President-elect Mr . trump left the doorway open Sunday how exactly he intends to overhaul the regulation-heavy agenda pursued by the Federal government, suggesting he wouldn't dismantle all that his predecessor has done – while making pay off the government must be more business-friendly.
Asked in an exclusive interview with “Fox News Sunday” whether he'd take a “wrecking ball” to President Obama's legacy, the construction magnate responded:
“No. I don’t want to do that at all. Among the finest what’s right.”
The answer may have surprised those watching Trump's recent cabinet selections, which have included a prominent ObamaCare critic to guide the and Human Services Department; a foe of Obama's overtime pay expansion to lead the Labor Department; and a state attorney general currently suing the Environmental Protection Agency to lead that very agency.
At the same time frame, Trump has sent mixed signals about his plans, meeting in recent days with prominent global warming activists Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Asked on “Fox News Sunday” about the implications of those meetings as well as his cabinet selections, Trump indicated his interest rates are in making the government more effective and attentive to business.
At the EPA, he explained, “You can’t get things approved. I am talking about, people are waiting in line for Fifteen years prior to them getting rejected, OK? That’s why people don’t want to purchase this country.”
Trump said: “So we’re likely to fix it up. We’re likely to speed it up and, by the way, if somebody is not doing the right thing, we’re not likely to approve. – We can’t let many of these permits that take a long time to obtain stop our jobs.”
Trump fled from investing in specific actions regarding projects that have pitted environmental interests against the energy industry, while suggesting economic considerations are paramount to him.
On the long-disputed Keystone pipeline that was halted through the Obama administration, Trump asserted “you're likely to have a decision rapidly.”
Asked about the Dakota Access Pipeline, that the Army Corps of Engineers wants to reroute following protests, Trump said he did not wish to answer at this time.
“But Let me tell you, after i reach office, if it’s not solved, I’ll get it solved quickly,” Trump said, before adding: “Something will happen. It’ll be quick. I think it’s very unfair. So, it'll start, one way or the other.”
Meanwhile, Trump said he's still studying the Paris climate agreement – a pact backed by the US and a large number of other nations, committing countries to curb the global rise in temperatures – but “I don’t want that agreement to place us at a competitive disadvantage along with other countries.”
When asked where he stood on the environment and global warming, Trump would not be pinned down. “I’m very open-minded. I’m still open-minded. Nobody can tell,” Trump said. “Look, I’m somebody that gets it and nobody really knows. It’s not something that’s so difficult and fast. I know this: Other countries are eating our lunch.”
Taken together, Trump's comments, meetings and appointments talk to an incoming president still weighing his options on how drastically he really wants to reverse or halt the Obama regulatory agenda.
In an indication that the incoming administration might be preparing for big changes with regard to energy sector programs and rules, his transition team reportedly has sent around a questionnaire asking the Energy Department for a list of appointees and senior executives – and information on who has spearheaded the agency's clean energy initiatives.
One unnamed department official described the questionnaire like a hit list, according to an Associated Press report. The memo sparked alarm among some Democrats, as did Trump's decision a week ago to mention Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to guide the EPA.
Pruitt has been involved with lawsuits from the Obama EPA, including within the controversial Clean Power Plan and waterway regulations. He also has suggested the controversy over climatic change – and also the impact of human activity on global temperatures – is unsettled.
Former Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders suggested Sunday the Pruitt pick suggests the meetings with Gore yet others are not informing policy decisions.
“I'm glad they reached to Gore, but apparently they aren't hearing what Gore has to say,” he told CBS News' “Face the Nation.” Sanders said it's troubling that Trump would appoint an environment change “denier” to lead the EPA.
Trump's first order of Obama legacy business may be the Affordable Care Act, with congressional Republicans wanting to send a repeal bill to his desk the coming year. Trump has said he intends to nominate Georgia Rep. Tom Price to lead HHS, which would put an outspoken ObamaCare critic at the helm of the agency that implemented the law.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures” that the Obama administration “pushed investment out” with its raft of rules and predicted a shift toward what he called “common-sense regulation,” including with healthcare.
“Our No. 1 focus is jobs [in the House],” he explained. “[ObamaCare] is going to collapse on itself. We have to take a look at health care in a new form and have a new healthcare system.”
