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In the first six months of this administration, President Donald Trump has fought every day to deliver on his promises to the American people. At a historic pace, this president has taken bold action to restore prosperity, keep Americans safe and secure, and hold government accountable.

President Trump has signed more than 40 bills and nearly 40 executive orders on everything from health care to energy, infrastructure and more.

While the previous administration turned to federal agencies to enact its agenda, President Trump has signed more laws to slash through federal red tape than any president in American history and has saved businesses up to $18 billion a year in costs.

And whereas the last administration stifled the use of Americas vast energy resources, President Trump has put a renewed emphasis on American energy approving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, rolling back the Clean Power Plan, and putting America First by withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.

President Trump inherited an economy that would barely budge but under his watch, American businesses small and large have already created more than 800,000 new jobs since January. Company after company is responding to the presidents agenda with optimism investing billions of dollars in American jobs, American workers and Americas future.

As the father of a United States Marine, I couldnt be more proud to serve alongside a president who cares so deeply about the men and women of the armed forces of the United States of America.

After years of so-called sequestration and budget cuts to our armed forces, President Trump has already signed the largest increase in defense spending in nearly 10 years and called for the greatest investment in military readiness since the days of President Ronald Reagan.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is fighting every single day to restore an America of freedom, prosperity and opportunity for all.

And this president calls our enemy by its name radical Islamic terrorism and with the leadership of this commander-in-chief our armed forces are taking the fight to ISIS on our terms on their soil.

When it comes to security here in the homeland, President Trump has taken decisive steps to secure our borders and enforce our laws a direct contrast with the previous administration.

And while illegal immigration was rampant in recent years, our administration has been working with local law enforcement to take drug dealers, members of gangs like MS-13, and other violent criminals off our streets. Illegal crossings at our southern border are down by more than 60 percent since the start of this year.

After the previous president tried to stack the courts with liberal jurists, our president made a commitment to appoint federal judges who will uphold the Constitution and the God-given liberties enshrined there. Look no further than the newest Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch.

Judge Neil Gorsuch shakes hands with Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy after being sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, accompanied by Louise Gorsuch (C) and U.S. President Donald J. Trump in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTX34YQB

President Trumps accomplishments are nothing short of historic. But as the president likes to say, at this White House that's just what we call a good start.

President Trump will not rest and he will not relent until we keep our promise to the American people and repeal and replace ObamaCare.

President Trump has called on the Congress to do its job, and we will continue to work with both the House and Senate to give the American people health care reform built on the principles of personal responsibility, free-market competition and state-based reforms.

President Trump is firmly committed to passing the largest tax cut since the days of President Reagan. Were going to cut taxes across the board for working families, small businesses and family farms.

Well simplify the tax code. Well eliminate the alternative minimum tax. Well make the code flatter and fairer for everyone. And under President Trump, we will repeal death taxes once and for all.

And to get this economy moving again, were going to cut business taxes in America so that companies in this country can compete with companies around the world and create good jobs right here in America.

Well end the broken system that penalizes companies for calling America home. And well cut taxes on trillions of dollars that are locked away overseas so that American businesses can invest in Americas future.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is fighting every single day to restore an America of freedom, prosperity and opportunity for all.

So with boundless faith in the American people, with faith in President Trumps vision and determination, and with faith in God who has ever watched over this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, I say with confidence: We will make America safe again. We will make America prosperous again. And to borrow a phrase, we will Make America Great Again.

Mike Pence is vice president of the United States.

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Vice President Mike Pence: Trump's triumphs are many after ...

USA Today NetworkChrissie Thompson, The Cincinnati Enquirer Published 8:53 p.m. ET July 22, 2017 | Updated 8:53 p.m. ET July 22, 2017

The Republican Party spent Wednesday desperately trying to save its healthcare plan after the GOP's Senate leadership was forced to admit that it doesn't have the votes to repeal and replace Obamacare. Video provided by TheStreet Newslook

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In remarks prepared for a meeting with Senators at the White House, President Donald Trump told Republicans: "We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace, and shouldn't leave town" until the bill is complete. (July 19) AP

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The late-night comics on Senate Republican's failure to agree on health care legislation. Take a look at our favorite jokes, then vote for yours at usatoday.com/opinion.

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President Donald Trump declared Tuesday it's time to "let Obamacare fail" after the latest GOP health care plan crashed and burned in the Senate, a failure for Trump, Mitch McConnell and a party that has vowed for years to abolish the law. (July 18) AP

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President Trump was not pleased that the Republican's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare collapsed. USA TODAY

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President Donald Trump blasted congressional Democrats and "a few Republicans" Tuesday over the collapse of the GOP effort to rewrite the Obama health care law, and warned, "We will return." (July 18) AP

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The latest GOP effort to repeal and replace 'Obamacare' was fatally wounded in the Senate Monday night when two more Republican senators announced their opposition to legislation strongly backed by President Donald Trump. Time

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Republican leaders unveiled a new health care bill in their effort to deliver on promises to repeal and replace "Obamacare." They cannot spare losing many GOP votes as the party's own divisions put its top campaign pledge in serious jeopardy. (July 13) AP

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The Senate GOP has released its revised health care bill. Heres whats different and what stayed the same. Time

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In a high-stakes bid for conservative support, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to demands from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to allow insurers to sell low-cost, skimpier plans as part of a new health care bill. Time

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In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, President Donald Trump said that Republicans must come together on a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. (July 12) AP

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Rand Paul writes a new op-ed that says why he cannot support the Senate GOP healthcare bill. Elizabeth Keatinge (@elizkeatinge) has more. Buzz60

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Harvard professor David Williams is concerned about the current congressional debate over healthcare. He cites President Ronald Reagan's massive spending cut and the aftermath as evidence that cutting healthcare programs doesn't help people's health. USA TODAY

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Police on Monday said they arrested 80 people protesting the Senate Republicans health care bill in Washington, D.C. Time

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to unveil a revised health care bill on Thursday and begin voting on the measure next week. This comes as the Senate also announced a two week delay to their August recess. (July 11) AP

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With all of the controversy surrounding the Republican Obamacare replacement bill, one GOP Senator is working on unveiling his own health care plan. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story. Buzz60

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A coalition of GOP senators is pushing to cancel the annual August recess, making more time for health care and other legislative priorities before the fiscal year's end. (July 11) AP

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Congress is back in session this week after a 10-day recess. And lawmakers are facing a pretty harrowing agenda. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said if GOP senators can't agree on the current health bill, they'll have to figure something else out. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul gave a town hall-style meeting in Louisville Thursday to talk to voters about the Republican answer to the Affordable Care Act. (July 6) AP

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Protesters gathered Wednesday outside the Capitol to voice their opposition to the GOP health care bill. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Democrats requested an additional analysis of the GOP health care bill's long-term effects on Medicaid from the Congressional Budget Office. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Speaker Paul Ryan says President Donald Trump's crude tweet about a cable news anchor is not an 'appropriate comment.' (June 29) AP

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Less than 5 months into his presidency, health care is moving Independents away from Trump and Republicans. Jose Sepulveda(@josesepulvedatv) has more. Buzz60

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A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows low support among Americans for the GOP healthcare bill. Susan Page, USA TODAY Washington bureau chief, explains the findings. USA TODAY

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Right now, GOP senators are trying to gather enough votes to pass their Obamacare replacement plan, but even fellow Republicans are having a time a hard time accepting the health care bill. USA TODAY

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Democratic leaders joined protestors outside the Capitol building Wednesday to protest the health care bill that Senate Republicans are working on. (June 28) AP

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President Donald Trump says getting approval of a Senate health care bill will be 'very tough.' But he predicts that Republicans will at least 'get very close' and may 'get it over the line.' (June 28) AP

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Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel doesn't think the AHCA will pass through Congress and shares his ideas about how Obamacare could be improved, rather than repealed. He speaks with Susan Page, USA TODAY Washington bureau chief, on Capital Download. USA TODAY

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Sen. Mitch McConnell says 'good progress' was made during a meeting with members of the Senate at the White House to discuss the Senate healthcare bill. (June 27) AP

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House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending the Senate Republican health care plan. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story. Buzz60

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Less than a week after Senate Republicans unveiled their version of the American Health Care Act, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a vote on it has been pushed back until after July 4. USA TODAY

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the vote will be delayed on the Senate version of the GOP health bill as members continue to work out the details. (June 26) AP

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The main change is meant to encourage people not to let their coverage expire. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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The nonpartisan agency says the Republican plan will leave 22 million people uninsured over the next decade. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi warns that the lives of thousands of Americans are at risk if GOP health bill passes. Buzz60

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Republican Senator Susan Collins expressed concerns about the healthcare bill and defended the funding of Planned Parenthood. Lindsey Granger has details. Buzz60

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President Donald Trump spoke to FOX News Channel's FOX & Friends, saying that he never taped former FBI Director James Comey, but he believes Comey changed his story once the possibility of recordings was raised. (June 23) AP

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The former president wrote a lengthy post about his concerns with Republican efforts to repeal and replace his signature health care legislation. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Meet the 13 Senators Deciding on Your Health Care Behind Closed Doors Time

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One Republican Senator says he needs to read and study the GOP health care bill before he votes for it. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story. Buzz60

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White House press secretary Sean Spicer said American's cannot afford to foot the bill for Obamacare any longer. USA TODAY

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Senate Republicans' efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act have been criticized for a lack of transparency. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

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Senator John McCain has had a way with words for years. And now, Bloomberg is reporting the senior Senator from Arizona says hes sure the Russians have seen the Senate Republican healthcare bill. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story. Buzz60

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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the president 'clearly wants' Senate Republicans to put forward a health care bill 'that has heart.' (June 20) AP

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Repealing and replacing Obamacare has been a centerpiece of the Republican party for years. The House already passed their version of the American Health Care Act back in May and now it's the Senate's turn. Buzz60

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Washington roiled by Obamacare repeal failure

Two more Republican Senators oppose health bill, killing it for now

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Mike Pence makes nice with John Kasich - USA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence delivered remarks at the Retail Advocates' Summit in Washington, D.C. on July 18, 2017.

Vice President Mike Pence says that when it comes to deregulation, President Donald Trumps record is historic.

Trump "has signed more laws cutting through federal red tape than any president in American history and has already saved businesses and families up to $18 billion in red tape costs every year," Pence said in a speech at the National Retail Federation's Annual Retail Advocates Summit on July 18, 2017.

Looking at the first half of the statement, we wondered, has Trump surpassed his predecessors in deregulation? And, is the savings $18 billion?

Its not so easy to quantify laws that cut red tape. Experts we spoke with said that other presidents have cut through more red tape than Trump so far, citing the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, as well as President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagans deregulation of such previously heavily regulated industries as air travel, trucking, bankingand telecommunications.

However, many of these measures were taken through federal agencies, or constituted a single law, whereas Pence cited a record number of laws passed.

" Laws cutting red tape is a sufficiently ambiguous phrase that it is nearly impossible to say who has cut the most," said Jon Schaff, a professor of political science at Northern University."If you were going to judge Pences claim, youd have to go through all laws for all presidents and then decide whether each law was deregulatory in some manner and then how much did it deregulate. How does one judge such a thing? How much red tape was saved through welfare reform in the 1990s? Or simply getting rid of federal controls on speed limits on highways? Or tax reform in 1986?"

When we asked Pences office for clarification, spokesperson Marc Lotter said that Trump had signed 14 Congressional Review Act measures compared with one previously. Hes right.

President Bill Clinton signed the Congressional Review Act in 1994, and it allows lawmakers to overturn regulations by federal agencies within 60 legislative days of their issue dates. It mainly applies when a new administration is aligned with the new Congress, and both oppose a certain set of last-minute regulations from the previous president.

Unlike executive authority -- which requires notice to the public and hearings, and produces outcomes that are often challenged in court -- Congressional Review Act measures only require an up-or-down majority vote in Congress.

"Pences office is clearly, unambiguously correct when it comes to Trump signing 14 Congressional Review Act resolutions to just one for all previous presidents though do note that it is called the Congressional Review Act, and really it would be more fair to say that Congress initiated those actions, and Trump was in a position to ratify their choices," said Philip Wallach, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.

Savings through the Congressional Review Act

Has Trump already saved Americans $18 billion with his deregulatory measures?

Lotter directed us to research by the right-leaning policy group American Action Forum to back up the talking point.

The AAF calculated $1.1 billion in savings, using the Federal Registers estimated costs of regulations issued by the Obama administration that were repealed by Congressional Review Act measures.

"In addition, President Trump has formally delayed and signaled an intention to amend several other major rules. Combined, these actions could generate more than $18 billion in annual regulatory savings for businesses, investors, and consumers," the AAF said in the cited report. An updated AAF post places this estimate closer to $21.8 billion.

We first parsed through the $1.1 billion saved by the historic CRA measures, which checks out with the Federal Register data. What doesnt check out is Pences statement that these dollars have already been saved.

The reason it was possible for Trump to roll back these rules was that they had been put in place at the end of the previous administration, which also means that many of them hadnt yet taken effect.

Take the Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers, a rule that would require energy companies to report to the Federal Exchange Committee payments made to foreign governments. The AAF calculated its rollback would save $590.7 million annually, but those savings would only begin on Sept. 30, 2018, the rules required compliance date. The rollback of the Stream Protection Rule, calculated to save $81 million annually, would only start in 2020.

With compliance dates months or years in the future, businesses were unlikely to have sunk costs to comply with these rules according to Amit Narang, a regulatory policy advocate at Public Citizen, a left-leaning government watchdog group.

The calculation of costs also ignores the benefits of these rules and industry innovation that may reduce the cost of compliance.

In the Office of Management and Budgets last annual report computing the costs and benefits of the federal regulations that were produced between 2005 and 2015, they found that benefits outweighed costs.

"In 2014 dollars, aggregate annual benefits are estimated to be between $269 and $872 billion and costs between $74 and $110 billion," the report said. "These ranges reflect uncertainty in the benefits and costs of each rule at the time that it was evaluated."

Arriving at $21.8 billion

We then went on to look at the larger chunk of costs the AAF analyzed to come up with total annual savings from executive actions (not just Congressional Act Review measures). These potential savings were calculated using the costs estimated by the Federal Register at the time the legislation was put in place.

Taking these cost estimates as full savings assumes that the Trump administration will be able to fully annul rules that experts expect would take years to achieve.

For example, the executive action to dismantle the Clean Power Act would theoretically save $8.4 billion annually, but it will take a years-long rulemaking process to complete. The executive order to roll back the Gainful Employment Rule, estimated to save $433 million annually, will be delayed due to a court challenge.

The last chunk of the $21.8 billion estimate came from rule delays, which brings us back to our concern with saying the administration has saved the costs from future regulations cut by CRA measures. These costs werent straining families and businesses to beginwith, because they were not yet in effect, and have simply been pushed further back.

The Office of Management and Budgets latest calculation of the Trump administrations annualized cost savings estimated these at $22 million, which is significantly lower than Pences $18 billion figure. We repeatedly reached out tothe OMB for more details on their projections but did not hear back.

Our ruling

Pence said Trump "has signed more laws cutting through federal red tape than any President in American history and has already saved businesses and families up to $18 billion in red tape costs every year."

Whether Trump has signed more laws cutting red tape depends upon how you count legislation. Trump did sign a record number of laws rolling back regulations under the Congressional Review Act, but thats not the only way to count deregulatory action.

Also, Pence is counting eggs before they hatch in using an $18 billion estimate of total savings. The deadlines for compliance for most of the measures he annulled had yet to go into effect, and the fate of many of the executive actions that would back past regulation remains unclear.

We rate this statement Half True.

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2017-07-21 16:13:02 UTC

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Says President Donald Trump "has signed more laws cutting through federal red tape than any president in American history and has already saved businesses and families up to $18 billion in red tape costs every year."

Mike Pence

Vice President

a speech

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

2017-07-18

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Did Donald Trump cut $18 billion worth of red tape, as Mike Pence said? - PolitiFact

Donald Trump and those around him have made a long series of mistakes stemming from his campaign's contacts with Russians and subsequent inquiries into the matter, which raise the real possibility of his impeachment. But none of those compares to his biggest blunder: choosing Mike Pence as his running mate.

Pence is in a delicate position, which may be why he is seldom seen or heard from these days. On the one hand, his job as vice president obligates him to be a loyal member of the administration. On the other, he needs to maintain good relations with congressional Republicans, many of whom find Trump exasperating.

The vice president has to give every sign of appearing to support Trump in advancing his agenda, lest his boss turn on him. That means cheerfully endorsing the nonsense that flows nonstop from Trump's mouth, including brazen lies.

But Pence can't go too far. He needs to avoid being completely contaminated by a president who violates every norm of ethics, behaves like a stooge of Vladimir Putin and keeps wading deeper into a scandal that may bring indictments. Pence has to look loyal without making his toadyism too slavish.

Fortunately for him, he's blessed with great adaptability in advancing his interests. A sanctimonious churchgoer who could pair up with a casino magnate, adulterer and self-declared sexual assailant without alienating followers of Jesus is not to be underestimated.

Still, Pence has a tricky path to negotiate, as vice presidents serving unpopular presidents have often learned. Hubert Humphrey, once a darling of liberals, became their nemesis for refusing to break with President Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War and lost the 1968 election to Richard Nixon.

Al Gore defended Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal but criticized his behavior once the impeachment crisis was over. His association with Clinton was both too close and not close enough, and it contributed to his narrow 2000 defeat.

Unlike everyone else in the administration, Pence does not serve at Trump's pleasure. Trump can demand that he do his bidding, but he can't fire him. Because Pence has been a GOP soldier for so long, Trump can't really damage him among the Republican rank and file. All this gives Pence a measure of freedom to protect himself from his boss.

More important, the vice president retains the esteem of congressional Republicans, who see him as their best friend in the administration and a reliable voice for conservative principles. Unlike Trump, he understands them, their political needs and the realities of legislating.

He also doesn't throw them under the bus. Trump infuriated House Republicans who had voted for an unpopular Obamacare replacement bill by calling it "mean," even after celebrating it with them at the White House. Pence wouldn't do that. His ability to stay on the good side of both his boss and his party reflects his political savvy and talent for self-preservation.

That's why he presents such a threat to Trump. Nixon's best safeguard against impeachment was Vice President Spiro Agnew, because congressional Democrats so loathed Agnew. When Agnew resigned after being charged in a bribery investigation, Nixon lost that shield.

He replaced Agnew with Rep. Gerald Ford, whom he saw as another "insurance policy" because, as Nixon biographer Jonathan Aitken wrote, "Ford was regarded by both Nixon and by many of his fellow Congressmen as decent but dumb." The more unthinkable a vice president is for the top job, the more the president can get away with.

But this one is not unthinkable. Most Republicans in Congress would much rather deal with President Pence than with President Trump. He would be better at working with them and less prone to embarrassing them.

Anyone as conservative on abortion, gay rights and almost every other issue as Pence doesn't qualify as a Democratic dream. But Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer would probably prefer a mentally stable right-wing puritan to an unpredictable, thin-skinned narcissist. It would be less stressful to worry that Pence will attack reproductive freedom than to worry that Trump will nuke North Korea.

Trump may soon wish he had chosen for his running mate someone like Chris Christie or Ted Cruz. If he continues to self-destruct and the investigations produce more damaging revelations, members of Congress in both parties will eventually exhaust their patience, take a long look at Pence and say, "What are we waiting for?"

Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at http://www.chicagotribune.com/chapman.

Download "Recalculating: Steve Chapman on a New Century" in the free Printers Row app at http://www.printersrowapp.com.

schapman@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveChapman13

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A President Mike Pence is looking better every day - Chicago Tribune