Alabama Senate approves bill blocking removal of old monuments, statues
The Alabama Senate approved a bill Thursday that would block attempts to change or remove statues, memorials and monuments that are over 20 years old. The bill, sponsored by Tuscaloosa Republican Sen. Gerald Allen, has been the subject of controversy since it protects monuments with ties to the Confederate States of America. “The goal of this bill is to protect all periods of Alabama’s history for our children and grandchildren to learn from,” said Allen. “Too often, in convulsions of political correctness, a local official will hastily rip down a monument or a statue because it offends the sensibilities of someone, somewhere.” Allen and other proponents of the bill argue that it preserves state history, while critics point say such monuments are offensive due to their connection to slavery. “History isn’t always pleasant and our forbearers have not always acted with honor. But healing in the present is not found by erasing the past,” he said. “Only if our past is understood and remembered may we be inspired by its examples of heroism, and yes, sobered by its episodes of oppression. This proposal prevents the hasty and thoughtless destruction of historical markers so that we and our descendants may continue to learn from the past, in order to create a better future.” Allen has sponsored similar bills the past two sessions after Gov. Robert Bentley removed Confederate flags from the state Capitol. Previous versions of the bill would protect monuments that were at least 50 years old. Allen said he has discussed the proposition with other lawmakers over the past year and that the 2017 version of his bill “reflects their input.” With the Senate’s approval, the bill now moves on to the House.
Personnel note: Kim Ennis named interim president at Bevill State Community College
Veteran college administrator Kim Ennis has been named interim president of Bevill State Community College (BSCC) in Sumiton, Ala. Dr. Ennis previously served as interim president in 2015 and since July 2016 has served as executive vice president at BSCC. She begins her new position in the school Friday, March 10. Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Acting Chancellor Jimmy Baker made the announcement on Thursday. “With more than 30 years of service at Bevill State Community College in various capacities, I believe Dr. Ennis will provide the leadership and vision needed at Bevill State Community during this transition period,” Baker said. “I appreciate her willingness to serve the Bevill State community and its students during this important time.” Baker continued, “Our search for a permanent president will be a priority and I want to assure the entire Bevill State community that the college’s good work will continue. I have complete confidence in Dr. Ennis’s ability to provide quality dependable leadership to the college during this transition period.” Dr. Ennis graduated with an Associate degree in Science from Walker College in 1982, and later earned her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Birmingham-Southern College in 1990. In 1998, she earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Later, in 2005, she earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from UAB/University of Alabama.
Alabama House attempting to refine crimes that forfeit voting rights
Months after the presidential election, the debate over which Alabamians have the right to vote continues, as lawmakers in Montgomery are attempting to define what criminal convictions should disqualify a resident from voting. Sponsored by Andalusia-Republican state Rep. Mike Jones, HB 282 passed the Alabama House of Representatives by a unanimous vote on Thursday. Under the Alabama Constitution, a person who commits a felony involving moral turpitude loses his or her right to vote. HB 282, better known as the Moral Turpitude Act, establishes a comprehensive list of 42 felonies that involve moral turpitude, which lawmakers consider worthy of voter disqualification. Below are the 42 felony felonies listed in the bill. Most follow specific stipulations, for details check out the full text of the bill here. Murder Manslaughter Assault Kidnapping in the first degree Kidnapping in the second degree Rape Sodomy Sexual torture Sexual abuse Enticing a child to enter a vehicle for immoral purposes Soliciting a child by computer Human trafficking Terrorism Soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism Hindering prosecution of terrorism Endangering the water supply Possession, manufacture, transport, or distribution of a destructive device or bacteriological or biological weapon Selling, furnishing, giving away, delivering, or distribution of a destructive device, a bacteriological weapon, or biological weapon to a person who is less than 21 years of age Possession, manufacture, transport, or distribution of a detonator, explosive, poison, or hoax device Possession or distribution of a hoax device represented as a destructive device or weapon Attempt to commit an explosives or destructive device or bacteriological or biological weapons crime Conspiracy to commit an explosives or destructive device or bacteriological or biological weapons crime Hindrance or obstruction during detection, disarming, or destruction of a destructive device or weapon Possession or distribution of a destructive device or weapon intended to cause injury or destruction Treason Dissemination or public display of obscene 6 matter containing visual depiction of persons under 17 years of age involved in obscene acts Possession and possession with intent to disseminate obscene matter containing visual depiction of persons under 17 years of age involved in obscene acts Parents or guardians permitting children to engage in production of obscene matter Production of obscene matter containing visual depiction of persons under 17 years of age involved in obscene acts Distribution, possession with intent to distribute, production of obscene material, or offer or agreement to distribute or produce Trafficking in cannabis, cocaine, or other illegal drugs or trafficking in amphetamine and methamphetamine Bigamy Incest Torture or other willful maltreatment of a child under the age of 18 Aggravated child abuse Prohibited acts in the offer, sale, or purchase of securities Burglary Theft of property Theft of lost property Theft of trademarks or trade secrets as defined Robbery Forgery
Alabama Senate Committee approves $775 million prison construction proposal
Following weeks of back and forth, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee approved a revised prison construction plan on Thursday. The plan — to authorize a $775 million issue to build three “super-prisons” and would renovate Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women — was approved by voice vote and now moves to the full Senate for consideration. The original plan proposed by Gov. Robert Bentley was to authorize an $800 million bond issue to build four large regional prisons and close 14 existing prisons. In Bentley’s proposal, the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women would have also been replaced. Alabaster-Republican state Sen. Cam Ward says the bill may be considered by the full Senate as early as next week.
Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs earns national recognition
More than hundred fifty years ago, former President Abraham Lincoln articulated what would ultimately become America’s promise and obligation to its veterans, “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” Today, with more than 420,000 veterans living in Alabama, keeping Lincoln’s commitment to veterans is more challenging than ever. Caring for their particular needs, and their dependents’ needs, requires more innovation and collaboration between federal and state governments, which is precisely why the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) created AlaVetNet.Alabama.gov, a website that improves veterans’ access to VA benefits and services, last August. On Thursday, Governor Robert Bentley announced the ADVA won a national innovation award for the site. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) selected ADVA for an award aptly named after President Lincoln — the Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award — at the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) winter conference in Washington, D.C. last month. AlaVetNet launched their website in August 2016 as a comprehensive website that will serve as a hub for resources, providing a mechanism for veterans to find the services they need in a much faster and more user-friendly manner. “AlaVetNet has devoted a lot of time and energy into developing and maintaining the website to provide our veterans with a seamless, systematic approach to locating beneficial resources to assist them in their daily lives,” Bentley said. “Over 420,000 men and women that served in the U.S. military reside in our great state. We appreciate their service and applaud AlaVetNet on winning the Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award and for providing this valuable tool to our veterans.” Created in 2012, the Pillars of Excellence Awards, recognizes state-implemented best practices and encourage other states to replicate them. “Everything that we have accomplished is due to the hard work of our employees and leadership in 18 separate state agencies plus stake holders. Together, we can best serve those who served,” Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Clyde Marsh said. “Some of the things that helped Alabama earn this state best practices award was our reduction of veterans’ unemployment to below 4 percent, providing tax incentives for companies hiring Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as well as establishing veterans’ treatment courts. With assistance from the Governor’s Office and website committee, an AlaVetNet website was created to connect veterans with resources and services at a one stop-shop location that is user friendly. This program is unique across the nation and was highlighted for other states to follow.”
IRS strikes back as agents make big dent in identity theft
The IRS strikes back: The tax agency reports that the number of identity theft victims plummeted last year after agents struggled for years to combat what has become a multibillion-dollar industry. The number of victims dropped by 46 percent, to 376,000, the IRS said. These taxpayers had their identities stolen by criminals who used their Social Security numbers and birthdates to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS stopped nearly 1 million fraudulent refunds from being issued last year. They totaled almost $6.6 billion, the agency said. “It’s a much more challenging time for the cybercrooks,” said Mark Ciaramitaro, vice president for retail tax products and services at H&R Block. “All of the easy paths have been closed.” Identity theft exploded from 2010 to 2012, and “for a time overwhelmed law enforcement and the IRS,” said John Dalrymple, deputy IRS commissioner for services and enforcement. At the IRS, it peaked in 2014, when the agency identified more than 766,000 victims. That same year, the IRS blocked 1.8 million in fraudulent refunds from being issued. They totaled $10.8 billion. “We’ve driven a lot of the fraud out of the system,” Dalrymple said. The IRS is a popular target for sophisticated identity thieves because the agency issues more than $300 billion in tax refunds each year. Several years ago, it was as simple as using another person’s Social Security number and birthdate to fill out a fake tax return claiming a big refund. If thieves filed the return early in the tax filing season — before the legitimate taxpayer — they could get refunds before the IRS received verifying financial information from employers, banks and brokers. To make it easier, thieves can get fraudulent refunds on prepaid debit cards that are not linked to bank accounts. “I think everybody got caught by surprise by how inventive the criminals were here,” Dalrymple said. “I don’t think it was just the IRS. I think in general, the whole idea of identity theft caught everybody by surprise.” Criminals can steal victims’ personal information from hospitals, doctor’s offices, universities, prisons — any entity that collects Social Security numbers and birthdates. In 2015, federal authorities broke up a massive identity theft ring in Alabama and Georgia that netted $10 million in fraudulent refunds. Among the victims: Soldiers injured in Afghanistan who were being treated at Fort Benning’s hospital. Last year, authorities broke up a ring in the District of Columbia that tried to obtain more than $20 million in fraudulent tax refunds. Among the victims: people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and prison inmates. In recent years, the IRS has beefed up its computer filters to identity potential fake tax returns. If there are dramatic differences in a taxpayer’s return from year to year, it might get flagged for additional review. Two years ago, the IRS also teamed up with major tax preparers and state tax agencies to share information and improve security. Identity theft is “the No. 1 issue that the IRS talks to us about,” said Brian Ashcraft, director of tax compliance at Liberty Tax. “It’s been a huge focus.” Online tax preparers are working to better confirm the identity of their customers through stronger passwords and by using more than one way to verify them, said Julie Miller of Intuit Inc., which owns Turbo Tax. For example, after online customers enter a password, they might receive a text from the company with an additional code to enter. Congress has also given the IRS more tools to prevent criminals from getting fraudulent tax refunds. This year, employers are required to report wage information to the IRS by Jan. 31. In the past, most employers had until the end of March to report wage information, often long after refunds had been issued. Also, the IRS is now required to hold refunds until Feb. 15 for families claiming the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit. These credits are available in the form of payments to people who don’t make enough money to owe any federal income taxes, which makes them attractive to identity thieves. The provision, however, delays tax refunds for millions of low-income families. Tax preparers and the IRS said identity theft is still a major threat as criminals become more sophisticated. To combat it, they regularly share information about new threats and scams, especially during tax season. “This is not a time to celebrate,” said Ciaramitaro of H&R Block. “It’s not fixed but I think that cooperation has led to measurable improvement.” Graphic shows figures for tax identity theft since 2013; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Big differences between GOP health care bill, Obama-era law
At first glance, the health care bill from House Republicans appears to have similarities to the Obama-era law, such as tax credits, protections for people with health problems, and the ability of parents to keep young adults on their insurance. But in most cases, those components would work very differently under the GOP framework than is now the case with the Affordable Care Act. Important details about the Republican plan are unknown, including cost and coverage. A look at the current law and the GOP’s plan: ___ COVERAGE Current law: About 11 million people are covered by expanded Medicaid in the 31 states that accepted it. Nationwide, an additional 12 million buy private health insurance through government-sponsored markets that offer plans with subsidized premiums. National uninsured rate is below 9 percent, a historic low. GOP bill: Extent of coverage is unknown at this time, as is the impact on the uninsured rate. ___ COST Current law: Coverage costs of about $1.4 trillion from 2017-2026, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates. GOP bill: Unknown at this time; Republican aides say CBO numbers are coming. ___ MEDICAID Current law: States that accept expanded Medicaid receive a generous federal match, gradually phasing down to 90 percent. The expansion covers people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $16,640 for an individual. Most new beneficiaries are low-income adults with no children living at home. More broadly, Medicaid is now the country’s largest health insurance program, covering more than 70 million people under a federal-state collaboration. It remains an open-ended entitlement, allowing states to draw down federal money for a portion of health costs incurred by low-income people, from children to nursing home residents. GOP bill: Ends the higher federal match for Medicaid expansion beneficiaries, starting in 2020. States can still continue to receive some enhanced federal payments, but only for expansion enrollees who were already covered before that. States will get a lower match for new enrollees. But more significantly, the bill would overhaul the framework of Medicaid, ending its open-ended federal financing. Starting with the 2020 budget year, each state would receive a limited, per-beneficiary amount based on enrollment and costs. States would gain flexibility to cap enrollment and change benefits. Federal payments would be increased according to a measure of medical inflation. Impacts are unclear. ___ PRIVATE COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS Current law: Provides income-based tax credits for consumers buying government-regulated plans through HealthCare.gov and state insurance markets. The most generous assistance goes to people with low-to-modest incomes. Many solid middle-class households get no help despite sharp increases in premiums. GOP bill: Provides tax credits primarily based on age, gradually phasing down for individuals making over $75,000, or married couples earning more than $150,000. Credits can be used to buy any state-licensed health plan. More middle-class consumers will benefit, but there’s concern lower-income people would be disadvantaged. ___ DEDUCTIBLES Current law: Provides cost-sharing subsidies for low-to-moderate income people who buy a standard silver plan in the government markets. GOP bill: Eliminates the law’s cost-sharing subsidies, but allows people to make much higher contributions to tax-sheltered health savings accounts, to cover deductibles and copayments. Sets up a fund that states can use for a variety of purposes, including cost-sharing assistance. ___ PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS Current law: Forbids insurers from turning people down on account of medical problems, or charging them more. GOP bill: Provides protection for people with health problems. But consumers who have not maintained continuous insurance coverage face a 30 percent premium penalty for a year. States can use federal funds to set up high-risk pools as insurers of last result. ___ GENERATIONAL BALANCE Current law: Insurers can charge their oldest customers no more than 3 times what they charge young adults. That benefits older adults prone to illness but has made coverage costly for young people. GOP bill: Insurers could charge older customers up to 5 times what they charge young adults. Advocates for older people complain that’s unfair. ___ YOUNG ADULTS Current law: Can stay on parental insurance until age 26. GOP bill: Same. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Health care overhaul scores early triumph despite opposition
House Republicans scored a pre-dawn triumph Thursday in their effort to scuttle former President Barack Obama‘s health care overhaul, but it masked deeper problems as hospitals, doctors and consumer groups mounted intensifying opposition to the GOP health care drive. After nearly 18 hours of debate and over two dozen party-line votes, Republicans pushed legislation through the Ways and Means Committee abolishing the tax penalty Obama’s statute imposes on people who don’t purchase insurance and reshaping how millions of Americans buy medical care. It was a victory of high symbolism because Obama’s so-called individual mandate is perhaps the part of the statute that Republicans most detest. Even so, the White House and Republican leaders confront a GOP and outside groups badly divided over the party’s high-stakes overhaul crusade. The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and AARP, the nation’s largest advocacy group for older people, were arrayed against the measure. Seven years ago their backing was instrumental in enacting Obama’s health care statute, which President Donald Trump and Republicans are intent on erasing. The hospitals — major employers in many districts — wrote lawmakers complaining about the bill’s cuts in Medicaid and other programs and said more uninsured Americans seem likely, adding, “We ask Congress to protect our patients.” Groups representing public, children’s, Catholic and other hospitals also expressed opposition. America’s Health Insurance Plans, representing insurers, praised the legislation’s elimination of health industry taxes but warned that proposed Medicaid changes “could result in unnecessary disruptions in the coverage and care beneficiaries depend on.” The legislation would defang Obama’s requirement that everyone buy insurance by repealing the tax fines imposed on those who don’t. That penalty has been a stick aimed at pressing healthy people to purchase policies. The bill would replace income-based subsidies Obama provided with tax credits based more on age, and insurers would charge higher premiums for customers who drop coverage for over two months. “That’s what this whole bill was about, kicking people who weren’t politically popular,” Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said of Obama’s overhaul. Ways and Means members worked till nearly 4:30 a.m. EST before approving the final batch of tax provisions in a party-line 23-16 vote. The Energy and Commerce Committee panel continued working Thursday morning, tackling a reshaping of Medicaid. Conservative lawmakers and allied outside groups claimed the bill took too timid a whack at Obama’s law. Numerous GOP centrists and governors were antagonistic, worried their states could lose Medicaid payments and face higher costs for hospitals having to treat growing numbers of uninsured people. Top Republicans knew if the upheaval should snowball and crush the legislation it would be a shattering defeat for Trump and the GOP, so leaders hoped approval by both House committees would fuel momentum. In words aimed at recalcitrant colleagues, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters: “This is what good, conservative health care reform looks like. It is bold and it is long overdue, and it is us fulfilling our promises.” The last was a nod to campaign pledges by Trump and many GOP congressional candidates. Ramping up pressure on GOP dissidents, a political group close to House Republican leaders said it is launching a TV ad campaign targeting 30 conservative lawmakers, mostly members of the hard line conservative House Freedom Caucus. The American Action Network said it was spending $500,000 on an ad contrasting the Republican bill with Obama’s law. It ends with the announcer urging viewers to tell their representative “to vote with President Trump.” Outnumbered Democrats used the panels’ meetings for political messaging, futilely offering amendments aimed at preventing the bill from raising deficits, kicking people off coverage or boosting consumers’ out-of-pocket costs. They tried unsuccessfully to insert language pressuring Trump to release his income tax returns, and failed to prevent Republicans from restoring insurance companies’ tax deductions for executive salaries above $500,000 — a break Obama’s law killed. There were signs of growing White House engagement, and perhaps progress. Trump met at the White House late Wednesday with leaders of six conservative groups that have opposed the GOP legislation, and several voiced optimism afterward. “I’m encouraged that the president indicated they’re pushing to make changes in the bill,” said David McIntosh, head of the Club for Growth, though he provided no specifics. The extra billions Washington has sent states to expand the federal-state Medicaid program would begin ending in 2020, and spending on the entire program would be capped at per-patient limits. Around $600 billion in 10-year tax boosts that Obama’s statute imposed on wealthy Americans and others to finance his overhaul would be repealed. Insurers could charge older customers five times more than younger ones instead of the current 3-1 limit, but would still be required to include children up to age 26 in family policies, and they would be barred from imposing annual or lifetime benefit caps. The measure would also repeal taxes Obama’s law imposed on segments of the medical industry to help pay for his statute’s expanded coverage. Democrats said the Republicans would yank health coverage from many of the 20 million Americans who gained it under Obama’s statute, and drive up costs for others because the GOP tax breaks would be skimpier than existing subsidies. And they accused Republicans of hiding bad news by moving ahead without official estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on the bill’s cost to taxpayers and anticipated coverage. “You can expect more town hall meetings you won’t want to go to,” said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., a reference to liberal activists who hounded Republicans during last month’s recess. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump on charm offensive with former rivals
After spending months rehashing the brutal GOP primary campaign and bragging about his victory, President Donald Trump has quietly launched a charm offensive, reaching out to former rivals whose help he now needs. The latest on his list: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who has said he has significant concerns about the GOP health care bill Trump is pushing for passage. The president and first lady hosted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, and their two daughters for dinner Wednesday night — a day after Trump broke bread with Sen. Lindsay Graham, another rival, over lunch. Trump has also been spending time with Sen. Marco Rubio, giving him a ride to Florida on Air Force One last week and hosting him and his wife for dinner at the White House. He met recently with Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, hosted Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and his wife for Valentine’s Day meatloaf, and had a working lunch with Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin — all former campaign foes. The meetings come as Trump continues to lob unsupported accusations at his predecessor in the White House, Barack Obama, alienating a potential source of guidance as he’s turned his focus toward selling a legislative agenda that he’ll need every possible ally to pass. That means wooing former rivals like Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul, whom Trump has spoken to several times since taking office, including this week, said Paul’s spokesman Sergio Gor. But the 2016 Republican campaign was uniquely brutal, leading to some awkward interactions. During the campaign, Trump not only went after Cruz, giving him the nickname ‘Lyin’ Ted,’ questioning his faith and bizarrely suggesting his father may have been involved in the Kennedy assassination. He also went after Cruz’s wife, re-tweeting an unflattering photo of her next to his wife and threatening to “spill the beans” on her. Cruz responded by calling Trump “a sniveling coward” and labeling him a “pathological liar” and “utterly amoral.” Cruz also declined to endorse Trump in his Republican Convention speech. Press secretary Sean Spicer ignored a question Wednesday about whether the president intended to apologize to Heidi Cruz, saying instead: “I think they’re looking forward to a great dinner.” “This is a president that’s going to engage with everybody that can help join in proposing ideas and thoughts and opinions on how to move the country forward. So he looks forward to dinner tonight with Senator and Mrs. Cruz as he has with several others,” he said. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted the president has been holding meeting after meeting as he tries to sell the health care bill. “I think there’s outreach to most of Congress,” she said. Cruz, who met with the president a week after the election, seemed equally willing to bury the hatchet. He told reporters ahead of the dinner that the president had called him several weeks ago and invited him and his family to dinner, and said, “we’re very much looking forward to it.” “It’s principally a social dinner but I’m sure the conversation will turn to the repeal of Obamacare and I have serious concerns about the House bill as drafted. I do not believe the House bill as currently drafted would pass the Senate,” he said. Trump has in the past marveled at politicians’ abilities to move on, even after brutal election campaigns. “It’s a very strange phenomenon,” he recently told Fox News, describing his ability to get along with Obama, despite their nasty election rivalry as Obama campaigned on behalf of Democrat Hillary Clinton. “What amazed me is that I was vicious to him in statements, he was vicious to me in statements, and here we are getting along, we’re riding up Pennsylvania Avenue, talk — we don’t even mention it,” he said. “I guess that’s the world of politics.” Trump’s latest unsupported claim on Twitter that Obama ordered wiretaps on Trump, has apparently chilled those relations a bit. Even Graham, one of Trump’s fiercest critics during the primary, seems to agree with the idea of moving past the campaign rhetoric. After their lunch, Graham praised Trump, saying he was “strongly committed to rebuilding our military which is music to my ears. President Trump is in deal-making mode and I hope Congress is like-minded.” Graham also appeared to forgive the president for once reading out his personal cellphone number to a rally crowd. “How good was the meeting? I gave him my NEW cell phone number,” Graham tweeted. Jason Miller, who worked for Trump’s campaign and transition, said that Cruz and other past rivals are eager to find ways to work together. “I think there’s a feeling of optimism and confidence that we can actually pass a conservative agenda,” he said. Yet there is one rival candidate who has yet to make nice with the president: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. While Bush has been in touch with members of the Trump administration, he has yet to make an appearance with Trump and his spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said he has no immediate plans to dine with the president. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Repeal and replace — The end of traditional conservatism
As a lifelong Republican and a former Fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, I have always preferred voting for the Republican and conservative candidate. Preferably, the candidate is both Republican and conservative, although that is not always the case. For only the second time in my life, I did not vote for the Republican presidential nominee: I found him neither Republican nor conservative. I know there are different strands of conservatism: classical, neo-cons, libertarians, religious and economic conservatives. I found Donald Trump to be none of the above. Trump did appeal to conservatives by supporting regulatory reform, lower taxes, unleashing the private sector and rolling back the administrative state. At the same time, Trump supported existing entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, which he called untouchable, and backed new entitlements like a paid family leave program. Until the election of Trump, Republicans venerated Ronald Reagan and his brand of conservatism. This included support for free trade, a centerpiece of conservative economic policy. Trump has denounced free trade by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership which conservatives uniformly backed. Trump also plans to end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which Republicans helped to pass. Another litmus test for modern conservatism was for America to play a major role in world affairs. Reagan addressed the first Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) meeting in 1974 and argued that America “cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so.” Reagan cited Pope Pius XII’s remarks after World War II that “Into the hands of America, God has placed the destinies of mankind.” Under Trump, American First has become the guiding philosophy. Republicans and conservatives have generally opposed entitlements and big government. Trump has made Social Security and Medicare untouchable, even though most conservatives believe these programs are not sustainable given the demographic changes in American society. Trump has called for a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, in addition to an expansive family leave policy. How do you pay for these entitlements and increase defense spending while cutting taxes? Shortly after being elected president, Trump helped negotiate a deal with Carrier in Indiana that promised government benefits to Carrier in exchange for keeping jobs in Indiana. That deal struck many conservatives as another example of “crony capitalism.” The government picks and chooses winners and losers instead of letting market forces work their will. Where most presidents have had a shaky relationship with the press, Trump is the first to call the press “enemies of the American public.” Where Reagan called the Soviets the “evil empire,” Trump has praised Vladimir Putin and asserted the moral equivalency between American and Soviet policy. Trump clearly has flip-flopped back and forth between the Democratic and Republican Party, but has actually spent more time as a Democrat. He only registered as a Republican a couple of years before announcing his candidacy. Trump may or not be a lifetime member of the GOP, but has he held consistent conservative values? Let’s look at his own words and actions. At the 2016 CPAC meeting, delegates threatened to walk out if Trump appeared. He was viewed as a false prophet of conservatism and he eventually withdrew as a speaker. At the 2017 CPAC meeting, Trump was hailed as the conquering hero. A full 86 percent of the delegates approved of Trump’s job performance and 80 percent believed Trump was “realigning the conservative movement.” As presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway observed, “well, I think by tomorrow this might be TPAC.” During his 48-minute address to the 2017 CPAC delegates, Trump no mention of Reagan, who has been the face of the modern conservative movement for four decades. Trump made no mention of “liberty” or the “constitution.” Trump made no reference to keeping government small and limited, and only once uttered the word “conservative,” which seemed odd for an audience of conservatives. Trump said: “Our victory was a victory. . . for conservative values.” The one common thread between Reagan and Trump was their appeal to working-class Americans. In 1977, Reagan told CPAC: “The New Republican Party I am speaking about is going to have room for the man and the woman in the factories, for the farmer, for the cop on the beat.” In his 2017 CPAC address, Trump said: “The GOP will be, from now on, the Party of the American worker. … We will not answer to donors or lobbyists or special interests.” (Although, being a billionaire will be considered an asset for all cabinet nominees.) One congressional staffer, after hearing Trump’s CPAC speech, called him “a moderate disguised as a conservative.” Conservative radio host John Ziegler described Trump’s CPAC speech as having the tone “it was written from a liberal perspective, in that greater government involvement was the foundational answer for nearly every problem.” Another delegate described Trump as “a fairly liberal conservative,” whatever that may mean. If CPAC is any indication, Trump is reshaping the conservative movement at breathtaking speed. Ideology is conforming to an individual, and not vice versa. “Repeal and Replace” was the centerpiece of Trumpism. We all thought he was referring to “Obamacare.” Now we know that “repeal and replace” referred to conservatism in America. Traditional conservative values have been abandoned and replaced by whatever Trump happens to say today. ___ Darryl Paulson is Emeritus Professor of Government at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg.
