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30 AL CONSTRUCTION NEWS JAN-MAR 2017 market. Obamacare has had a very negative impact on employ- ment. We have to address that." Congressman Palmer is also looking at regulatory reform, as regu- lations have created a stranglehold on the economy. "The country went from more businesses starting than closing to now thousands more businesses closing than starting up," he said. Congressman Byrne echoes Palmer's focus on fixing the regu- latory burdens put in place in the last eight years. "A top goal is clearly going to be turning our economy around," he said. "As a businessman, this is something Donald Trump understands better than most. This means easing the regulatory burden. This means weakening some of these bloated federal agencies. This means fix- ing our tax code to make it simpler and fairer. And it means fixing our health care system to ensure insurance is actually affordable for families." Congressman Byrne hopes to help make these changes happen using his position on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. "I hope to be able to use my position as the Chairman of the Work- force Protections Subcommittee to make progress rolling back some of the overreach we have seen from the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board," he said. "In doing so, I hope to have a larger conversation about what our labor laws should look like in the new, 21st century workforce." E X E C U T I V E O R D E R S President Trump's first few weeks in office have been nothing if not busy, and thus far, he has issued dozens of executive orders. Many of the state's legislative leaders view his executive orders thus far as needed in order to get rid of the burdens put on the country by the Obama administration. "I'm excited about Presi- dent Trump's use of executive orders to roll back executive orders put in place by the previous administration," said Congressman Gary Palmer. "We are, of course, paying close attention to how he uses them, as President Obama used executive orders to bypass Congress." Adds Congressman Mike Rogers, "President Trump has proven in his first few days that he is ready to get down to work on behalf of the American people. Most recently, he has started dismantling the over burdensome regulatory red tape from the Obama admin- istration. As a senior member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, I am pleased to see him taking the dangers faced in our country seriously." Congressman Bradley Byrne specifically points out that Presi- dent Trump has been using executive orders to undo regulatory burdens caused by President Obama. "I know those in the con- struction industry have been especially hit hard by costly and unnecessary regulations over the last eight years, so I am excited we have a President who is so committed to getting the govern - ment off the backs of hardworking Americans and allowing them to focus on doing their jobs instead of having to comply with crazy federal rules." Adds Senator Richard Shelby, "While I firmly support the Presi- dent working with Congress instead of solely using executive authority, I believe that President Trump is using his actions to roll back the overreach of the Obama administration. Due to the damage that was done to our economy from excessive rules and regulations under President Obama, it is critical for this admin- istration and Congress to do all that we can to provide relief to American families, businesses and workers." A specific example Senator Shelby points out is President Trump's executive order regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline. "President Obama unilaterally blocked the project, which stalled thousands of jobs and economic development," Senator Shelby said. "I was pleased that the Trump administration in its first week put an end to the federal government obstructing this job- creating project." G OA LS With new leadership in place, there are many regulatory areas that state leaders are hoping to change and improve. Congressman Palmer is zeroed in on getting the economy growing again and get- ting people back to work. "I think we're on a pathway to do that," he said. "It starts with how we deal with health care. We know what we need to do. We must replace Obamacare, and we will. That will not only help people afford health insurance and put their health care decisions back in their hands, but it will also open up the job