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Trump's biggest executive actions, explained

Here is a list in chronological order:

11. Reduce regulation – Jan. 30, 2017

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Small business leaders applaud President Donald Trump after he signed an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. Trump order is aimed at significantly cutting regulations. White House officials are calling the directive a "one in, two out" plan. It requires government agencies requesting a new regulations to identify two regulations they will cut from their own departments.

ACTION

For every new regulation, ax two others. That’s the mantra of Executive Order: Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, which also directs agency heads to ensure that new regulations don’t add to the total costs of regulations,  unless advised otherwise by the director of the Office of Management and Budget. The order also imposes a regulatory budget beginning in fiscal year 2018, which will require agency heads to limit regulation costs as well as the number of regulations.

ANALYSIS

Republicans have long complained about over-regulation by governmental agencies. Both ideas – a regulatory budget and a 2-for-1 reduction in rules – have been considered before. Trump wants to “double down by mandating both at the same time.” The challenge will be actually implementing the order, since there’s no clear definition of what counts as a regulation or which agencies will be included in the order.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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