Trump’s executive order to reduce prices is worthless

Issued Wednesday, President Trump’s executive order to “Defeat the Cost-of-Living Crisis” is extremely disappointing.

However, I’m not surprised. A man who lied 30,000 times during his first term as president and who, on the campaign trail – continued to lie, made racist, misogynistic comments, and stirred up hate against groups the Right hates – couldn’t suddenly be expected to tell the truth and do something positive.

Some ways presidents can try to reduce prices for consumers are: a price gouging ban, antitrust enforcement, fight consolidation by encouraging smaller meat and other food producers, reduce energy costs, and pressure corporations to lower prices.

Trump’s executive order to reduce prices is merely a listing of items adopted under the Biden administration that the Right wants to get rid of or conservative ideas Republicans want to have enacted.

Some examples include:

• Eliminate harmful, coercive “climate” policies driving up the costs of food and fuel.

• Reduce or eliminate regulations.

• Drastically lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply.

• Eliminate counterproductive requirements raising the costs of home appliances.

• Eliminate the unlawful regulatory mandate on companies to eliminate gas-powered vehicles that has resulted in artificial price increases in order to subsidize electric vehicles, largely disfavored by consumers.

The fact is that government regulations in the United States are minimal. Corporations have figured out how to lobby Congress and government agencies so that most burdensome regulations never pass. Think the of Food and Drug Administration’s lacking regulations on food and cosmetics.

Why Republicans and conservatives want to get rid of regulations is so that corporations and businesses can make more money.

That the Republicans have sold the American public that eliminating regulations will make their prices go down is unfortunate. It just isn’t going to happen. Corporations won’t pass any savings on to consumers. They’ll give higher returns to shareholders.

Also important about the regulations that the nation does have, they protect people. Studies show that more people become ill and die when air pollution rules are reduced.

While consumers have been hard-pressed financially during and following the pandemic, corporations have been price gouging, keeping prices high and increasing shareholder returns.

In addition, Trump doesn’t have the authority to do almost everything he lists in this so-called price reduction executive order. Acts by Congress and federal agencies will be requires for most of them. For others, such as lowering the cost of food and housing, many factors are involved.

In watching a clip of Trump signing executive orders in front of an audience, it reminded me of the Wizard of Oz. Someone behind the curtain, manipulating the monster.

When he was handed an executive order to sign, Trump asked which one it was. When told it was removing the United States from membership in the World Health Organization, Trump said “That’s a big one.”

Far Right advisors, billionaires, and corporations are pulling Trump’s strings.