has chosen Rick Perry as secretary. Rick Perry was the longest serving governor of Texas and ran for president twice. He dramatically increased the amount of energy Texas made not only in fossil fuels but in clean energy. By doing that he created “millions of jobs and lower energy costs in the state” (1). He ran in 2012 and ruined his chances while, in a debate, he was listing the three departments that he would cut and he famously forgot the energy department and his only response was “oops” (1). That word would destroy his chances for the presidency in 2012, but in 2016 he would run again for the presidency but in the end he would be the first on the republican side to drop out of the race. After that he was a supporter of Ted Cruz and he was an open critic of Trump calling him a “barking carnival act” and a “cancer on conservatism” (2). Although he seems qualified for the job, it’s unclear why Trump would choose him. For most of his cabinet picks he had picked outsiders with ideas that went against traditionally held ideas of what the department should do. As for why he chose Perry it is most definitely not because he is an outsider, as he has seen fourteen years in the governor's office, but instead because he has strong ideas for the department. Abolishing the department is about as strong as you could get, and at the very least he has the success of his energy changes in Texas to stand behind. When Perry gets into the department I think both he and Trump will be surprised. During my research I found that only 15-20% of the department budget was for “traditional energy” (3). In fact, most of it involves our nuclear arsenal. In the department is the National Nuclear Security Administration and has to manage nuclear weapons and clean up nuclear waste (3). As for the second biggest part of the department, it’s actually funding research and it must run seventeen labs across the nation (3). Basically, I would be shocked if Perry would still want to abolish the department once he sees what the department really does, and the large changes that Trump was most likely looking for when he nominated Perry will probably have to be reined back in.
(1)http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary/
(2)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary-trump.html?_r=0
(3)http://blog.ucsusa.org/rob-cowin/what-will-us-energy-leadership-look-like-at-rick-perrys-department-of-energy
One of President elect Trump’s cabinet nominees is Rex Tillerson for the position as Secretary of State. Tillerson is currently the CEO of ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company (1). Even though Tillerson doesn’t appear as the most qualified choice with his lack of experience in government and politics, Tillerson possesses experience in conducting international business. As a successful CEO, Tillerson likely thinks similarly to Trump and could contribute important negotiation, management, leadership skills to the Trump administration (1). Another reason why I believe Trump selected Tillerson for the Secretary of State position is because of his ties to Vladimir Putin and Russia. Tillerson has met personally with Putin back in 2002 and 2003 when attending an energy summit with George W. Bush and has licenses to drill along 230,000 miles of Russia’s arctic coastlines (2). This is important to President elect Trump since he has pledged to improve relations with Russia (3).
If Tillerson is approved by the Senate, I imagine that foreign policy issues such as the United States economic and diplomatic relationship with Russia will change. However, this may not be to the benefit of the United States since the subject of improving relations with Russia has certainly become an issue of controversy. After the discovery of Russian interference and hacking during Trump’s campaign for office, the tension between the two countries has grown immensely. Tillerson’s rocky confirmation hearings and disagreements with Trump over the sovereignty of Crimea, how to improve relations with Russia, the proposed ban on Muslim immigration, nuclear weapon use in other countries, and reluctance to acknowledge human rights abuses could create even more sources of conflict Trump takes office (4).
(1) http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenrwald/2016/12/10/8-reasons-exxons-rex-tillerson-could-succeed-as-secretary-of-state/#448c49936b24
(2) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/12/rex-tillerson-us-russia-energy-donald-trump-oil-gas
(3) http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/13/politics/trump-russia-nominees-republicans-split/index.html
(4) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/rex-tillerson-confirmation-hearings.html?_r=0
Steven Mnuchin is the cabinet nominee for the Secretary of the Treasury. He has raised tens of millions of dollars for Trump’s campaign, so the cabinet position could be a way of thanking him for this. Mnuchin was a Wall Street insider. He worked for old line firms, and afterwards started running his own businesses, one of which is a consumer bank.He is also a Yale graduate and has his own hedge fund, Dune Capital Management (1).His history with working with money may qualify as some experience for the position.
Other than being the national finance chairman of Trump’s campaign, he may have been picked for his confidence and loyalty to Trump since he was such an open supporter. Also, overseeing Wall Street and the financial markets is part of the job as Treasury Secretary, so his experience in Wall Street should help there. The former Treasury secretary, Henry Paulson Jr., said, “[He] has a deep understanding of finance and markets, he knows how to bring people together to get things done, and — importantly — he has a working relationship with and the confidence of the president-elect” (2).
Mnuchin promises to prioritize tax reforms with the new cabinet position. He wants to initiate a large tax overhaul. He promises corporate tax cuts in order to bring jobs back to the US. In addition to that tax cut, he wants to implement a large tax cut for those of middle income as well (3). I think that despite his lack of political knowledge, his understanding of the finance world will help him somewhat.However, with him promising the largest tax reform since the Reagan administration (1), I am worried about what sort of fund cuts that will entail.
(1) http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/politics/who-is-steven-mnuchin-trumps-pick-for-treasury-secretary/
(2) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/business/steven-mnuchin-expected-treasury-pick-is-an-outsider-to-public-policy.html
(3) http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/30/news/economy/donald-trump-economic-team-mnuchin-ross/index.html
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Tom Price as his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price’s experience for this position lies in his medical and political background. He started out in the Georgia State Senate for four terms.[1] He has been a Georgia Representative in Congress for 12 years and has been on many committees, including Ways and Means, Budget, Republican Policy and Republican Study. Before going into politics, Price was an orthopedic surgeon for over 20 years, which gave him a lot of insight into health care policy. He has also served as a professor at Emory University School of Medicine, and has taught resident doctors-in-training at the Orthopedic Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
I think Trump picked Price because he has long been against government intervention in healthcare. This aligns directly with Trump’s belief that the government should stay out of people’s lives. Price has also been an advocate for repealing the Affordable Care Act since it was first passed. With Price as the head of HHS, he would be in charge of the implementation and eventual dwindle of ACA. Trump also chose Price because he was recently endorsed by the American Medical Association, an very influential group which represents doctors. [2]
If Price is approved as the Secretary of Health and Human services, I think our entire healthcare system will change massively. He wants the federal government to have way less of a role in healthcare than ever before. In 2007, in the House, he said, “As a physician, I know oh so well how the intervention of the state and federal government into the practice of medicine destroys the ability to take care of people. It makes it so you can’t provide quality health care for children and moms and dads.” [3] Under his leadership, I predict that the Affordable Care Act will either be repealed or he just won’t give any funds to its programs. He may also propose a program to have employers give set contributions to employees for healthcare, which gives the employee more say in what they want their healthcare to be like.
[1] https://tomprice.house.gov/about/full-biography
[2]http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/16/planning/tom-price-trump-health-and-human-services/
[3]https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/04/us/politics/tom-price-is-eager-to-lead-hhs-and-reduce-its-clout.html
Trump has nominated Jeff Sessions to be the Attorney General. Sessions has been a member of the Senate since 1996 and serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sessions also served as Alabama’s 44th elected Attorney general(1). These past positions give Sessions the experience needed to be nominated for the job of attorney general. Although he has experience to help him with this new role, the nomination of Sessions has been controversial due to previous comments he has made on sexual assault and civil rights. Many people are concerned and waiting to see if he will be able to keep his promises to champion the rights of all Americans, or if he will let his personal opinions get in the way of this(3). Trump likely chose Sessions for this position because he was a loyal supporter of Trump throughout his whole campaign. Sessions was the first Senator to endorse Trump’s Presidential campaign, and became a key advisor for Trump on major decisions and policy proposals(2). A Trump transition statement released on January 5th said, “the president-elect has been unbelievably impressed with Senator Sessions and his phenomenal record as Alabama’s attorney general and U.S. attorney.” Trump’s approval of Sessions’ past performance and his loyalty to the Trump campaign has lead to the nomination of Sessions for Attorney General. If Sessions recieves Senate approval, I predict that several changes will be made in the Department of Justice. First, it is likely that Sessions will create changes in the area of immigration and how illegal immigrants are dealt with. Sessions is known to be strict on immigration and his approval into the position of attorney general will likely make it much tougher for illegal immigrants to stay in the country(4). Another big area that could be impacted by approval of Sessions is civil rights issues. A specific example of this is the issue of voting rights for minorities. It is the job of the Department of Justice to challenge voting laws that restrict the rights of citizens, most commonly minorities. Sessions has said that voting laws are not intended to hurt minorities, and it will be interesting to see to what extent he will fight for the rights of all citizens(4). There are several other areas where decisions and actions by Sessions could impact the Department of Justice and also the daily lives of many Americans based on his views. Rated as the 5th most conservative senator, the ideas of Sessions may conflict with beliefs of many and be a great change from the way the Department of Justice had previously been run during Obama’s Presidency.
(1)http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jeff-sessions/story?id=40279756
(2)https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/18/10-things-to-know-about-sen-jeff-sessions-donald-trumps-pick-for-attorney-general/?utm_term=.eaed9008ad89
(3)http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/15/jeff-sessions-attorney-general-martin-luther-king-editorials-debates/96613378/
(4)http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2016/11/7-big-areas-where-jeff-sessions-could-change-policy-at-doj-000234
Trump’s pick for the Administrator of the EPA is concerning at best. Scott Pruitt is a man who outright lied in May about scientists “disagreeing” about climate change’s severity and “connection to mankind”. Pruitt has also described himself as the “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda”. That quote is the only mention of the environment in his entire Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General biography. Clearly, someone who doesn’t believe in the main mission of the Environmental Protection Agency, has no environmental experience, and who describes himself as the EPA’s main opponent is not fit to lead them. Trump does, however, have some reasons for this pick. First, Trump disputes the existence of global warming, saying in September, “I don’t believe in climate change.” Second, much of the Republican leadership either refuses to acknowledge climate change, or claims that it isn’t a pressing issue. Trump, a controversial candidate within his own party, may want to butter up the GOP, as they control both houses of Congress. Finally, Trump’s motives may be selfish. Trump has recently been fighting hard against the creation of a wind farm near a Scottish golf course owned by him, and opposing pro-wind energy legislation until November in Iowa, where he suddenly tacked, and said that wind energy was “amazing”. If Pruitt is approved, I believe that he will significantly slow the EPA’s progress. As Administrator, he has charge over the Deputy, Associate, and Assistant Administrators, who have control over different policy areas. Some of these will probably stay the same, such as the radiation office. Others will not be so lucky. The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention could be one of the hardest hit, as they help regulate pollution, and are a limiting factor on some big businesses, including those owned by President-Elect Trump. I am scared for the changes that are coming, and hope that Pruitt will not be approved for such an important post.
http://www.factcheck.org/2016/12/facts-trumps-epa-nominee/
https://newrepublic.com/article/124381/2016-presidential-candidates-view-climate-change
https://www.ok.gov/oag/Media/About_the_AG/
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chemical-safety-and-pollution-prevention-ocspp
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rex Tillerson is Donald Trump's Nominee for Secretary of State. If appointed as Secretary of State, he will be in charge of, among other things, advising the president on foreign policy, conducting foreign affairs negotiations and administering the Department of State.[1] Tillerson has been the CEO of the multi-national oil and gas company Exxon Mobil since 2006, where he began working in 1975.[2] As the CEO of Exxon Mobile, he has worked with other nations, including, most controversially, Russia, from where he famously received the Order of Friendship, Russia's highest honor for someone who is not a citizen.[3] Although he does have an impressive business background, he has no formal foreign policy background of experience.[4] Despite his lack of formal experience, Tillerson may be seen as qualified for the job because of his experience with Exxon.
Donald Trump presumably chose Rex Tillerson for this role because of his experience working with other nations as the CEO of Exxon. This experience with dealing with other nations through his company would, theoretically, qualify him to be the President's chief advisor on foreign policy. Donald Trump also owned Exxon Mobil stock, owning $50,000 to $100,000 worth of Exxon stock in 2015.[5] I believe that, because of his experience dealing with foreign leaders as the CEO of Exxon, Trump will rely heavily on him for foreign policy matters if he is confirmed.
I believe the public policy area Tillerson is in charge of and affects will dramatically change. Because of Tillerson's close and friendly ties with Russia, and his power as chief foreign policy advisor to the president, we may be seeing some drastically changing and improving ties and relations with Russia, and the adoption of a more conservative approach to global matters such as the refugee crisis by lessening the flow of refugees into America and the environment by possibly cutting environmental treaties with other nations. [6]
[1] https://www.state.gov/secretary/115194.htm
[2] http://www.forbes.com/profile/rex-tillerson/
[3] http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-controversy/
[4] http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/politics/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-exxonmobil-ceo/
[5] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rex-tillerson-trumps-pick-secretary-state/story?id=44112481
[6] http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-s-secretary-state-pick-may-help-direct-shift-u-n695486
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rex Tillerson, the CEO and chairman of ExxonMobil, for the position of Secretary of State. In that position, he will be the top diplomat of the United States. While lacking any experience in government or politics, Trump commented that Tillerson has “experience and success in dealing with dozens of governments and leaders in every corner of the world” [1]. Tillerson grew up in Texas and joined the Exxon Company after earning a degree in civil engineering. He has worked for no other company, let alone in any government or political position, since 1975, working his way up to a leadership position [2]. I think that Trump chose Tillerson for Secretary of State because they have a lot in common as businessmen. Tillerson has experience in making deals with other countries and has maintained positive correspondence with Russia. This correlates to planned adjustments in relations with Russia that are a part of Trump’s plan for office. Both Trump and Tillerson share a fairly similar background and understanding about foreign relation between countries. In business negotiations it is necessary to have a depth of knowledge in the economics, politics, and governments of another country. I can see why Trump would see value in selecting someone with prior knowledge of other nations to be the nation’s main diplomat because Tillerson would have knowledge of geopolitics from a different, new perspective. Trump thinks that this will help the nominee “promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States” [3]. If Tillerson is approved, I expect that tensions between Russia and the United States will be eased due to his prior successful business relationship with the country, and that he will solidify the national security of our country through foreign relations. Likely, there will be extensive questioning regarding Tillerson’s relations with Russia and the award he received from Putin given the hacking associated with the Trump campaign. Unlike Trump, Tillerson believes in climate change [1]. This is an international issue that the Secretary of State has to deal with, and TIllerson has voiced his favor of a carbon tax [1]. Tillerson might also make other actions and exercise influence over international environmental policy. I think that Tillerson will bring a unique set of experiences to the table if his nomination is approved by the Senate. He has knowledge of foreign countries, their governments, and their economies through negotiation, and he would be working in his element. All of this said, it is hard to speculate on future actions and policy of a politician who has no past political experience to set precedence for future actions.
[1]:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-picks-exxonmobil-ceo-rex-tillerson-for-secretary-of-state/2016/12/12/23ce9c80-c0e3-11e6-897f-918837dae0ae_story.html?utm_term=.06924665b583
[2]:http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/13/505350255/what-we-know-about-rex-tillerson-trumps-pick-for-secretary-of-state
[3]:http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/12/trump-to-name-secretary-of-state-pick-tuesday-232544
With just a few short days until Donald Trump’s inauguration, the President-elect has been busy nominating his Cabinet members. One of these nominees is John Kelly who has been picked by Trump to assume the title of Secretary of Homeland Security. Kelly is certainly qualified for the position; having served more than 40 years in the Marines, Kelly rose to the position of General, and in 2012 he became the commander of U.S. Southern Command (1). In this position, Kelly was in charge of targeting issues such as drug trade and organized crime in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean (2)(3).
With this extensive military and border control background, it is easy to see why Trump has selected Kelly for this position. In addition to this experience, however, both Kelly and Trump advocate for strong border defense, primarily along the Mexico-United States border (2)(4). This is most likely the main reason why Trump has selected Kelly for Secretary of Homeland Security. Thus, if approved, Kelly will most likely be placed in charge of increasing security along the Mexico-U.S. border, whether he is in charge of implementing Trump’s wall along the border or just generally tightening border security (4).
(1)https://www.defense.gov/About-DoD/Biographies/Biography-View/Article/602724/john-f-kelly
(2)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/john-kelly-dhs-trump.html
(3)http://www.southcom.mil/About/
(4)http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/11/politics/new-cabinet/#secretary_of_homeland_security
This comment has been removed by the author.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has served as Oklahoma's AG since 2010, and earned a degree in political science and communication arts at Georgetown University in 1990. [1] As attorney general, Pruitt challenged the EPA's "activist agenda" due to its stringent regulations, and even sued them in 2015. His reasoning was that: “The EPA does not possess the authority under the Clean Air Act to accomplish what it proposes in the unlawful Clean Power Plan… The Clean Power Plan is an unlawful attempt to expand federal bureaucrats’ authority over states’ energy economies in order to shutter coal-fired power plants and eventually other sources of fossil-fuel generated electricity…. We are filing this lawsuit in order to ensure decisions on power generation and how to achieve emissions reductions are made at the local level rather than at the federal level." [2] It is unclear to me why this was an indicator of a good department head to Trump, although it is a clear indication that he means to reverse President Obama's actions in this department. Another "qualification" for this job is Pruitt's denial of climate change. He claims that "scientists continue to disagree [on climate change.]" [3] despite the fact that 97% of scientists agree that human activity and reliance on fossil fuels is warming our planet. [4] However, I can see how this is a plus to Trump, as he too "doesn't believe in climate change." [5] Mainly, I believe Trump chose him due to his emphasis on encouraging business without regulations. Based on this, my prediction for the EPA if Pruitt is approved is grim at best. Pruitt has already shown his distaste for EPA regulations and his disbelief in climate change. He also has ties to "oil and gas industry insiders aimed at tearing down environmental protections." [6] The New York Times found emails in 2014 that show Pruitt and other Republican attorneys general working with corporations and lobbyists to file lawsuits and challenge federal regulations on everything from fracking to air pollution. [7] Therefore I predict far fewer environmental regulations on the energy industry as well as little to no work or research on climate change. I also predict an uptick in pollution and more environmental problems arising from the lack of regulations.
Sources:
1. http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/news/2016/12/alumnus-scott-pruitt-reportedly-trumps-pick-run-epa/
2. https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=258&article_id=16092
3. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435470/climate-change-attorneys-general
4. http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/
5. http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-climate-change-global-warming-environment-policies-plans-platforms-2016-10
6. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/3-things-scott-pruitt-actually-said-climate-change/
7. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/us/politics/energy-firms-in-secretive-alliance-with-attorneys-general.html?_r=0
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State. Though Tillerson was the CEO of ExxonMobil for 10 years, from 2006 to 2016 [1], he has had no political experience, and also lacks experience in the public sector, which is very unusual for this job [2].
I think that Trump made this choice because they are astoundingly similar people in terms of experience. Both are wealthy businessmen new to the political arena. This aspect most likely makes it easier for Trump to trust him, and because Trump and his advisors deemed the Secretary of State to be the most important cabinet position, trust is definitely something he was looking for [3]. However, though both men are a part of the Republican party, Tillerson has taken slightly more liberal stances on several issues where Trump has not. For example, Tillerson opposes a Muslim ban, and also disagrees with Trump’s plan of leaving the Paris Climate Agreement [4]. It is likely that Trump is overlooking these differences to show
If Tillerson is to be approved by the Senate to be Secretary of State, some major things could change. First of all, it could improve the relations between Russia and the United States. As CEO of ExxonMobil, an oil company, Tillerson did a lot of dealings with Russia [4]. It is possible that this connection could cause the two countries to work together, but I think that it is much more likely that it would any attempt from Tillerson to grow closer to Russia would be met with strong opposition from many. In a more general prediction, I believe that Tillerson will try to use his business experience, the only experience he has, when dealing with other nations, and this could cause some backfires as nations and businesses are not nearly the same thing.
1:http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/11/politics/new-cabinet/#secretary_of_state
2:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/10/who-is-rex-tillerson-the-exxonmobil-chairman-who-may-become-secretary-of-state/?utm_term=.b6fcee88f16c
3:http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/rex-tillerson-donald-trump-secretary-of-state-232581
4:http://www.npr.org/2017/01/11/509216287/watch-live-rex-tillersons-secretary-of-state-confirmation-hearing
Tom Price was chosen by president elect Trump to take office as a cabinet member and director of Health and Human Services. His experiences as a politician include being a member of the US House of Representatives from Georgia’s 6th district, Chairman of the House Budget Committee and member of the Georgia Senate. As far as health and human services, (1) his experience includes a degree of the University of Michigan Health System, running an orthopedic clinic in Atlanta, Teaching as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and directing an orthopedic clinic at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital. He is also a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, which is a conservative association to fight socialized medicine and the taking over of medicine by government, which is exactly what Republicans wish to do. I think Trump picked this person because of the transformation of the health care crisis Republicans wish to see. (2) HHS plays a vital role in this change, and Trump probably trusts his experience, political views, and his understanding and knowledge of the healthcare system, and what it could be during his presidency. If approved, my prediction for Price is that he will fight and continue to critique Obamacare, and continue to advocate for the repeal and replacement of the 2010 healthcare law. (3)He believes that patients and doctors should be in control of healthcare, not the government, and I think with his knowledge and experience, Congress will trust his advice and interest to get government out of people’s medical care.
Be sure to substantiate your opinion with evidence. You will need at least 3 sources for this post.
(1)http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/314359-we-speak-from-experience-tom-price-is-right-for-hhs
(2)http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/29/503720671/5-things-to-know-about-rep-tom-prices-health-care-ideas
(3)http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/11/30/8-Big-Changes-Under-Tom-Price-s-Obamacare-Replacement-Plan-0
Donald Trump chose Betsy Devos as his Education Secretary. Donald Trump probably chose Devos because he has previously proposed moving 20 million dollars in federal money to vouchers for private schools, and this is the same ideology that Betsy DeVos has (1). DeVos also believes there should be more of a choice as to where students go to school and make it so it is easier for students to get a better education at a private school, which is why Trump wants to use more money on charter and private schools (2). She is a republican and has also served on Jeb Bush’s board of his Foundation for Excellence in Education, so she is in the same party and has a little experience on education (3). She will be in charge of the Department of Education because she has a strong stance and cares about that topic.
(1)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/betsy-devos-trumps-education-pick-has-steered-money-from-public-schools.html
(2)http://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/articles/2017-01-09/what-matters-to-betsy-devos-donald-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary
(3)http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/11/5-things-to-know-about-betsy-devos-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary/508661/
For Secretary of Labor, Trump has nominated Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants(Hardee’s and Carl Jr.’s). Personally, Puzder and Trump seem very similar, neither a stranger to controversy. Puzder has been criticized for his CKE ads featuring scantily clad women, defending them as “very American.” [1] Of course, the labor department deals with the job market, regulating the workplace, and unemployment, and as head of a major fast food corporation, Puzder would certainly know how regulations and minimum wage increases might affect common laborers, job availabilities, and the small business. [2] Senior Vice President David French of the National Retail Federation says “Andrew Puzder is someone with the real-world experience to understand workforce issues and how jobs are created.” [3]
I think mostly Trump picked Andrew Puzder because he appears to plan on running the Department of Labor as Trump would. Puzder has opposed minimum wage increases, citing increased costs to consumers and a decline in jobs, as well as “encouraging automation”. Puzder has also been outspoken about his opposition to a Labor Department rule expanding overtime eligibility, saying it will decrease opportunities for workers.[3] Additionally, Puzder has opposed paid sick leave policies, and is strongly in favor of repealing Obamacare. Finally, Puzder has promoted removing regulations and tax increases on major corporations, which he says will boost job creation. All of these things are comparable to Trump’s stances during the campaign. Of Puzder, Trump stated “Andy Puzder has created and boosted the careers of thousands of Americans, and his extensive record fighting for workers makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Labor” [1]
As I said in the previous paragraph, Puzder seems to be an extension of Trump’s hands-off, laissez-faire vision for the Labor Industry. If he serves the Cabinet’s traditional role of advisor, he will most likely just be telling Trump what he wants to hear. Most of Puzder’s work will likely be reversing recent labor regulations and worker protections introduced by current Labor Secretary David Perez.
In conclusion, Andy Puzder has the same experience and vantage points that Trump has as a CEO, and thus the same viewpoints and opinions. As Secretary of Labor, he would likely be removing or blocking, not adding, regulations and policies, and would merely be following through on Trump’s campaign promises.
[1]https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/us/politics/andrew-puzder-labor-secretary-trump.html
[2]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/11/politics/new-cabinet/
[3]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2016/12/08/trump-names-andrew-puzder-a-fast-food-ceo-and-critic-of-substantially-raising-the-minimum-wage-to-head-the-labor-department/?utm_term=.afa149a200c0
I chose president elect-Trump's Secretary of Defense nominee General James Mattis. His nickname is Mad Dog Mattis. James Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013 after a 41-year career. He led troops into Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, and in Afghanistan during the initial U.S. wave in 2001(1). Toward the end of his career, he was the head of the United States Central Command. As head of U.S. Central Command he was in charge of all American forces serving in the Middle East and oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan(1).
I believe that president-elect Trump chose Mattis because of all his experience. Trump is a firm supporter of taking down Isis and James Mattis also likes a strong military and will agree with Trump's views when it comes to decisions regarding U. S. military forces. However, there is also one reason why Trump should not have chosen Mattis. To take the job, Mattis will need Congress to pass legislation to bypass a federal law stating that defense secretaries must not have been on active duty in the previous seven years(2). Congress has granted a similar exemption but only once. This means that it will be more difficult for Mattis to become the Secretary of Defense than for someone else. Thus, I believe that Trump really likes James Mattis since he is willing to go the extra step to get Mattis in his cabinet. According to Trump, "General Mattis is a strong, highly dignified man"(3).
If Mattis gets approved by the Senate, I predict that he will take a radical position when it comes to public policy. I believe that James Mattis will be more confrontational. He will use the military in a way that he wants to protect the U.S. Mattis is definitely not going to be an isolationist when it comes to tough situations. He will want to use military force, and in my opinion, he will not avoid conflicts or use diplomatic solutions.
(1)http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gen-james-mattis/story?id=43694921
(2)https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-chosen-retired-marine-gen-james-mattis-for-secretary-of-defense/2016/12/01/6c6b3b74-aff9-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html?utm_term=.3a12d7c6eea2
(3)http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/01/politics/james-mattis-trump-secretary-of-defense/
Trump has chosen Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has served as a state attorney general, which some believe makes him more qualified for the position because he has seen the direct effects of EPA's regulations (1). However, Pruitt is not someone who will take a strong position to clean the environment, and will be too friendly towards fossil fuel companies (2). I think Trump chose Pruitt because he sides with Trumps's philosophy of global warming is just a hoax that kills business. Trump has made many threats on his campaign trail to roll back the progress made by EPA. Ken Cook, head of the Environmental Working Group,says that Pruitt will follow through with the environmental threats Trump has made. He also added that Pruitt will be the most hostile EPA administrator towards clean air and safe drinking water in history (2). Pruitt will set back a lot of the progress made during the Obama administration towards the environment. I believe during his administration he will go against Obama's Clean Power Plan, and attempt to cancel the Paris accord, which would commit nearly every nation to fight against climate change. I don't think Pruitt is fit for the position when his agenda mainly includes rolling back the progress made so far in protecting our environment.
Source 1: http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/15/scott-pruitt-is-the-ideal-nominee-to-lead-the-epa/
Source 2: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html?_r=0
For Secretary of Defense, Trump has nominated former general James Mattis. Mattis commanded the forces in Iraq and the Middle East in the early 2000s before retiring (1). His 40 years of service have more than qualified him for this position and he actually has different views than Trump on foreign policy(3). This is good because Trump's qualifications are much less impressive, so taking some more professional advice would be good. Trump is not know for being flexible, but he was quoted on calling Mattis "The real deal"(2). As for my prediction, I believe that Mattis will lead us on a more aggressive, or at least firmer, foreign policy. Our current situation with Russia may change. Trump being under scrutiny for countless scandals involving Russia will most like not sway Mattis' opinion.
1:http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/11/politics/new-cabinet/
2:http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/19/politics/donald-trump-james-mattis-defense-secretary/index.html
3:https://www.wikiwand.com/en/James_Mattis
For my Presidential Cabinet selection, I chose to look at President Elect Trump's choice for Secretary of State, Rex W. Tillerson. His experiences have very minor ties to anything political, as he has worked in the oil business, and currently is the Chief Executive and CEO of Exxon (1). While Trump believes "He's much more than a business executive" and "He's a world class player", many people still have many questions about the Exxon executive. His close ties with Russia and Vladimir Putin in respect to his job have raised a lot of eyebrows, esprcially with the recent intellegence hearings about Russian hacking of the US election (2). Sen. Marco Rubio even stating "The next secretary of state must be someone who views the world with moral clarity, is free of potential conflicts of interest, has a clear sense of America’s interests"(3). Also, his stance on climate change, and permitting of the Keystone Pipeline has caused a lot of questions about the environment, especially in liberal eyes(2).
I believe he got the job because of two major ideals, his big business background,
and his relationship with Russia. Trump being a businessman himself, has shown that he likes to surround himself with other executives, so this helps Tillerson's case. Also President-Elect Trump has recently shown great interests in creating good relations with Russia, and a seceratary of State which already has good relations with Russia would be a great choice in Trump's eyes.
I believe under Tillerson's policies as Secertary of State will involve much less trade regulations and sanctions, especially regarding oil and energy means. With his ties in international business it seems like he would try to free up trade as the major foriegn affairs advisors (4). This is what Tillerson looks like to me, due to his business executive background, and relationships with other countries.
1) http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html?_r=0
2) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/business/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-russia.html
3)https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-picks-exxonmobil-ceo-rex-tillerson-for-secretary-of-state/2016/12/12/23ce9c80-c0e3-11e6-897f-918837dae0ae_story.html?utm_term=.95dd79f893d2
4)http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/13/505350255/what-we-know-about-rex-tillerson-trumps-pick-for-secretary-of-state
President-elect Donald Trump has had some very controversial cabinet picks over the past few months leading into his eventual inauguration. One of these is a woman by the name of Betsy DeVos, who has worked as a chairwoman for the Republican Party in Michigan as well as a spokesperson for privatized education (1). Despite her vocal opposition to Mr. Trump, his pick is likely due to two things: her ideological alignment with his position on education and her billionaire businessman husband (who is also a former Navy Seal) (1). Depending on how receptive Congress is to her education initiatives within the next for years, it can be safe to assume that she and Trump will work towards funding government-sponsored education vouchers for private and charter schools, considering Trump has stated in the past that he plans to put $20 billion in federal spending into the project (3). Although this may grant students access to higher education, some of this money would go towards private schools with religious affiliation; a clear violation of the separation of church and state (2). She is a large advocate for deregulation in charter schools and partially condemns Common Core standards, especially in recent years. These potential measures, again, play into the importance of separation of church and state. Many people in minority communities are worried that, by directing federal financial attention away from secular public schooling, their children will be forced to attend schools that do not align ideologically with their culture and religion just to be able to have a chance at higher education (2). The future for education in America seems like it will shift away from Common Core and promote the privatization of education.
(1)http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38084199
(2)http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/23/499642077/trump-chooses-betsy-devos-for-education-secretary
(3)http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/11/5-things-to-know-about-betsy-devos-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary/508661/
As of Wednesday, January 18th Trump has confirmed Scott Pruitt to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College and he graduated from the University of Tulsa’s School of Law. He specialized in Constitutional Law and went into a private legal practice. In 1998 he won a seat in the State Senate and in 2010 Pruitt was appointed to be an Attorney General and served two terms as president of the Republican Attorneys General Association (1). I think Trump picked Pruitt because of their similar stances regarding the environment. Both are skeptical of climate change, arguing that it is a scheme made up to hurt big business (2 and 3). Pruitt also has close ties with the fossil fuel industry, which is also supported by Trump (4). Trump most likely picked him to try to dismantle the work that the Obama Administration did to combat climate change, and to open up the pathway to the fossil fuel industry. Pruitt will likely slow the progress of the EPA and severely damage the environment doing so.
1-http://scottpruitt.com/meet-scott/
2-https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html
3-http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/22/canada-moves-to-clean-energy-trump-sees-a-future-for-fossil-fuels.html
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/3-things-scott-pruitt-actually-said-climate-change/
I am choosing Wilbur Ross, Trump’s choice for Commerce Secretary within his cabinet to discuss. Ross is a billionaire who has made his money through inheritance and investing in failing companies (1). He is a very experienced investor and has served under Bill Clinton as a member of the US Russia Investment Fund (1). One curious thing about Wilbur Ross is that he previously identified as a Democrat and funneled thousands of dollars into Democratic organizations and candidates before he realigned with the Republicans in 2011.
I believe Trump chose Ross due to their similar experiences in the business world. Both made a name for themselves through their business endeavors and have done a lot of business overseas (2). Ross also assisted Trump when his casinos were going out of business, so this could also be seen as a form of repayment or a favor (1). Both Trump and Ross are risk takers, which is another reason he was nominated (2). In order for Ross to truly become responsible for everything the position entails, he needs to sell a lot of his properties and businesses so there is no conflict of interest in his decisions and recommendations to the President (3).
1-https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/business/dealbook/wilbur-ross-commerce-secretary-donald-trump.html
2-http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-appointees-security-clearances-540767
3-http://www.wsj.com/articles/wilbur-rosss-complex-business-ties-pose-divestment-challenge-1484246072
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Jeff Sessions as his nominee for Attorney General. His qualifications include, member of the US senate for twenty years, served as Attorney General and US attorney in the state of Alabama. He is very much liked by is constituents in Alabama he won his fourth term as senator in 2014. I believe Mr. Trump pick Mr. Session is because of his qualifications as Attorney General for Alabama and because has become more conservative in his views of issues such as immigration and abortion. What Jeff will do to the public policy, I think, is make major changes. As my third source has said, Mr. Session is going to overlook the investigations on such things as Civil Rights. This could bring in changes, that many people may not like. He said that those investigations are “An intrusion on local authority and an overreach by the DOJ.” (4)There will also be a change in the public policy of immigration. Jeff sessions is very opposed to illegal immigration. He is strongly against President Obama’s Executive amnesties. With Mr. Session is charge, I believe, there will be stricter regulations on things such as immigration. As many can see he has different views than President Obama. He does though have many similar views with Mr. Trump, because of his far right ideas. He has a great chance of being elected for being a cabinet member. He has been in the Senate for over 20 years, so he knows what they do and can relate to them. There is also the House of Representatives, whose majority is Republican.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-taps-sessions-for-attorney-general-pompeo-for-cia-231599
http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/10/as-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-would-destroy-the-dojs-crown-jewel/
http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/immigration
President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of State is Rex Tillerson (1). Tillerson is the CEO of Exxon Mobil, but has no experience in the public sector (2). This is unusual, especially in modern times, as most Secretaries of State have at least some previous experience in the government (2). It's likely Trump picked Tillerson for his business background, as Tillerson has experience negotiating deals with many different nations. In addition, Tillerson is very friendly with Russia, which may have influenced Trump's decision, as Trump is friendly with Russian President Vladmir Putin (2). If Tillerson is approved, I predict that America will have an increased interest in discussions about oil with other countries, because that's what Tillerson is an expert in. In addition, because Tillerson's main focus is oil, he likely doesn't care too much about the environment, so he's probably not going to make any effort to stop the effects of climate change (3). This will likely negate any steps the U.S. has taken to reduce global warming. China has reacted negatively to comments made by Tillerson, so it's possible that if Tillerson is confirmed, there could be confrontation with other nations regarding oil (4). Also, because Tillerson has no experience in political negotiation, I think that the United State's negotiating abilities will decrease if Tillerson is confirmed. Tillerson is not a diplomat, so he'll likely be at a disadvantage compared to diplomats from other countries who have years of experience.
(1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-administration-appointee-tracker/database/
(2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/10/who-is-rex-tillerson-the-exxonmobil-chairman-who-may-become-secretary-of-state/?utm_term=.056d29401130
(3) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/13/rex-tillersons-view-of-climate-change-its-just-an-engineering-problem/?utm_term=.3a2d72b2722f
(4) http://time.com/4634078/rex-tillerson-south-china-sea-donald-trump/
This comment has been removed by the author.
(1) President-elect Donald J. Trump has nominated former neurosurgeon and presidential candidate Ben Carson for the role of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. His impoverished background is said to be his fuel to lead an agency backed by a $47 billion budget. (2) Carson was on the verge of declining this nomination, however, due to his supposed "lack of government experience." It is not doubtful that he will assume the Secretary of HUD role once Trump pulls together his whole cabinet. Donald Trump probably picked Carson for this position because of Carson's knowledge of urban areas and how to "better" them. Trump tweeted, “I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the head of HUD, I’ve gotten to know him well — he’s a greatly talented person who loves people!” Trump most likely selected Carson for this position because of their shared views on welfare and poverty, (3) such as the idea that those who don't want to work are on their own and to rid of dependency. Based off this evidence, I am predicting that Carson will take his policy in the direction of using private industry to support home mortgages instead of large-scale ones. Honestly, I'm not very sure what good can come out of Trump's entire administration because they're all whack.
(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/donald-trump-close-to-picking-ben-carson-as-housing-secretary.html
(2) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/ben-carson-hud-cabinet.html
(3) http://www.ontheissues.org/Ben_Carson.htm
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Betsy DeVos to the role of Secretary of Education. DeVos is a philanthropist and businesswoman known for her advocacy of school choice and voucher programs. She is a well-known republican and member of the Reformed Christian community (1). Donald Trump, as a businessman is very much concerned with his image. This would explain his vehemence at any sort of insult directed at him. As such, I would reason that he nominated DeVos in part due to her prominence in the party but also to because of her image. As a philanthropist known for her support of affordable education opportunities, it would improve Trump's image beyond being a businessman-made-president. Additionally, due to her stances on education, her placement in this role would garner support from Latino voters who have otherwise had difficulty within the current system of education (2). Conveniently she is a billionaire AND has apparently given money to various politicians; some of which are on the approval committee. This doesn't really bode well as it is dubious as to whether she is actually qualified for the position. The Washington Post claims "she is the swamp Trump is trying to drain" citing her use of her fortune to force her ideologies for education on Detroit (3). If she is approved, DeVos will most certainly have Detroit at the top of her agenda (4). Apparently, she created a system of charter schools in Detroit which allowed many schools to be opened in those poor communities. While on average those schools have performed better than the public schools in Detroit, the average of all schools is far, far below national standards. Therefore, just based upon her previous actions, I can tell that she will focus on "improving" education opportunities in poor neighborhoods, but I worry that she will negatively impact the system if this or any reform is done incorrectly especially if she throws money at the problem (which doesn't necessarily work at all).
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_DeVos
(2) http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/education/314438-betsy-devos-will-empower-latino-families-not-bureaucrats
(3) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/opinion/issues-surrounding-betsy-devos-the-education-nominee.html?_r=0
(4) http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/detroit/2017/01/16/can-betsy-devos-be-blamed-for-the-state-of-detroits-schools-what-you-need-to-know/
Donald Trump's nomination for the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is Scott Pruitt and his supposed qualification to run this agency is that as attorney general of Oklahoma, he has vigorously fought regulation by Obama's Environmental Protection Agency. [1] He is suspected to have a close relationship with fossil fuel energy firms, which may bay a qualification, but is also a question of conflict of interest in a case of Oklahoma v. EPA. The reason behind the President-elect's pick of Scott Pruitt is by no means a secret, he opposes environmental regulation. I neglect to say that he doesn't believe in climate change, since he is quoted as saying [2] “Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.” and even Trump said when asked if humans are the cause of climate change he replied [3] “I think there is some connectivity. Some, something. It depends on how much." It is become increasingly difficult to pretend it doesn't exist, but the motive to deny it is still very much alive, big business. Pruitt is an obvious ally to big business which in itself is not a problem, and the problem is not that Pruitt may not believe in climate change. The problem is that Scott Pruitt does not care. He does not care about the environment, and views the protection of the environment as an inhibitor to profit. There is nothing wrong with a desire for a profit driven nation, but choosing the person who prefers profit over a viable future is NOT qualified to head the Environmental Protection Agency, but it does align with the President elect's beliefs and lifestyle, and that is the reason he was nominated for this position. In the event of his appointment, its clear that his role in public policy will be denying the effects of climate change and neglecting to impose new regulation both to protect the remaining wilderness of the United States and to prevent big business regulation from water pollution to the filtering of harmful chemicals. Sleep tight.
[1]https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/us/politics/energy-firms-in-secretive-alliance-with-attorneys-general.html
[2]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/07/trump-scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency
[3]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/22/trump-there-is-some-connectivity-between-humans-and-climate-change/?utm_term=.50c6837462c8
For Secretary of Energy President-elect Trump has nominated Rick Perry. Rick Perry is the former governor of Texas and he competed with Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016. Perry has a bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&M University[1]. Perry's educational background is troubling as the previous few Secretaries have had advanced degrees in science. Perry lack of educational background is especially troubling when considering that a large part of the Department of Energy is the regulation of nuclear weapons. Perry is on the record as saying that human-caused climate change is a "contrived, phony mess." This is also troubling because the Department of Energy has worked to improve renewable energy sources and as Secretary Perry could shift that focus to fossil fuels. Perry does have experience running a large bureaucracy as the governor of Texas which will help him lead the department of Energy. Interestingly, in his bid for the White House in 2011 Perry called for the dismantlement of the Department of Energy which he is now nominated to lead[1]. Trump has stated that he picked Perry because he created a lot of job growth in Texas in the energy sector as well as reducing energy prices[2]. As Rick Perry was previously on the board for two companies working on the Dakota Access Pipeline I predict that under his administration the pipeline will probably be finished[3]. Also, because of Perry's doubt of climate change I expect to see less focus on renewable energy sources and more focus on fossil fuels.
1.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary-trump.html?_r=0
2.http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary/
3. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/energy-pick-rick-perry-resigns-dakota-access-pipeline-boards-article-1.2944288
President-elect Donald Trump recently named Mr. Rick Perry to lead the Energy Department. This nominee has been intriguing for many Americans, as many people are concerned with Trump and his environment ideas and opinions. Perry has “no expertise in nuclear or technical matters” according to the New York Times (1). Perry is more experienced in the oil and gas industry. He served as governor of Texas for 14 years, where he gained experience in politics through management of such a large state. However, according to the Huffington Post, many people are skeptical of his past due to his lack of scientific experience (2). With science being at the heart of the Energy Department, people are skeptical of Trump’s choice to choose a person who is not a scientist.
However, I think Trump chose him due to his long-term experience of being in charge of such a large group of people. According to the Jackson Sun, Perry is the longest-serving governor of Texas, which is the nation’s second largest state (3). This experience of being in charge for so many people for an extended period of time I think is one of the factors in Trump’s decisions. Additionally, Rick Perry is a strong Republican, who will attempt to enact conservative policies in the Energy Department. This is also an attractive feature for Trump, as his own Republican ideals would be carried out through Perry in the department.
Although some people are worried about the power Perry has in nuclear weapons, I don’t think that there will be any drastic nuclear policy being created from the Energy Department. With such a strong public opinion against the use of nuclear weapons, I don’t think Perry will risk proposing such a controversial policy. Instead, I predict that Perry will focus on renewable energy, as he does have past experience in wind energy. This issue is significantly less controversial than nuclear weapons, which will improve the view of the Energy Department and make it easier for policy to get passed.
Overall, I will be interested to see what Perry does in the Energy Department due to his lack of scientific knowledge, while still having a long-term experience in politics.
(1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rick-perry-department-of-energy_us_587721a0e4b092a6cae559d6
(2) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/us/politics/trump-rick-perry-nuclear-weapons.html
(3) http://www.jacksonsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2017/01/16/why-rick-perry-actually-good-cabinet-pick/96514120/
I picked Rex Tillerson, who Trump picked for Secretary of State. He has no political experience to speak of, though he was the CEO and Chairman of Exxon from 2006 to 2016 [1], which involved heavy dealings with foreign countries. Trump seems to be picking people that have lots of experience in the private sector, usually as heads of companies, over those with any political experience to speak of (its almost like hes filling his cabinet with clones). I'm guessing that he is going to be extremely friendly with Russia and Yemen, which he has had dealing with during his time at Exxon [2] I would expect that he will also try to open up trade with Iran, which Exxon conducted business with (illegally) during a time when Tillerson was Senior Vice President[3]
[1] http://www.forbes.com/profile/rex-tillerson/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/13/rex-tillerson-quandaries-trump-russia-conflicts-of-interest
[3] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/09/exxonmobil-and-iran-did-business-under-secretary-state-nominee-tillerson/96359776/
President elect Trump has picked quite a colorful cabinet (in personality, of course,) and Rick Perry as the Energy Secretary does not disappoint, at least in that sense. Rick Perry is a former Texas governor who once went for the republican nomination for president. He proposed getting rid of the Energy department in 2011, and is now responsible for protecting and managing the nation's nuclear weapons (1).
Trump picked Perry because he knows they hold similar feelings about energy saving. Trump wants someone who will not be afraid to continue expansion on our nuclear reserve and to ensure that the countries weapons still work in case they are needed in the future (2).
I think if he is given this position, the population is going to grow in heightened paranoia about the future of our nuclear policy. Many Americans fear that the program is going to lessen it's safeguard for America and strengthen diplomatic tensions. Perry is going to most likely receive pressure to resume low field nuclear testing, which is something we have not done since 1922. I fear if we open these fields up once again, it's going to heightened the already tense relations with other countries around us (3).
(1) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html
(2)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/us/politics/trump-rick-perry-nuclear-weapons.html
(3) http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/13/what-does-energy-secretary-rick-perry-mean-for-nuclear/
Trump has chosen to name Scott Pruitt, the current Attorney General of Oklahoma, as the E.P.A. administrator (1). Pruitt attended Georgetown College and received a bachelor’s in political science and communications. Pruitt also earned his law degree from the University of Tulsa (2). Pruitts educational background is unprecedented, as the previous E.P.A. administrator have had education in some form of environmental science. Pruitt has been ridiculed for being a member of an alliance of republican attorney generals that have fought President Obama's environmental regulations (3). This alliance has taken aid from the energy industry in order to go against these regulations. It is well known that Pruitt is in favor of dismantling the E.P.A. and does not believe that humans are contributing to global climate change. Pruitt is an ally of the fossil fuel industry and it is hard to believe that someone that is so close to the exact industry that is emitting the gasses so threatening to the existence of our planet could be the administrator of the E.P.A.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/07/politics/trump-picks-scott-pruitt-to-head-epa/
http://time.com/4594238/donald-trump-scott-pruitt-epa/
James Mattis, commonly referred to as "Mad Dog" Mattis, is Trump's appointment for the Secretary of Defense. With a 41 year long career in the Marine Corps (1), Mattis is very qualified to lead the country in military strategy. In his career he commanded many different aspects of the Marine Corps (3). This experience with both military leadership and direct participation in combat is likely the reason that he was appointed for this position. In addition to his field experience, Mattis has a library of over seven thousand books, most of which pertaining to military history and strategy, giving him a wide range of knowledge to pull from in order to defend the country. He also prioritizes strategy over mindless violence - in a letter to the 1st Marine Division in 2003, he said "Engage your brain before you engage your weapon" (2). Mattis seems to have strong opinions on Russia and relations with Vladimir Putin, believing that Russian aggression is one of the biggest security issues since World War II (4). Based on these strong opinions, he will likely focus a lot on policy issues regarding Russia and its more aggressive and questionable actions. In addition, Mattis said he believes the current military is not strong enough (4), indicating that he may attempt to strengthen or increase the size of the military.
1: http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-general-james-mattis.htm
2: http://www.businessinsider.com/general-james-mattis-wrote-letter-marines-combat-iraq-war-marines-2013-3
3: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gen-james-mattis/story?id=43694921
4: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/12/politics/james-mattis-defense-confirmation/
President Elect Donald Trump has chosen the former Texas governor, Rick Perry, to be the head of the Department of Energy. This decision has caused quite the controversy considering how in 2011, when running for president as the republican nominee, Perry suggested abolishing the department altogether. Later, he would say that he regretted this statement and reversed his previous statement denying human-caused climate change, as well. He will be responsible for protecting and managing the nation's arsenal of nuclear weapons even though he has no prior expertise in this area (1.)
Perry was chosen for the job on account of similarities shared between Trump, both believing in the need to strengthen and expand our nuclear capability. He was also picked because of his experience in managing a huge annual budget and working as a head of a sizeable bureaucracy (2.)
However, Perry has demonstrated a concerning lack of scientific knowledge, obvious is his ever-changing views of climate changes. Some nuclear analysts are predicting that, under this Trump administration, decisions could be made to upend the bomb program, leading to resumption of testing and perhaps a new global arms race if they are mishandled. This would be a great concern to many Americans and I believe that this will cause a great paranoia among the country is terms of safety concerns (3.)
(1)https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html
(2)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rick-perry-department-of-energy_us_587721a0e4b092a6cae559d6
(3)https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/us/politics/trump-rick-perry-nuclear-weapons.html
Amongst President Trump’s cabinet nominations is Ryan Zinke, his nominee for Secretary of the Interior. Trump likely selected Zinke due to his education in conjunction with his political views. Zinke studied Geology at University of Oregon and sat on the House Natural Resources Committee, which gives him some sort of environmental background (1). Despite his background in environment and dedication to protecting public access to federal land, Zinke tends to vote against environmentalists and in favor of oil and drilling (2). On top of all that, Zinke is a representative from Montana, a state widely recognized for its parks and beautiful scenery, and being a hunter and fisherman himself, he’s gone on record to state his appreciation and commitment to addressing the repairs that need to be done in America’s parks (3). Zinke is perfect for Trump in that he’s able to agree with him on major energy issues, however still has some appeal to American citizens, Centrists, and Democrats, due to his environmental background and past history of voting against conservative beliefs on environmental issues (3). I believe Zinke will implement policy that is likely more left than the Trump administration would prefer and farther right than the Democrats would prefer. Energy would likely be an area in which he votes mainly conservative due to his past disdain for policy trying to control methane release from drilling and gas operation (1). As far as the parks budget and activism for the parks, Zinke would likely stray from the party, trying to expand the budget and implement programs to clean them up and bring more people into them while protecting them, as he has gone on record stating he would do (3).
(1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/13/trump-taps-montana-congressman-ryan-zinke-as-interior-secretary/?utm_term=.3bb1012567ba
(2) https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-01-17/4-big-questions-for-ryan-zinke-trumps-secretary-of-the-interior-nominee
(3) http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-zinke-confirmation-hearing-1484676023-htmlstory.html
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home