A Record of Republican Accomplishment

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD FOR TRADE: The Senate passed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on January 16. The International Trade Commission estimates the new trade agreement will raise U.S. real GDP by $68.2 billion and create 176,000 jobs.

RESHAPING THE COURTS: The Senate confirmed seven circuit court and 28 district court judges in the last quarter of 2019. Judges appointed by President Trump now hold more than one out of every four circuit court seats.

INVESTING IN MEDICAL RESEARCH: Congress appropriated nearly $42 billion for the National Institutes of Health, a $2.6 billion increase this year. These funds are critical for addressing a large number of illnesses including Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDs, and childhood cancer. The funding will also target specific research on opioid addiction, developing alternative treatments for pain and addiction.

SECURING THE BORDER: Congress appropriated $1.375 billion to build additional border wall wherever the Department of Homeland Security determines it is needed. President Trump now has more than $11 billion in funds to build the border wall.

MODERNIZING OUR MILITARY: Republicans in Congress have made funding our military and protecting the nation a top priority. Congress gave our troops their largest pay raise in a decade and created the Space Force to counter China and maintain America’s technological edge.

CARING FOR WIDOWS OF VETERANS: Congress repealed the requirement that Survivor Benefit Plan benefits for widows of military veterans be offset by payments they receive from dependency and indemnity compensation. This change will allow America’s military widows to keep all the benefits they were promised.

PROVIDING ADDITIONAL tax relief. In 2019, the Republican-led Senate extended more than 30 expired or expiring tax provisions affecting individuals and businesses.

SECURING MINERS’ PENSIONS: Congress passed the Bipartisan American Miners Act to keep pensions for 92,000 coal miners from becoming insolvent. The law also preserves the health care benefits for 13,000 miners.

IMPROVING RETIREMENT SECURITY: Congress passed the SECURE Act to help more Americans save for their retirement. It makes it easier for smaller employers to band together and sponsor a single retirement plan for their employees, which gives more workers the opportunity to save and reduces administrative costs for employers.

SUPPORTING STUDENTS: In December 2019, the president signed the FUTURE Act into law, providing permanent federal funding for historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. In addition, the 20 million families who apply for federal student aid each year will have a lighter paperwork burden thanks to the law. Students can now let the IRS share their tax information with the Department of Education, eliminating up to 22 questions on the financial aid application.

KEEPING TOBACCO AWAY FROM KIDS: Congress increased the buying age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old. Making it more difficult for kids to get these products will reduce the number of them who use tobacco. The law also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping products.

BEEFING UP CYBERSECURITY: Congress authorized the Hunt and Incident Response Teams at DHS to lead federal cybersecurity efforts and provide technical assistance in response to cyberattacks.

EXPANDING RURAL BROADBAND: Congress expanded the availability of modern high-speed broadband internet service to rural areas. High-speed internet can help students succeed in the classroom, help farmers take advantage of modern technologies, and improve health care services.

STREAMLINING DRUG INNOVATION: The Senate passed legislation amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the regulation of over-the-counter drug products and bring affordable alternatives to market faster. This could allow manufacturers of updated or new OTC drugs to get approval more efficiently while maintaining safety standards for evaluating and monitoring products.  

REPEALED OBAMACARE TAXES: Congress eliminated Obamacare’s “Cadillac tax” set to take effect in 2022. This would have levied a 40% excise tax on employer-sponsored health insurance plans with premiums above $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. The annual health insurance tax on insurers, which is passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, was also repealed beginning in 2021. The 2.3% tax on medical devices was eliminated.

SETTING STANDARDARDS FOR FEDERAL GRANTS: President Trump signed into law at the end of 2019 a measure requiring the creation of data standards for grant recipients that will help save taxpayer money and prevent fraud.

GIVING RELIEF FROM DISASTERS: Congress provided emergency aid for victims of the 2018 and 2019 natural disasters and funded emergency assistance for the humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

FIGHTING ROBOCALLS: Congress passed legislation aimed at combatting illegal robocalls. The law increases fines on spam robocallers from $1,500 to as much as $10,000 per call. It also requires phone companies to speed up their adoption of “call authentication technologies” to verify that incoming calls are legitimate.

PROMOTING AMERICAN TOURISM: President Trump signed legislation reauthorizing Brand USA, a public-private partnership that promotes international travel to the United States. Funded by fees on foreign visitors and private contributions, the program has helped enhance tourism across the country.