Trump Signed 96 Laws In 2017. Here Is What They Do And How They Measure Up

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Updated at 11:02 p.m. ET

When President Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax cut bill on Friday at the White House, he made a bold claim — that his "legislative approvals" were off the charts. "No. 1 in the history of our country," he said, citing 88 as the number of bills he had signed into law.

The actual number of laws Trump signed this year is 96. His claim of historic achievement isn't accurate, either.

But that didn't stop him from repeating the erroneous claim Wednesday during a visit with firefighters in West Palm Beach, Fla.

"We have signed more legislation than anybody," Trump said.

He hasn't. In sheer numbers of bills signed into law during a president's first year in office (Jan. 20-Dec. 31), Trump is behind his six most recent predecessors.

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According to tallies by GovTrack, Trump also trails Nixon, Kennedy and Eisenhower.

In making his claim, Trump also boasted that he had exceeded even former President Harry S. Truman's record for the number of bills signed.

"Harry Truman had more legislative approvals than any other president and — a record long held," Trump said. "And we beat him on legislative approvals, for which I get no credit."

One reason he may not be getting credit is that, according to a rough estimate from the Truman Library, Trump isn't even close to Truman's record.

Three White House spokespersons did not respond to a request from NPR to explain which record Trump was referring to, given that he trailed so many of his predecessors in the number of bills signed into law.

In any case, tallying laws signed is not necessarily a good way to measure accomplishment.

Political scientists say a far better — though more subjective — measure is significance, because not all bills are created equal. For instance, "S 810: A bill to facilitate construction of a bridge on certain property in Christian County, Missouri, and for other purposes" isn't in the same realm of significance as "HR 3364: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act."

NPR analyzed all 96 laws signed by Trump this year, categorizing them. More than three dozen modify or extend existing law; 16 repeal rules and regulations using a process known as the Congressional Review Act; a dozen commemorate or honor people and organizations such as by renaming federal buildings; and seven provide temporary government funding or one-time disaster relief funds.

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"This tax bill is a big deal," said John Frendreis, professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago. "But I don't think anybody would regard anything else that has come down the line as a significant legislative achievement."

The 96 Laws Trump Has Signed

Takes action needed every year/basic maintenance governing (2)

HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017

HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018

Implements new policy (3)

S 1094 Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017

HR 3364 Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

HR 1 An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 [This is the GOP tax bill.]

Temporarily funds government, provides one-time disaster relief (7)

HJRes 99 Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes

HR 601 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017

HR 3732 Emergency Aid to American Survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Jose Overseas Act

HR 3823 Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017

HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017

HJRes 123 Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes

HR 1370 Continuing Appropriations Act, Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriations Act, CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act, 2018

Repeals rules and regulations (16)

These resolutions were passed through a previously obscure process known as the Congressional Review Act, which requires only a simple majority for passage in the Senate. Because these measures can't be filibustered in the Senate, they've been an easy way for Republicans, even with only a narrow Senate majority, to reverse Obama-era regulations that hadn't yet taken effect.

HJRes 67 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by qualified State political subdivisions for non-governmental employees

HJRes 43 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with title X requirements by project recipients in selecting subrecipients

HJRes 69 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Department of the Interior relating to "Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska"

HJRes 83 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Clarification of Employer's Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness"

SJRes 34 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services"

HJRes 4 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to drug testing of unemployment compensation applicants

HJRes 57 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

HJRes 58 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues

HJRes 37 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation

HJRes 44 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976

HJRes 4 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007

HJRes 38 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule

HJRes 41 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to "Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers"

S 496 A bill to repeal the rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration entitled "Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform"

HJRes 66 Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by States for non-governmental employees

HJRes 111 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Arbitration Agreements"

Encourages an agency or the president to try something new (13)

Reauthorizes or modifies existing programs/law (37)

Names something/sites a memorial/encourages flag-flying/makes a statement (12)

SJRes 1 A joint resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield

HR 1362 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic

HR 609 To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health care center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the "Abie Abraham VA Clinic"

S 305 Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017

HR 375 To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 719 Church Street in Nashville, Tennessee, as the "Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse"

HR 873 Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act

HR 2210 To designate the community living center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the "Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center"

SJRes 49 A joint resolution condemning the violence and domestic terrorist attack that took place during events between August 11 and August 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, recognizing the first responders who lost their lives while monitoring the events, offering deepest condolences to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed and deepest sympathies and support to those individuals who were injured by the violence, expressing support for the Charlottesville community, rejecting White nationalists, White supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and other hate groups, and urging the President and the President's Cabinet to use all available resources to address the threats posed by those groups

S 1616 Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act

HR 2519 The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

HR 2989 Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act

S 1617 Javier Vega, Jr. Memorial Act of 2017

Relates to personnel (6)

SJRes 30 A joint resolution providing for the reappointment of Steve Case as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution

SJRes 36 A joint resolution providing for the appointment of Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution

SJRes 35 A joint resolution providing for the appointment of Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution

HR 1228 To provide for the appointment of members of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to replace members whose terms expire during 2017, and for other purposes

S 84 A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces

HR 3110 Financial Stability Oversight Council Insurance Member Continuity Act

Legislative links and text via GovTrack