As we move forward in the coming weeks and months and, I can't find the right adverb, years, it is important to understand accountability. You know, like when you potty train your toddler. It's something the kid doesn't particularly understand or care for, but someone's gotta give the little guy or gal a nudge into maturity.

That's where we stand with the current administration. I'm not singling out an individual (yet), but it is incredibly important to know how the first business week went. Though there very well might be more legislation that comes up and even more Executive Orders/Actions and Presidential Memorandums, I'm going to focus solely on the 5 EO's and 12 PM's signed by President Trump between January 23rd and January 27th and a few of the more significant bills introduced by the 115th US Congress since January 3rd, 2017.

(ASIDE: I began putting together this list the night of Thursday, January 26th. In the time between when I began working on compiling the information and finding primary and secondary sources for all Executive Actions, the White House added 1 new EO, 3 new PM's, and has made so many changes to websites controlled by government entities that it is almost impossible to track what was changed and when. These actions do not include the gag order instituted on federal science agencies, his comments on the validity of news corporations such as CNN, the NY Times, and the Washington Post, or the promise to look at the possibility of overturning Roe v Wade. Regardless, not only is the number of actions alarming but so are their depth and target demographics. Many of his actions also negatively impact Americans while using rhetoric to distance the federal government from any potential negative outcomes of these actions.)

It wouldn't be fair to start with the big guns, so we'll start small with President Trump's work first. If anything, at least Mr Trump can say he's been the most honest presidential candidate in recent memory, enacting orders on all of his major platform points save for jailing Hillary Clinton.

EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Between EO's and PM's, only the former is, by law, to be published in the Federal Register. This means that between the two, secrecy is not something you maintain when administering Executive Orders. That being said, five EO's have already made their way across the President's desk and are slated to be executed over the coming weeks.

EO #13765

Executive Order 13765 is the first of what I'm sure will be many EO's we'll see over the course of the next 4 years. The Order, described as, "Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal," is meant to provide the groundwork for the termination of the ACA in the foreseeable future. The Order provides language to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the, "heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act," full ability (within limitations of the law) to create a, "free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of healthcare services and health insurance, with the goal of achieving and preserving maximum options for patients and consumers ."

In short, the Order is killing the ACA, before legislation is passed, through the active intervention of federal and state health agencies in the health care market. This Order is meant to be subversive to the ACA and create an atmosphere in which the general public feels the law should rightfully be repealed, even if it is against their own interests.

EO #13766

Even though official numerical ID's and publication in the Federal Register take time, we can safely assume that the subsequent EO's will be numbered as such. At the time of this writing, the only information available on EO 13766 is its description and a 3rd party publication of the Order in its entirety. Described as, "Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High-Priority Infrastructure Projects," EO 13766 effectively 'streamlines' the review and approval of infrastructure projects which may have impacts on the environment or the safety of the general public. This streamlined alternative is basically reliant on a single individual, known as the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), a position which has been vacant since Nancy Sutley stepped down from the post in February 2014. Furthermore, the CEQ and its absence of a successor to former managing director Christy Goldfuss are surprisingly missing from the news because, as of January 20th, 2017, the White House has removed references to the Council and its publications from all government websites. This EO is fluff and nothing more than a distraction for the mass populace.

EO #13767

Just as with the previous and subsequent EO's, EO 13767 is unpublished and is slated to be online at the same time as this article goes live. I've linked the web addresses regardless so discerning individuals may view the documents for themselves. The Order is described as, "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States," but full text documentation of the EO could only be found on the White House website. Per CNN, "This executive order aims to tackle the issue of undocumented immigrants through deportation and tripling resources for enforcement with 10,000 additional immigration officers. It also targets so-called "sanctuary cities" -- cities, states and other entities which can refuse to turn over undocumented immigrants to federal authorities through a variety of shielding policies -- by withholding funding. "

EO #13768

The fourth of the EO's signed by President Trump in his first week continues the witch hunt of illegal immigrants. Though it has yet to be published in the Register, However, EO 13767 can be found in text for the time being on either FOX News' website or on the White House website. Substantially longer than the other three EO's, this Order deals with the southern US border. Though the Purpose mentioned in Sec 1 is valid and brings up many substantial reasons for tougher border security, the EO makes no mention of the US border with Canada or any attempts to improve security at sea and air ports throughout the nation. This EO targets Mexico and Latinos in general and makes no attempt to allude to any other border concerns other than crime, terrorism, and drug trafficking along the US-Mexico border.

EO #13769

The fifth and final EO of President Trumps inaugural week is by and far the most inhumane. Entitled, "Protecting the Nation From Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals," the Executive act perpetuates stigmatization of ethnic groups from Islamic countries by instituting a full ban of all immigrants and nonimmigrants of people from Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. The suspension of the USRAP, in this case, is indefinite for the nation of Syria, which has been caught in a major, multi-faction civil for the past six years. Unfortunately, with one more major power now refusing political asylum to those fleeing the conflict, I think we'll see a continuation of the mass genocide already occurring in cities such as Aleppo. The full text for this EO can be found through CNN. Not surprisingly, Bloomberg Politics reports nations where Trump has business ties are oddly missing from the ban.

PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUMS

Presidential Memorandums (or PM's for short) are similar to Executive Orders, but mostly evade the public eye thanks to a legal loophole in which PM's don't have to be published in the Federal Register. In addition, PM's also lack numerical labeling and, thus, are more difficult to track and can easily be lost in a slew of other papers and publications if not meticulously followed by select individuals. This is where the meat of Executive authority lies and where we must be cautious moving forward. These are the twelve (known) PM's signed by President Trump during his first week in office.

PM 1 - Regulatory Freeze Pending Review for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

The first of the PM's is one which both Obama and Bush issued as well. Essentially, this PM halts the implication of new federal regulations and rules until they may be reviewed and assessed by the Trump Administration. This is a catch-all and is something I'm sure we'll see enacted by future presidents as well.

PM 2 - Barring international non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortions from receiving US government funding. (The Gag Rule)

The Reagan era Gag rule has been reinstated by Trump. Originally repealed by former President Obama, the "Mexico Policy" has no impact on US citizens. In the short term, this has no ill-effect on US citizens. However, it has an immediate and direct impact on 2nd and 3rd world nations which use non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortions. These institutions will no longer receive US federal aid and the vital medical services in these nations will no longer be available to the general populous. I find it ironic that such a step needed to be taken considering President Trump, "[W]ants to stand up for all Americans, including the unborn." Americans will remain unaffected by this action.

PM 3 - Withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Though the TPP never passed through Congress, the symbolic gesture shuts down any potential fiscal union between the economies which account for 40% of the global GDP. It also attempts to retain American jobs and hurts future globalization on all economic fronts. However, it also hurts Sino-American and Japanese-American relations in all regards. It also serves to continue developing an isolationist America which has been perpetuated by other EO's, PM's, and House Bills introduced since the New Year.

PM 4 - Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Hiring Freeze.

Save for the US military and medical professionals associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), PM 4 freezes the hiring of all new federal workers. This includes, but is not limited to: civilian contractors, national park rangers, and military contractors. The goal behind the PM is to reduce federal spending on superfluous employees, though trends show that the number of federal workers has been diminishing naturally over the past decade and shows no sign of increasing. The goal to avoid impacts on the military and veterans is also not going to happen, as approximately 44% of all federal workers are former veterans of the US military.

PM 5 - Revival of Dakota Access Pipeline.

This PM is pretty straightforward: President Trump has endorsed the revival of the Dakota Access Pipeline and seeks to streamline the approval process for the pipeline's construction.

PM 6 - Revival of Keystone Pipeline.

Originally rejected by the Obama administration, this order allows the construction and subsequent use of the pipeline across 6 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Far larger in scale than the DAP, the renegotiation of terms promised by President Trump will allow time to find a way to delay the project further, though the ultimate outcome does not look promising for Natives or environmentalists.

PM 7 - Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines.

Continuing the trend of PM's 5 and 6, but with a twist: if these pipelines are to be built, they are to be built with American-made materials. Isolationism continues and environmental reform is struck down yet again.

PM 8 - Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing.

This PM requests a plan to make it easier for US manufacturers to receive construction and operation permits. This applies to most American industries, but focusses on the big three of the American automotive industry: GM, Ford, and Fiat-Chrysler. It's sure to boost the domestic economy, but will ultimately prove to be an issue for future generations of American consumers, as competition in most markets will decrease and lead to increased prices on the part of pseudo-monopolized American firms.

PM 9 - Strengthening of border wall between Mexico and the United States.

I don't feel as though I need to expand on this, but will anyway. This is a continuation of EO's 13767 and 13768. President Trump fully invests his beliefs in the border wall and endorses further Congressional action on the matter, citing increases in terror threats and drug-related crime in states bordering Mexico. Both claims are unsubstantiated, and the need to 'strengthen' the border wall, again, targets minorities hailing from Hispanic nations. Mr. Trump is proving again and again that xenophobia still exists and will be acceptable under his regime. And as of Saturday evening, full text of this Memorandum has disappeared from the White House website as well as its any history of

PM 10 - Presidential Memorandum Plan to Defeat the Islamic State of Iraq

In this Memorandum, President Trump lays out the necessity for his Cabinet members to compose a plan to defeat ISIS within 30 days of January 28th. For those at home, that means the deadline is going to be February 27th.

Unfortunately, Isolationism continues for the Trump Regime as all concerns regarding ISIS intervention rests in avenging the deaths and injuries of Americans in the Paris, Brussels, Nice, and Berlin attacks over the past two years. An eye for an eye, is what the Old Testament said. So far, Trump seems to be equating himself to such a god.

PM 11 - Presidential Memorandum Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council

This PM is another standard Memorandum as President Trump goes about reshuffling the National Security Council to better suit the needs of his administration. He also dictates specific roles for his national security adviser Michael Flynn, as well as homland security adviser Tom Bossert.

PM 12 - Lobbying Regulations

This PM extends the already in place no lobbying rule imposed by President Obama. Any individual currently in Trump's administration who leaves for any reason may not lobby for organizations or corporations in Washington for the following five years. It also bans such administrative personnel from ever lobbying for foreign governments in any regards.

CONGRESSIONAL BILLS

H.Res.11 - Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and for other purposes.

House Resolution 11 was introduced by a group of 51 US representatives from both sides of the aisle. In all, the Resolution has garnered 134 cosponsors from 31 states (99 Republicans and 35 Democrats). The purpose of H.Res.11 is to, as the title states, object to the UN Security Council's decision regarding Israel's settlement of Palestinian territories since 1967. The UN Security Council states that the activities constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the Jewish state has no legal validity behind its claims to the lands. Of the 15 nations who are members of the Security Council, 14 voted for the resolution's adoption while the last, the United States, abstained from the voting procedures.

H.R.21 - Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017

This bill proposes a change to the Congressional Review Act which, as stated on congress.gov, would, "allow Congress to consider a joint resolution to disapprove multiple regulations that federal agencies have submitted for congressional review within the last 60 legislative days of a session of Congress during the final year of a President's term. Congress may disapprove a group of such regulations together (i.e., "en bloc") instead of the current procedure of considering only one regulation at a time." Per the original bill (introduced and signed into law in 2016), Executive Orders by the previous head of state are exempt as well as any regulations they refer to if they meet one of the following criteria:

1 - Necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency

2 - Necessary for the enforcement of criminal laws

3 - Necessary for the national security of the United States

4 - issued pursuant to any statute implementing an international trade agreement

H.R.170 - Protect and Grow American Jobs Act

This bill hopes to lessen the stress on skilled American workers in the job market and, supposedly, aims to drive an increase in average/median salaries of native workers. The bill hopes to redefine the requirements to obtain an H-1B visa in the United States as well as raising the costs for companies to hire foreign, nonimmigrant workers to $100,000 for skilled professions. The bill sponsors also include language for the cost to be adjusted with the inflation rate as time passes in order to circumvent an issue in the original 1998 law.

H.R.193 - American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017

This bill is the prototypical bill of Neo-American Isolationism. Originally introduced by Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), the bill would require the President to, "(1) terminate U.S. membership in the United Nations (U.N.), including any organ, specialized agency, commission, or other formally affiliated body; and (2) closure of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. " It would also prohibit US financial, military, or political involvement in U.N. peacekeeping operations. U.S. forces would also be prohibited from serving under United Nations commanders and diplomatic immunity for U.N. officers and employees in the U.S. would be revoked. Effectively, this bill severs all ties between the U.S. and U.N. & its constituents.

The outcome is unfathomable at this juncture. Not only is the United States a founding member of the international peace keeping coalition, but it is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council along with France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. If the U.S. were to withdraw, another power would take our place. At this time, we do not know who that power would be and whether or not they would have friendly or hostile intentions towards the U.S.

H.R. 367 - Hearing Protection Act of 2017

This is perhaps my favorite bill proposed since the New Year simply because of how devious Representative Duncan (R-SC) was when naming the legislation. On the surface, the name could imply any number of things. In fact, I first thought it was meant to lock down the confirmation hearings of future cabinet appointees and prevent wide-spread press during the events.

I was sadly mistaken.

I sit now, typing this out, a supporter of the NRA and the 2nd Amendment. But I also have a conscious which cannot allow me to sit by while 80 Republicans and a Democrat in our federal House of Representatives pass legislation which removes the $200 tax associated with the transfer of firearm suppression systems. Suppressors and silencers serve no real world purpose outside of war zones, so there is absolutely no legal, social, or political precedent for the common American to have access to military-style hardware. This bill is by and far the most asinine thing I've come across so far, and really drives home the point that the federal government is going about its business of socially, politically, and physically arming xenophobic, alt-right (NAZI) militias and regressive "activist" groups without a care in the world for the common American. If we are truly going to protect American lives, such legislation does not need to exist and a line Must. Be. Drawn.

In conclusion, I'm very concerned about what's going to happen in the coming months and years. I was told, "just give him a chance," by numerous friends and family members who voted for Trump. I have. And, granted, he's done everything he promised he would. Which is what is so terrifying as we move forward. These actions and laws being passed fall in line with those of Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, Benito Mussolini, and others who fought their way into power (both legally and otherwise), only to exact vengeance on their country's citizens rather than make any substantial, positive changes to the operation of their nation. I will not sit and listen to/read responses supporting this man and his "Christian values" so as to degrade not only my faith, but my ethnicity. Silence and acceptance are not the answer, and people telling those upset to sit down and stop being "Liberal Snowflakes," are sadly mistaken as to how far reaching disdain for this man and his actions truly is.

Here's to week one, America. Only 208 to go.