During the US election campaign, Donald Trump made a number of « Day One » promises that any president would find daunting.
He declared that repealing and replacing his predecessor Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law would be « one of his first acts as president ».
Mr Trump released an 18-point action plan which would push forward sweeping ethics reforms and potentially undo scores of regulations. And he promised to fundamentally change the nation’s approach to immigration and begin work on an impenetrable wall along the southern border – all on his first day.
Some proposals would require executive action or simply announcing his intention to do something. Others, however, require US congressional approval and would likely draw numerous legal challenges.
Here is a list of everything Mr Trump promised to do on « Day One » of his administration:
IMMIGRATION:
:: Stop all federal funding for « sanctuary cities » – places where local officials do not arrest or detain immigrants living in the country illegally.
:: Begin deporting what Mr Trump estimates to be more than two million criminal illegal immigrants living in America.
:: Cancel visas for citizens of foreign countries which will not take those criminal illegal immigrants back.
:: Immediately terminate former president Barack Obama’s « two illegal executive amnesties ». This would most likely include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), which protects people who were brought into the country illegally as children.
:: Begin working on an « impenetrable physical wall » along the southern border.
:: Ask US Congress to pass « Kate’s Law, » which would increase penalties on people who unlawfully re-enter the US after being removed.
SECURITY AND DEFENCE:
:: Immediately suspend the Syrian refugee programme.
:: Convene his generals and inform them that they have 30 days to submit a new plan for defeating Islamic State.
:: Suspend immigration from « terror-prone regions » where Mr Trump says vetting is too difficult.
:: Implement new « extreme » immigration vetting techniques.
TRADE:
:: Announce his intention to renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
:: Formally withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.
:: Direct his treasury secretary to label China a currency manipulator.
GOVERNMENT REFORM (dubbed « Draining the Swamp »):
:: Propose a Constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.
:: Ban White House and congressional officials from becoming lobbyists for five years after they leave the government.
:: Ban former White House officials from lobbying on behalf of foreign governments for the rest of their lives.
:: Ban foreign lobbyists from raising money for US elections.
:: Impose a hiring freeze on federal employees, excluding military, public safety, and public health staff.
:: Impose a requirement that for every new federal regulation imposed, two existing regulations be eliminated.
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
:: Remove any Obama-era roadblocks to energy projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline.
:: Lift restrictions on mining coal and drilling for oil and natural gas.
:: Cancel payments to the UN’s climate change programmes and use the money to fix America’s water and environmental infrastructure.
HEALTHCARE, GUN CONTROL AND OTHER ISSUES:
:: Cancel « every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama ».
:: Ask Congress to send him a bill to repeal and replace Mr Obama’s signature healthcare law.
:: Begin the process of selecting a new Supreme Court justice.
:: Get rid of gun-free zones in schools and military bases.
