YOU WILL HEAR FROM ANDREW AND
MR. McMAHON AND MR. HARGAN ON
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DEALING
WITH CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS
THE GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION,
VERY, VERY BRIEFLY.
WHEN WE GOT INTO THIS, ONE OF
THE THINGS WE LEARNED IS IT'S
BEEN ALMOST 100 YEARS SINCE
ANYBODY REORGANIZED THE
GOVERNMENT AT THIS TYPE OF
SCALE.
BEEN SINCE FDR AND HIS NEW DEAL
WHERE HE CHANGED THE WAY THE
GOVERNMENT WORKED AND WE
HAVEN'T CHANGED IT VERY MUCH
SINCE THEN.
WHICH MEANS WE'RE ALMOST 20%
INTO THE 21st CENTURY BUT
DEALING WITH A GOVERNMENT THAT
IS FROM THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.
THIS LEADS, MR. PRESIDENT, TO
SOME BIZARRE RESULTS.
IN FACT, THE STORIES, YOU DON'T
KNOW WHERE TO START.
RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF THE
BYZANTINE NATURE OF THE WAY WE
REGULATE IN THIS COUNTRY.
IF YOU HAVE A CHEESE PIZZA, YOU
MAKE A CHEESE PIZZA, THAT IS
GOVERNED BY THE UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
NO, THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
IF YOU MAKE A CHEESE PIZZA,
IT'S GOVERNED BY THE FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
IF YOU PUT A PEPPERONI ON IT,
THAT'S GOVERNED BY THE USDA.
IF YOU HAVE A CHICKEN, IT'S
GOVERNED BY THE USDA.
IF THE CHICKEN LAYS AN EGG,
GOVERNED BY THE FDA.
IF YOU BREAK THE EGG AND MAKE
AN OMELETTE THAT IS COVERED BY
THE FDA.
IF YOU HAVE AN OPEN-FACED ROAST
BEEF SANDWICH, THAT'S ONE OR
THE OTHER, THE BREAD ON TOP OF
IT, IT'S THE OTHER.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES, IF YOU
HAVE A SALT WATER FISH, A
SALMON AND IT'S IN THE OCEAN,
IT'S GOVERNED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE.
ONCE IT SWIMS UP RIVER, IT'S
GOVERNED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
THE INTERIOR AND TO GET THERE
GOVERNED BY THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS.
THIS IS STUPID.
>> BY THE WAY, THAT WAS
INCREDIBLY SAID.
[LAUGHTER]
>> I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT THAT
ON TELEVISION.
THAT WAS VERY -- VERY GOOD.
>> LONG TIME AGO WHEN I WAS 15
YEARS OLD, I WORKED IN A
FREEZER FOR A GUY WHO MADE
FROZEN PIZZAS.
PUT YOURSELF IN THAT GUY'S
BUSINESS, HE'S MAKING CHEESE
PIZZAS, ANOTHER TIME PEPPERONI,
HE'S DEALING WITH OTHER FEDERAL
AGENCIES.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND FIX IT.
SCOTT, STEP ASIDE TO GO OVER
ONE OR TWO.
A COUPLE OF THEM HAVE MADE THE
PRESS.
WE TALK ABOUT THIS LATER ABOUT
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BEING
MERGED.
WE THINK THAT MAKES TREMENDOUS
SENSE, WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
DOING THE SAME THING.
TRYING TO GET PEOPLE READY FOR
THE WORKFORCE, SOMETIMES
EDUCATION, SOMETIMES VOKATIONAL
TRAINING, THEY'RE ALL DOING THE
SAME TRAINING.
PUT THEM IN THE SAME PLACE.
THIS GOES TO IVANKA AND EARLY
ON JOB TRAINING, WE DON'T KNOW
HOW MANY JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS
WE HAVE.
SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S 40, SOME
THINK IT'S 46, SOME THINK IT'S
47.
WE GET IT DOWN TO 16 AND PUT IT
ALL IN ONE PLACE SO IF YOU'RE
NOT HAPPY OR THE NEXT PRESIDENT
IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT'S
GOING.
RIGHT NOW 16 DIFFERENT PEOPLE
AROUND THIS TABLE HAVE
WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
THEIR AGENCIES.
IF SOMETHING IS GOING WRONG,
YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO ME AND
SAY MICK, WHY ARE YOU DOING
THAT?
IT'S SCOTT PRUITT'S FAULT OR
BETSY DeVOS' FAULT.
NO, NO, WE'RE PUTTING THEM
RESPONSIBLE AND MAKING THEM
ACCOUNTABLE.
TWO OF MY FAVORITES EXAMPLES OF
HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THINGS,
EVERYBODY, DEMOCRATS,
REPUBLICANS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT,
STATE GOVERNMENT, YOU, ME, FROM
THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE HORROR
STORIES ABOUT THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS.
THEY PERFORM ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL FUNCTIONS.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST
CENTURY, ROLE HAS CONTINUED TO
CREEP AND CREEP AND CREEP, AND
WE CAN DO BETTER.
A REPORT FOR CHANGES TO THE
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
STUFF IS REALLY DEFENSE AND
THERE ARE STILL THINGS THAT THE
ARMY CORPS DOES, THEY STAY
THERE, AND THEY SHOULD.
THE THINGS THE ARMY CORPS DOES
TO HELP DEFEND THE NATION WILL
STAY THERE.
A LOT OF WHAT THEY DO DEALS
WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY DEAL
WITH ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION
AND SO FORTH, THAT GOES TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, BECAUSE
Y'ALL ARE GOOD AT THAT.
SIMILARLY, PORTS, DEEP-WATER
PORTS, LOCK SYSTEM, USED TO BE
A MILITARY THING 100 YEARS AGO,
NOW IT'S ELAINE CHAO AT THE
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT
LAYOUT AND TALKED ABOUT
STREAMLINE OUR PERMITS PROCESS
AND GOES ALONG WITH WHAT
MR. ZINKE IS DOING AT THE DOI,
YOU WANT TO GET A PERMIT, YOU
GO TO ONE FEDERAL AGENCY.
THIS IS GOING TO HELP THAT.
DOWN HERE, WE TALKED ABOUT FOOD
SAFETY, RIGHT NOW AT FDA, USDA.
MOVED THAT ALL TO THE USDA.
WHY?
BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD AT IT.
NOT BECAUSE THE FDA ISN'T, ONE
PLACE TO GET ANSWERS, TO GET
RESULTS, PERMITS AND DEAL WITH
REGULATORY AFFAIRS.
AT THE SAME TIME, IN ALL
FAIRNESS AND SECRETARY PURDUE
WILL TELL YOU THIS, THERE ARE
THINGS THE FDA DOES WITH OTHER
AGENCIES.
A HOUSING COMPONENT, WHY
WOULDN'T THAT BE BETTER OFF AT
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
MOVE THAT TO YOU HUD.
SIMILARLY THEY MOVED THE FOOD
STAMP, THE SNAP PROGRAM THAT
MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL.
HHS IS UNIQUELY SET UP TO
HANDLE.
THAT MOVED PROGRAMS TO HHS AND
HAVE IT CENTRALIZED TO DEAL
WITH IT.
NO ONE HAS TRIED AT THIS SCALE,
MR. PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT CLINTON TRIED A
LITTLE BIT, A COUPLE OTHER
PRESIDENTS TRIED IT.
NO ONE HAS DONE IT AT THIS
SCALE, AND IMPORTANTLY, NO ONE
FOLLOWED THROUGH ON IT.
NO ONE HAS GIVEN THE TIME
COMMITMENT THAT THESE PEOPLE
HAVE GIVEN FOR THE LAST YEAR
AND A HALF.
AND NO ONE CAME UP WITH THE
IDEAS.
THE STUFF PRESIDENT CLINTON
CAME UP WITH ARE PEANUTS
COMPARED TO THIS.
EVERY TIME SOMEONE SAID THIS IS
GREAT, IT'S NEVER GOING TO
HAPPEN.
DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST IDEAS THE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND
EDUCATION DOESN'T GET INVOLVED
IN JURISDICTIONAL BATTLES ON
THE HILL.
ONE COMMITTEE HANDLES THOSE
NOW.
CONGRESS IS AHEAD OF US ON THAT
WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO SAY.
THERE'S A CHANCE WE CAN GET
THAT DONE, IF WE DON'T GET IT
DONE NOW, THIS IS THE
GENERATIONAL KIND OF STUFF YOU
ASKED US TO DO WHEN YOU CAME TO
OFFICE.
WHEN RONALD REAGAN SAID THAT
GOVERNMENT WASN'T THE SOLUTION,
IT WAS THE PROBLEM, IT TOOK 15
YEARS AFTER THAT FOR BILL
CLINTON TO GO ON TV AND SAY THE
AGE OF BIG GOVERNMENT IS DEAD.
THIS IS A GENERATIONAL THING.
IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN
OVERNIGHT?
NO.
SOME OF THE STUFF WE CAN DO
THROUGH REGULATORY FASHION
THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCESS.
OTHER STUFF TAKES LONGER BUT
THIS IS THE STUFF WORTH
FIGHTING FOR AND WON'T GET DONE
UNTIL SOMEBODY TAKES THE FIRST
STEPS.
THANKS FOR NOT ONLY GIVING US
THE TIME TO DO THIS BUT THE
ENCOURAGEMENT TO SAY PUSH
HARDER, PUSH HARDER, THIS IS
IMPORTANT TO THE PRESIDENT.
THIS IS WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT
WHEN HE SAID DRAIN THE SWAMP.