Heritage to Trump: Shrink the Government, Help the Poor

A Heritage Foundation report concluded that climate change regulations, energy policies pertaining to appliances, fuel efficiency mandates and gas regulations, payday lender rules, so-called smart growth, and other policies and programs hinder opportunity and hurt the poor.

President Donald Trump can create a federal task force to identify and eliminate regulations that limit opportunities for poor people to work, regulations that also raise prices for goods and services, Heritage said.

For example, so-called smart growth restricts land development and promotes high-density housing, which drives up housing prices. Heritage also contended that requiring government licensing to run a daycare for children drives up costs.

From the report (PDF):

Climate Change Regulations. The Obama Administration issued a wide range of climate change regulations that would drive up electricity prices. Based on a Heritage Foundation analysis, electricity expenditures could increase between 13 percent and 20 percent, hitting America’s poorest households hardest.3 These significant costs would be imposed despite the climate return on these regulations, if any, being negligible.4
…
Import Restraints on Food and Clothing. A 2013 report by the International Trade Commission estimated annual welfare benefits from liberalization of import restraints for various sectors, including food. Between 2012 and 2017, liberalization of import restraints would benefit U.S. consumers annually by an average of $50 million for cheese, $277 million for sugar, and $8 million for tuna.22

Heritage suggested that the task force could identify policies and programs on the state and local levels as well, and determine which policies and programs require legislation or executive action to eliminate.