The new GOP-controlled Congress is officially in session and they’ve got a laundry list of troubling agenda items on deck.
As has been the case for the duration of President Obama’s two-term presidency, the central priority at the core of their counterproductive to-do list is to derail Obama’s legacy by any means necessary.
From plans to gut the historic healthcare bill that currently benefits millions of Americans, to defunding actions targeting the rights of women across the country, to embracing legislation that allows for a blanketed reversal of several Obama Administration initiatives all at once, the 115th Congress’ agenda looks pretty bleak for both the outgoing president and the many Americans who have benefited from his policies.
Here are six congressional agenda items that aim to undo President Obama’s legacy:
Repealing The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
One of Donald Trump’s most consistent promises during his presidential campaign was that he would ensure Obamacare was repealed in its entirety. While the president-elect seems to be at odds with his Republican cohorts about exactly how to go about getting this done, it’s still the number one item on the agenda. As a result of Obamacare, over 90 percent of Americans are currently insured.
Defunding Planned Parenthood
President Obama recently approved legislation that makes it illegal for lawmakers to withhold funding from health clinics just because they provide abortion services, but the Republicans are on still on a warpath to do away with Planned Parenthood completely. It’s actually one of the top priorities on their agenda.
Invoking The Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act has been unsuccessfully used by Republicans in the past in an attempt to disapprove federal regulations put in place by the Obama Administration. In short, the act allows for Congress to perform an expedited legislative review of recent federal regulations issued by government agencies and gives them 60 days to overrule the regulations. While GOP efforts to use this rule to their advantage failed in the past, the presence of one of their own in the Oval Office will certainly change the outcome of future efforts.
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Confirming Trump’s Cabinet Picks
While Trump reportedly remains embattled with several high-ranking Republicans over the credibility and qualifications of those he has picked to run his administration, it’s unlikely that the majority of his selections won’t make it through. Nothing quite like having the country run by a host of highly questionable “leaders” — some of whom have documented histories of embracing white supremacist and white nationalist ideals — to undo all the hard work that President Obama has done to move the country forward.
Invoking The Midnight Rules Relief Act
An amendment to the Congressional Review Act and perhaps the most detrimental item on the list, the Midnight Rules Relief Act will allow for the incoming Congress to bundle several bills approved by the outgoing president and his administration within the last six months of his term and move to overturn them all at once with a single vote, rather than having to handle them one at a time. Translation: everything President Obama has done on the legislative side over the last few months is in jeopardy of being erased.
Confirming The Electoral College
Perhaps the most obvious way in which the new Republican-controlled Congress will aim to undo President Obama’s legacy is by officially confirming the electoral college and swearing in Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States on January 20.