With Donald Trump taking office as our next president, there is much anticipation by various lobbying firms as to how his presidency is going to impact a wide range of issues. In this two-part blog series, we will look at some of the potential changes President Trump could enact during his time in office. While some lobbyists are open to a Trump presidency, others have reservations about whether their issues will be heard.
However, it is important to remember, while the president does have certain executive powers, there are limitations as to the extent the president can use these. In addition, major changes and reforms to laws would need to be conducted through Congress with new bills being passed by both the House and Senate. Even though the Republicans have control of these two, they still need a majority.
Among the issues, the future of labor is one major area of concern. The future of employment and labor laws could be drastically changed under Trump. It is important to remember that Trump is a businessman and has first-hand experience with dealing with government rules and regulations, as well as their respective agencies.
During his campaign, Trump did not provide a concise employment and labor plan, other than stating he intended to help businesses generate around 25 million new jobs that would help stimulate economic growth, which he would like to grow at a rate of around 3.5% annually. Furthermore, he is supportive of providing six weeks of pay while on maternity leave.
In regards to the debate over increasing minimum wages, he has not been fully clear on his objectives. At one point, he did mention he would consider raising it to at least $10 per hour. During another instance, when questioned, he said he would like to do away with a federal minimum wage and make minimum wage laws the responsibility of the states.
One common theme, though, throughout Trump’s campaign, was reducing involvement by the federal government in regulating workplace rules and policies. Trump has long supported enabling businesses to have more power to determine their own policies and procedures. He avidly has stated that federal regulation results in what he refers to as overregulation and ends up costing $2 trillion annually to enforce.
Trump has also mentioned on numerous occasions his intentions to reverse many of President Obama’s executive orders, not just in regards to employment and labor laws but others he put into effect during his eight years in office. Essentially, this would result in undoing most of what Obama attempted to accomplish during his time in office.
We invite you to continue reading more about the future employment and labor laws and regulations under a Trump presidency in Part II of this two-part blog series. To ensure your voice is heard by those who matter, do not hesitate to contact LobbyIt at 202.587.2736 and enlist our help today!
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