U.S. President Donald Trump recently claimed that “legislative approvals” cleared by him were the highest, stating that he had signed into law 88 bills.
According to data from GovTrack, Trump has signed 96 bills this year and his claim of having the highest legislative approvals is also not accurate.
Data shows that Trump is placed behind six predecessors in terms of law signed in a president’s first year in office (Jan. 20-Dec. 31). He also trails presidents like Nixon, Kennedy and Eisenhower.
Political scientists state that rather than the number of bills the significance of the bills is more important measure.
According to an analysis carried out by NPR, of the 96 laws signed by Trump this year:
- More than three dozen laws are either modification or extension of existing laws
- Sixteen of them repeal rules and regulations using a process known as the Congressional Review Act
- Around a dozen have been used to honor or commemorate people and organizations
- Seven bills offer temporary government funding or one-off disaster relief funds.
According to John Frendreis, professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago, the tax bill is “a big deal”, but none of the others can be seen “as a significant legislative achievement.”
List Of The 96 Laws Signed By Trump
Basic Maintenance Laws Needed Yearly
- HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017
- HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018
New Policy Introduction
- S 1094 Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017
- HR 3364 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
- HR 1 – The GOP tax bill
Bills approving temporary funds government, or one-time disaster relief (7)
- HJRes 99 Continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and related purposes
- HR 601 – Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017
- HR 3732 – Emergency Aid to Hurricanes Irma Survivors and Jose Overseas Act
- HR 3823 Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017
- HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017
- HJRes 123 – Continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes
- HR 1370 – Continuing Appropriations Act, Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriations Act, CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act, 2018
The above resolutions were cleared using an obscure process – the Congressional Review Act, under which a simple majority is needed for passage in the Senate. As these measures cannot be filibustered in the Senate, it has been easy for Republicans to repeal Obama-era regulations yet to be enforced.
- HJRes 67 – Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by qualified State political subdivisions for non-governmental employees
- HJRes 43 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with title X requirements by project recipients in selecting subrecipients
- HJRes 69 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Department of the Interior relating to “Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska”
- HJRes 83 Disapproving the rule relating to “Clarification of Employer’s Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness”
- SJRes 34 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services”
- HJRes 4 Disapproving the rule relating to drug testing of unemployment compensation applicants
- HJRes 57 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
- HJRes 58 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues
- HJRes 37 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation
- HJRes 44 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
- HJRes 4 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule towards Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007
- HJRes 38 Disapproving the rule submitted of the Stream Protection Rule submitted by the Department of the Interior
- HJRes 41 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule relating to “Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers”
- S 496 A bill to repeal the rule issued entitled “Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform”
- HJRes 66 Disapproving the rule for savings arrangements established by States for non-governmental employees
- HJRes 111 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule relating to “Arbitration Agreements”
Laws encouraging an agency or the president to try something new (13)
- HR 321 Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act
- HR 255 Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act
- HR 534 U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act
- HR 274 Modernizing Government Travel Act
- HR 366 DHS SAVE Act
- S 327 Fair Access to Investment Research Act of 2017
- S 810 A bill to facilitate construction of a bridge on certain property in Christian County, Missouri, and for other purposes
- S 1141 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017
- HR 1117 To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit a report regarding certain plans regarding assistance to applicants and grantees during the response to an emergency or disaster
- S 190 Power And Security Systems (PASS) Act
- S 920 National Clinical Care Commission Act
- HR 194 Federal Agency Mail Management Act of 2017
- HR 1545 VA Prescription Data Accountability Act 2017
Laws modifying or reauthorizing existing programs/law (37)
- HR 353 Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017
- S 442 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017
- S 419: Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2017
- S 583 American Law Enforcement Heroes Act of 2017
- HR 72 GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017
- HR 657 Follow the Rules Act
- S 1083 A bill to amend section 1214 of title 5, United States Code, to provide for stays during a period that the Merit Systems Protection Board lacks a quorum
- HR 3218 Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017
- HR 1238 Securing our Agriculture and Food Act
- HR 3298 Wounded Officers Recovery Act of 2017
- HR 374 To remove the sunset provision of section 203 of Public Law 105-384, and for other purposes
- HR 510 Rapid DNA Act of 2017
- HR 2430 FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017
- HR 339 Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act
- HJRes 76 Granting the consent and approval of Congress for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of Columbia to enter into a compact relating to the establishment of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission
- HR 2288 Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017
- S 1866 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Education Relief Act of 2017
- S 652 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2017
- S 544 A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes
- S 114 VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017
- HR 3819 Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2017
- S 585 Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017
- HR 1329 Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2017
- HR 1616 Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017
- S 504 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017
- S 782 PROTECT Our Children Act of 2017
- HR 304 Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017
- HR 3031 TSP Modernization Act of 2017
- HR 3243 FITARA Enhancement Act of 201
- HR 3949 VALOR Act
- HR 4374 To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to authorize additional emergency uses for medical products to reduce deaths and severity of injuries caused by agents of war, and for other purposes
- HR 228 Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017
- S 371 Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act
- S 1266 Enhancing Veteran Care Act
- HR 624 Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017
- S 178 Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act
- HR 1679 FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017
Laws To Naming Places/ A memorial/To Encourage flag-flying (12)
- SJRes 1 Joint resolution for approving a memorial to honor Armed Forces members who served in Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield
- HR 1362 Naming the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin VA Clinic
- HR 609 Designating the Department of Veterans Affairs health care center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the “Abie Abraham VA Clinic”
- S 305 Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017
- HR 375 Designating Federal building and United States courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee, as the “Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse”
- HR 873 Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act
- HR 2210 Designate the community living center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the “Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center”
- SJRes 49 Joint resolution to condemn the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, beween August 11 and August 12, 2017, recognizing the first responders and deepest condolences and sympathies and support those affected by the violence
- S 1616 Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act
- HR 2519 The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
- HR 2989 Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act
- S 1617 Javier Vega, Jr. Memorial Act of 2017
Bill relating to Personnel Management (6)
- SJRes 30 A joint resolution for the reappointment of Steve Case as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
- SJRes 36 A joint resolution appointing Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
- SJRes 35 A joint resolution appointing Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
- HR 1228 Appointment of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to replace members whose terms expire during 2017, and for other purposes
- S 84 Bill for providing for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces
- HR 3110 Financial Stability Oversight Council Insurance Member Continuity Act