Working 'in tandem': Republicans prep to make Trump executive orders permanent
House Republicans have no plans to allow President Donald Trump’s key executive orders to expire at the end of his four-year term.
Trump marked his first day in office Monday with dozens of new executive orders, and signaled that he is aiming to use the commander in chief’s unilateral power to enact policy when possible.
Executive orders, however, can be easily rescinded when a new administration enters the White House. They can also be subject to legal challenges that argue they run afoul of existing U.S. law, as is the current case with Trump’s order limiting birthright citizenship.
But several House GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital are signaling they intend to stop that from happening for at least several of Trump’s key policies.
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"I see him doing things by executive action as a necessity to signal… but they’re not the best way to do things," former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital. "The best way to do things is the legislative process with a signature on a bill."
Perry suggested starting with Trump’s orders on the border and energy.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed at his weekly press conference that Trump’s orders will be a roadmap for the House.
"This is an America First agenda that takes both of those branches of government to work in tandem," Johnson said. "And so what he's doing is kickstarting what will ultimately be our legislative agenda."
Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., a close ally of Trump, told Fox News Digital, "I think the executive orders are easy because it requires one person."
"Equally important in our discussions with him is the legislative piece, that we permanently enshrine some of these things or that we correct mistakes in the law that maybe have been abused in the past," Fry said.
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., suggested enshrining Trump’s rollback of Biden administration energy policies into law.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s border subcommittee, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., said he wanted Congress to back up Trump’s immigration executive orders.
"We need to codify what President Trump has put in place by executive orders – Remain in Mexico, doing away with the CBP One app," Guest said. "When President Trump leaves office in four years, those executive orders can be undone."
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Some have already taken steps to do just that. House Science Committee Chair Brian Babin, R-Texas, introduced a bill this week to limit birthright citizenship the day after Trump’s order.
Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, released a bill earlier this month to reinstate Trump’s Remain In Mexico policy.
"I think the border crisis is so egregious and so harmful to American citizens that everybody can see it, whether you're a Republican or Democrat," Gill told Fox News Digital.
Former President Joe Biden rolled back several of Trump's key executive orders on his first day in office and ended enforcement of Remain In Mexico – though that was challenged in court.