Trump Cabinet members actions and issues (first term)


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OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Larry Kudlow: Trump's support of late-term abortion ban is "gift from god".     Scott Pruitt: Double headline - Already Done.     Sonny Perdue: Parental notification for minors.     Andrew Puzder: Author of controversy: life begins at conception.

Budget & Economy     Elaine Chao: Reckless tax and spend strategy is hazardous for economy.     Larry Kudlow: FactCheck: No, deficit is increasing with Trump tax cuts.     Larry Kudlow: We're going to stay with Trump pro-growth program.     Linda McMahon: Reduce financial regulations so small businesses get capital.     Wilbur Ross: SEC investigating insider trading "short sale" of oil stock.

Civil Rights     Ben Carson: Scrap HUD tool for racial discrimination in public housing.     Betsy DeVos: Rescind "weaponized" use of sexual misconduct accusations.     Wilbur Ross: LGBT protections omitted, then reinstated following scrutiny.     Jeff Sessions: 1986: Lost appointment for racially insensitive comments.     Linda McMahon: Longtime advocate for women in leadership and business.     Nikki Haley: Our goal should always be to empower women.     Sonny Perdue: Call on legislature for Constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Corporations     Betsy DeVos: Served as chairman of investment firm The Windquest Group.     Elaine Chao: Public-private partnerships for innovating on infrastructure.     Elaine Chao: Reform corporate tax code to reward offshore tax havens.     Larry Kudlow: We believe in supply side Laffer Curve.     Wilbur Ross: Alleviate corporate tax rate; small break for lower earners.     Daniel Coats: Pro-growth economic policies to put Americans back to work.     Jeff Sessions: Establishment conservative: opposed 2008 bank bailouts.     Linda McMahon: Give entrepreneurs the tools they need to start & succeed.     Linda McMahon: Grew WWE from 13-person company to 800 employees worldwide.     Mick Mulvaney: Ran family real estate business & family restaurant.     Steve Mnuchin: Partner at Goldman-Sachs; board member at three art museums.     Wilbur Ross: 55 years of investment banking and private equity experience.     Wilbur Ross: Privatization adviser to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Crime     Betsy DeVos: Require cross-examination of victims of sexual harassment.

Drugs     David Shulkin: VA research of marijuana restricted by federal law.

Education     Scott Pruitt: Evolution is unproven theory.     Ben Carson: Carson Scholars Fund: $7M in scholarships.     Betsy DeVos: Mother was public school teacher; Betsy was in-school mentor.     Betsy DeVos: Contributes to education to advance "God's Kingdom".     Betsy DeVos: Use federal funds for private schools for military kids.

Energy & Oil     Ryan Zinke: Public lands opened for private company energy development.     Rex Tillerson: At Exxon, rose from production engineer to president.     Rex Tillerson: Climate change real; with us now & forever more.     Rex Tillerson: Carbon tax best way to transition from fossil fuels.     Ryan Zinke: Increase coal, oil & gas mining access at National Monuments.

Environment     Elaine Chao: Environmental regulations create roadblocks and delays.     Mick Mulvaney: You can't drain the swamp and leave all the people in it.     Rick Perry: Simultaneous economic growth & environmental protection.     Ryan Zinke: End ban on lead bullets & fishing tackle in wildlife refuges.     Sonny Perdue: Responsibility is to leave the land better than we found it.

Families & Children     Rex Tillerson: National President of the Boy Scouts from 2010 to 2012.

Foreign Policy     Daniel Coats: Criticizes government censorship & social controls in China.     Daniel Coats: China holds 1M Muslims in "patriotic re-education" camps.     Daniel Coats: China grows by investment; Russia by misdirection.     Daniel Coats: China's goal is global superiority, including militarily.     Donald Trump: Recognize 1967 Israel's annexation of Golan Heights.     Donald Trump: Protect human rights in Hong Kong against China.     Nikki Haley: Time to show people reasons to support the U.N.     Nikki Haley: US is world's conscience; participation in UN reflects that.     Nikki Haley: We will deal fairly with people who are fair to us.

Free Trade     Larry Kudlow: Trump's strategy on China tariffs is working.     Sonny Perdue: Tariffs on China are painful now, but healthy later.     Steve Mnuchin: 3-part agenda: tax & regulatory relief; free & fair trade.     Steve Mnuchin: Free market proponent but tariffs OK to reduce trade deficit.     Wilbur Ross: Auto imports are threatening U.S. auto industry.     Andrew Puzder: We need to stand up to China; we'll win trade war.     Sonny Perdue: Promote agricultural interests to international markets.     Sonny Perdue: Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA.     Sonny Perdue: USMCA trade pact important for workers, economy as a whole.     Steve Mnuchin: Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA.     Wilbur Ross: Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA.

Gun Control     Steve Mnuchin: Gun violence is tragedy and policy needs to be addressed.     Sonny Perdue: Legalized concealed weapons on public transportation.

Health Care     David Shulkin: The VA is just as good or better than private health care.     Steve Mnuchin: Repeal ObamaCare individual mandate for middle class tax cut.     Tom Price: Premise of ObamaCare is that Washington knows best.     Tom Price: Practicing orthopedic surgeon before entering politics.

Homeland Security     David Shulkin: A voluntary military might not work without good VA care.     Donald Trump: Bar transgender troops from enlisting in military.     Wilbur Ross: Invoke national security to restrict imports on uranium.     Daniel Coats: 1980s & 1990s: strengthen our national defense and security.     Jim Bridenstine: Intentional explosions in space pose risk to all spaceflight.     Nancy Pelosi: Ban on transgender troops enlisting in military is cowardly.     Rick Perry: 1970s: flew C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in Air Force.     Sonny Perdue: Food security is a key component of national security.

Immigration     Elaine Chao: Legality at the heart of immigration policy debate.     Elaine Chao: Immigrated to America at age 8; gained citizenship at age 19.     Ken Cuccinelli: Detain and then deport one million undocumented immigrants.     Wilbur Ross: Citizenship on census vital to enforce Voting Rights Act.     Larry Kudlow: Zero immigration till new system to stop ISIS is implemented.     Nikki Haley: Refugee ban: What we did was take a pause.

Jobs     Andrew Puzder: Minimum wage hike will accelerate automation of jobs.

Principles & Values     Rick Perry: Trump Is imperfect, but perhaps he's the 'Chosen One'.     Daniel Coats: Founded charity, The Foundation for American Renewal.     Mick Mulvaney: Lifelong Carolinas resident; graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.     Mick Mulvaney: Founding member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Mission.     Rick Perry: Longest-serving governor In Texas history.     Ryan Zinke: No safe haven for neo-Nazi white nationalists.     Tom Price: Accused of insider trading; resigned due to travel expenses.

Social Security     Steve Mnuchin: Focus of Presidential budget is not cutting entitlements.     Larry Kudlow: Market's higher return trounces Social Security's low yield.

Tax Reform     Elaine Chao: Chao family foundation funds funneled into offshore firms.     Steve Mnuchin: Mathematically impossible to avoid tax cuts on wealthy.     Betsy DeVos: DeVos record includes advocating for tax cuts for the rich.     Larry Kudlow: Never believe the CBO: tax cuts will not increase deficit.     Steve Mnuchin: Implemented Trump's "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act".

Technology     Elaine Chao: Slow permitting process blocking private sector investments.     Wilbur Ross: Space race to stimulate economic growth across industries.     Daniel Coats: Russia abuses social media in anti-democracy information war.     Elaine Chao: Specialized in transportation financing in private sector.

War & Peace     Donald Trump: Russia violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.     James Mattis: Keep U.S. troops in Syria indefinitely to defeat ISIS.     James Mattis: Resigns in wake of announcement of withdrawal from Syria.     John Bolton: Abrogate the Iran nuclear deal; encourage Israel to attack.     Mike Pompeo: Negotiate from strength to denuclearize North Korea.     Mike Pompeo: Withdraw from INF to counter Russia and China.     Nikki Haley: Military action & sanctions against Syrian chemical weapons.     Daniel Coats: North Korea views nuclear weapons as critical to survival.     Daniel Coats: Iran escalating wars in Yemen and Syria, but not nukes.     James Mattis: Led Marines in Iraq, Afghanistan, and overall Mideast.     Mike Pompeo: Oppose Iran setting up Hezbollah targeting in Golan Heights.     Nikki Haley: Peacekeeping forces should not be permanent.

Welfare & Poverty     Ben Carson: Eliminate income-based rent increases in public housing.     Ben Carson: Cycle people up and out of public housing developments.     Larry Kudlow: Be tougher on spending, including entitlement reform.     Elaine Chao: Restored trust as CEO of United Way of America.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Andrew Puzder Labor Secretary Nominee (rejected 2017) Ben Carson HUD Secretary Betsy DeVos Former Education Secretary Daniel Coats Indiana Director of National Intelligence David Shulkin Republican appointee as DVA Secretary Donald Trump Republican former President Elaine Chao Kentucky Former DOT Secretary James Mattis Defense Secretary 2017-2018 Jeff Sessions Alabama Attorney General 2017-2018 Jim Bridenstine Republican U.S. Rep Oklahoma-1 John Bolton National Security Advisor Ken Cuccinelli Virginia Republican Challenger Larry Kudlow Connecticut Former Council of Economic Advisers Linda McMahon Connecticut Former Small Business Administration Mick Mulvaney South Carolina Former Budget Director/Chief of Staff Mike Pompeo Kansas Former Secretary of State Nancy Pelosi Democrat U.S. Rep California-12 Nikki Haley South Carolina Republican presidential contender; UN Ambassador 2017-2018 Rex Tillerson Secretary of State 2017-2018 Rick Perry Texas Former Secretary of Energy Ryan Zinke Montana Secretary of Interior 2017-2019 Scott Pruitt EPA Director 2017-2018 Sonny Perdue Georgia Former USDA Secretary Steve Mnuchin Former Secretary of the Treasury Tom Price Georgia Secretary of Health and Human Services-2017 Wilbur Ross Former Secretary of Commerce