WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING: Presidential Memo and EO Update

It just keeps coming and coming! It’s exhausting! These are summaries from whitehouse.gov versions of the orders. There are more, and this will continue to be updated. Consider it a crib sheet.

1) EO on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs: this is ridiculous. “[I]t is important that for every one new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination[.]” The costs of these regulations also has to net out, ie, the cost of your new regulation must be covered by the elimination of your other regulations. EVIL RATING: Moderately evil. It is hard for me to take it seriously but this is the kind of FUCKING RIDICULOUS BULLSHIT that happens a lot out West in initiative states: someone who has not thought through the ramifications of something makes a financial rule that becomes a law and suddenly the state can’t make its budget work. Notably, this is not a law, but it has weight.

2) Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees: I hate saying it but I don’t mind this one. It requires appointees to swear that they won’t lobby the branch they were appointed to for 5 years after they leave, work on behalf of foreign governments, accept gifts, etc. I mean, this pledge is only as good as the paper it’s signed on, but this is sort of basic. I wonder how new it is. EVIL RATING: I don’t think this one is bad AND IT KILLS ME TO SAY IT. What’s the catch? What’s the catch?

3) Presidential Memorandum on the National Security Council etc: this is the one that gives Steve Bannon access to national security and demotes the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff somewhat. EVIL RATING: Very evil, and it is hilarious to me the number of conversations I have had with radicals who are mad about this (myself included) when we HATE EVERYTHING THIS COUNCIL STANDS FOR.

4) Presidential Memorandum to Defeat ISIS: This is the level of sophistication of this document: “It is the policy of the United States that ISIS be defeated.” Nice work there guys. It requires a plan in 30 days and I am ON PINS AND NEEDLES waiting. EVIL RATING: eye roll pending that plan.

5) Presidential Memorandum on Rebuilding the US Armed Forces: Basically, upgrade the armed forces. EVIL RATING: depends what you think of the military.

6) EO THAT HATES MUSLIMS: If you don’t know about this by now I actually don’t know what to tell you. EVIL RATING: VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY EVIL. Get in the streets. Stay in the streets.

7) EO THAT BUILDS THE WALL: This is another one that has gotten a lot of coverage. It additionally authorizes 5,000 extra border guards, building new detention facilities, and more coordination between federal and state agencies against undocumented people. EVIL RATING: very very very evil, and also a little ridiculous. There are structural critiques of this wall, among other things, talking about how implausible this is. It’s a giant xenophobic waste.

8) EO THAT HATES SANCTUARY CITIES: The xenophobia. It does make provisions for defunding sanctuary cities from federal money. I’m not sure they can do this on their own tbh. It also, as you probably read, means being *charged* with a crime is a deportable offense. Which is ok bc obviously our justice system isn’t racist or xenophobic. EVIL RATING: very very evil.

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