Look at what’s happening in America’s heartland

The White House • April 19, 2018 Driving the Day President Donald J. Trump will meet with the Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Florida, today. He'll say that to help the task force do its job, he is calling on Congress to close loopholes that allow drugs and criminals to enter our country. Look at what's happening in America's heartland America was founded because of taxes, rallying to the cry "No taxation without representation!" So when Americans elected a Washington outsider, Donald J. Trump, to reform government, the most sweeping overhaul of the tax code in American history was a natural place to start. Tax cuts are key to the optimism spreading across our heartland. Today, several Midwest states boast among the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Key industries in America's interior are thriving, with manufacturers anticipating their fastest wage growth in 17 years. "I ran on 'tired of being 50th.' And we're finally first in all kinds of things," Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) told President Trump this month. Here's why: Cutting taxes and red tape isn't about cutting services. In fact, it's the opposite. President Trump is streamlining government to make it work better for the communities who need it most. One recent example is the Administration's decision to expedite the environmental review process for major infrastructure projects. The President's plan is to expand opportunity in every part of the country. So far, it's working. The legacy of First Lady Barbara Bush Barbara Bush was the "rock" of one of America's most visible families. The mother of 6 and grandmother of 17 "kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end," former President George W. Bush said this week. "I'm a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother." Mrs. Bush's legacy extends far beyond her role as matriarch. She served as a trusted adviser to her husband, President George H. W. Bush, and she tirelessly championed the cause of literacy throughout her life. She attended more than 500 literacy events during the Reagan Administration—before she'd even become First Lady of the United States. She was also a bipartisan symbol of women's empowerment. When she famously wore fake pearls to her husband's Presidential Inauguration and other White House events, her deputy press secretary quipped it was because "she just really likes them." Polls showed that Americans loved her down-to-earth, no-nonsense style. Barbara Bush put "family and country above all else," First Lady Melania Trump says. Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan | April 17, 2018