Press Release - President Donald J. Trump is Reshaping the Government

A MODEL FOR REFORM: President Donald J. Trump is taking steps to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which can serve as a model for wider government reform.

• The President has undertaken significant reforms at the VA, increasing accountability for veterans and providing them with the benefits they truly deserve.
• On June 23, 2017, the President signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The bill:
  • gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to quickly remove Federal employees who fail and endanger our veterans;
  • gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the direct authority to hire and appoint new medical center directors at VA hospitals; and
  • protects whistleblowers who do the right thing to protect our veterans.
• As part of President Trump's initiative to restore accountability for veterans, the VA has fired 1,470 failing employees, suspended 443, and demoted 83 others through December 31, 2017.
• In January 2018, the VA became the only hospital system in the country to publicly publish its opioid prescribing rates for all of its pharmacies.
• On August 23, 2017, the President signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, streamlining the lengthy process by which veterans appeal disability claims.

GOVERNING FOR THE PEOPLE: President Trump is spearheading an ambitious agenda of government reform so agencies and departments work for the American people once again.

• Beyond regulatory reform, the Trump Administration's executive agencies have launched major reorganizations to meet the needs of Americans.
• On March 13, 2017, the President issued an Executive Order to create a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch, along with a budget blueprint, which will eliminate outdated, unnecessary, or dysfunctional programs across the government.
• Under the guidance of the President:
  • The Secretary of Agriculture is reforming the Department to best meet America's needs:
    • To emphasize the importance of trade in the agriculture industry, the Secretary created new senior positions to promote agricultural trade and to elevate the rural development agencies within the Department; and
    • To eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication, the Secretary merged overlapping offices throughout the Department such as those overseeing commodity procurement, food quality grading, and nutrition.
  • The Secretary of Energy announced his intention to modernize the Department, including cutting red tape. This will empower the National Laboratories to focus on mission-critical work and return the Department to its original three Under Secretary statutory framework, which will better advance priorities, address present and future energy challenges, and refocus the Department on its core missions.
  • The Secretary of the Interior is restructuring the bureaucracy and establishing common regional boundaries to facilitate coordination between bureaus.
  • The Secretary of State is ambitiously reforming the State Department, realigning priorities to most effectively and efficiently meet the country's diplomatic and national security needs.
  • The Department of Defense is incorporating business reforms, coupling increased performance with affordability to ensure the best value is gained from each taxpayer dollar.

DRAINING THE SWAMP: President Trump is closing the revolving door that benefits Washington at the expense of everyday Americans.

• The President will continue to end policies that benefit the Washington swamp at the expense of working-class Americans.
  • Through policies targeted to benefit middle-class Americans, President Trump is restoring the American Dream and creating opportunity for each and every American.
• The President has imposed higher ethical standards on his Administration than those imposed in past administrations, including a 5-year lobbying ban for Administration employees at their agencies of prior employment and a permanent ban on lobbying for foreign countries.
• The President is donating his salary every quarter, ensuring that his focus remains solely on benefitting the American people.