10 New Federal Laws Passed Under President Trump In 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump has frequently boasted about his lawmaking record, saying he's "signed more legislation than anybody.” This is not true.

According to GovTrack, that last president to sign as few bills as Trump has at this point in his presidency was President Ike Eisenhower in 1953. But the real impact of the federal government, of course, is not about how many bills the president has signed, but how its legislation and actions affect the country.

Since his inauguration, Trump has signed a total of 96 laws, as NPR reported. Many of these were ceremonial or largely aspirational; they rename a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic or ask agencies to promote women entrepreneurs. But other bills have concrete, definite and observable effects that are felt by the American people, whether they impose new regulations, repeal existing rules, or allocate important funding.

Here are ten of the laws passed under President Trump that will have a significant impact on the country:

1. Tax reform

Trump and the Republican Party rested their sights on reforming the U.S. tax code after failing to repeal and replace Obamacare. The new bill alters rates, slashes the corporate tax permanently, limits several key deductions and benefits owners of "pass-through" businesses. Read more about the details of the tax bill.

2. Obamacare mandate repeal

While technically a part of the major tax reform package, the end of the Obamacare mandate to buy health insurance is a major change in American law on its own. It does not, as Trump has claimed, mean that Obamacare is dead — many parts of the law are in place and affecting millions of people every day — but it could have a major impact on the insurance industry. Congressional analysts believe millions of additional people could be without insurance over the next decade because of the change, and they expect premiums to be about 10 percent higher over the same period.

It also means that many people who choose to go without insurance next year will not have to pay a penalty amounting to hundreds of dollars on their 2018 taxes.

3. Alaska drilling

The tax bill also contained a provision opening up parts of the Alaskan wilderness for oil drilling. Many Alaskans welcome this change and hope it will bring increased business and revenue to their state. However, other residents are concerned about how the drilling could impact the landscape and native wildlife.

4. New accountability rules at the Department of Veterans Affairs

Trump signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 as part of an effort to clean up the waste and inefficiencies that have long plagued the agency.

5. The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

This act imposed new sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia. Trump voiced displeasure with the act, but in the face of overwhelming support for the law in Congress, he signed it. The law, in part, codifies the actions taken by the Obama administration to punish the Russian government for its efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. These sanctions could help prevent further meddling, as the American intelligence community expects the Russians to continue to try to influence the U.S. political system.

6. Several disaster-relief bills

In a year of devastating natural disasters — especially hurricanes and wildfires — Trump has signed several bills aimed at providing billions of dollars worth of relief to the victims. This funding has had, and continues to have, a very real impact for people in need. Many argue that much more funding is still needed, particularly for Puerto Rico, which remains devastated by Hurricane Maria.

7. Government funding resolutions

Without approval for its funding, the federal government cannot remain open. Congressional lawmakers and Trump came together multiple times in 2017 to pass continuing resolutions to avert a government shutdown, but they have yet to come to an agreement on anything other than short-term stopgap measures. In January, lawmakers will once again run up against another government shutdown deadline.

8. Ending the rule requiring internet service providers to respect users' privacy

Using the Congressional Review Act, Republicans blocked implementation of the Obama-era "Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services" rule. Under the rule, internet service providers would be barred from collecting their customers' data and selling it to other companies.

Republicans say that the rule is burdensome and unnecessary, arguing that internet service providers have an incentive to respect their customers' privacy.

9. Blocking the stream protection rule

Another Obama-era rule blocked under Trump is the "stream protection rule." It limited the coal industry's ability to dump waste and industrial byproducts into nearby streams, leading Republicans to say Democrats were waging a "war on coal." Proponents of the regulation say it helped protect the environment and people who live near these streams from harmful pollutants.

10. Drug-testing unemployment applicants

The Trump administration will not limit states' ability to drug test applicants for unemployment benefits after passing a law blocking a Department of Labor rule. This means some people may be required by their states to pass a drug test before receiving government funds. The administration also said it would like to "provide additional flexibilities for states relative to the drug testing of persons seeking unemployment benefits.”

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