President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on making America’s military great again, among other things, and he has a plan to do it in his first 100 days.
Trump issued a 100-day action plan to “Make America Great Again” in October. Included in the ambitious list of goals is what he called the “Restoring National Security Act.” The proposed legislation aims to tackle several of Trump’s key campaign policy points.
The act will end the current defense sequester and invest heavily into the military, a key Trump issue throughout the campaign season. The president-elect skewered the Obama administration for presiding over the deterioration of the U.S. military. Trump pointed out that the Navy went from 285,000 to 276,000 under Obama, while the Army shrunk from 553,000 personnel to 479,000. He also pointed out that the Air Force is at its smallest since it was first created in 1947.
The Trump camp released a plan in September to alleviate the military’s numbers problem. The plan promised to bolster the Army to 540,000 active personnel, add 13 battalions to the Marine Corps, increase the number of Naval vessels to 350 and give a modest increase to the number of aircraft in the Air Force.
Trump frequently spoke on veteran’s issues during his campaign, promising to drastically improve the care received by men and women who fought for the country. The proposed Restoring National Security Act would allow veterans the option to receive care at a Veterain’s Affairs facility or go through a private doctor of their choosing.
Cybersecurity, particular the defense of U.S. infrastructure from cyber attacks, is another of Trump’s favorite issues that will be addressed in his first 100 days.
“To truly make America safe, we truly have to make cybersecurity a major priority,” Trump told supporters at an event in Virginia in early October. He added that the issue would be an “immediate and top priority for my administration.”
China, North Korea and especially Russia have all posed a cyber threat to the U.S., and experts warn that the country’s infrastructure is far too vulnerable. Trump plans to create a “cyber review team” to assess these weaknesses and find solutions to them.
Trump’s proposed legislation would also tackle threats from immigration. The president-elect subjected himself to overwhelming criticism when he suggested a ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S. early in his campaign. Trump has since softened his language on the issue. His plan proposes the establishment of “new screening procedures” for immigrants entering the U.S. to ensure they “support our people and our values.”
Trump’s national security plan is undoubtedly ambitious and may be difficult to implement, but a solid Republican majority in both the House and Senate will certainly help.
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