CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – President Donald Trump’s executive orders are receiving mixed reactions from lawmakers, voters and advocacy groups.
Trump signed a series of executive orders after taking office on Monday, including: “Declaration of a national energy emergency” And “Unlocking American Energy.” Trump too revoked Biden administration orders and actions like Executive Order 14087, which lowered the cost of prescription drugs for Americans.
13 News reached out to the West Virginia Republican and Democratic parties for their comment on the actions taken by President Trump so far:
“President Trump’s actions on Day One are just the beginning of the promises he has made and kept as President.” President Trump is already making good on some of the many promises he was elected to implement. From securing the border to curbing federal overreach to renewing our energy dominance, the Trump-Vance Administration is off to an incredible start!”
Chairman Matt Herridge, WV Republican Party
“I would expect the President to exercise sound judgment in issuing these executive orders rather than acting like a petulant child and undoing everything his predecessor did, no matter how effective they were.” The result is that many seniors and cancer patients end up paying more for their prescription medications out of pocket. It is malicious and counterproductive to target programs that aid the most vulnerable simply because they were created by a political rival.”
Chairman Mike Pushkin, WV Democratic Party
Local advocacy groups such as the WV Citizen Action Group, which focuses on universal health and climate solutions, also weighed in on the regulations.
Gary Zuckett, their general manager, said it was disappointing but he wasn’t surprised.
“He told us he was going to go in there the first day and shake things up, and he did that,” Zuckett said. “What’s the thinking behind reversing a lot of these? [Biden’s orders] Aside from the fact that it’s just a dig at the former president, because I don’t think there’s much point in going back to many of these issues… I would encourage the president to also declare a climate crisis and do things proactively to address that Climate crisis, rather than pulling us out of the Paris Climate Agreement.”
The WV Coal Association also discussed its findings from President Trump’s executive orders. Chris Hamilton, its president and CEO, said it was exhilarating to see Trump moving forward so quickly and boldly.
“We’re just really pleased that President Trump is interested in pushing coal and natural gas, and that doesn’t mean we still shouldn’t develop alternative energy sources, because we should and we can,” Hamilton said. “A strong energy economy and an energy-independent country are also synonymous with national security and defense. There is no way to achieve any of these desired outcomes and programs without having strong domestic energy production.”
Although executive orders allow a president to exercise power without the intervention of Congress, there are limits. The Associated Press says both Congress and the courts may be able to block executive orders.
