WASHINGTON — With Donald Trump’s election victory all eyes are on how much his promises of sweeping action in a second administration will come to fruition. At the same time, North America’s two major RV trade associations have each issued statements, pledging to work with the with the new administration to seek ways to advance industry objectives and address certain lingering issues.
“With Donald Trump set to return to the White House and a new Congress taking office in January, there will be fresh opportunities to foster growth within the RV industry and encourage more Americans to explore the great outdoors through RV travel,” stated the RV Dealers Association (RVDA). “RVDA and its allies will urge the new administration and Congress to prioritize the passage of the Travel Trailer & Camper Tax Parity Act, fixing the unfair floorplan interest deduction disadvantage faced by some RV dealers who sell non-motorized travel trailers.
“RVDA has developed extensive talking points on the Travel Trailer & Camper Tax Parity Act for members to share with their elected representatives,” RVDA’s statement continued. “RVDA and its outdoor recreation business partners will also continue to advance policies that enhance access to the nation’s public lands.”
For its part, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) congratulates President-elect Trump on his election victory.
“We are prepared to work with the new administration and Congress to ensure that the needs of the RV industry, our members, and the millions of RVers across the country are well represented,” RVIA’s statement said. “We look forward to the opportunity to continue building on the productive relationship we developed with the first Trump administration, which was instrumental in addressing key issues impacting our industry, including the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. We are committed to collaborating with the incoming administration and with Congress to support American manufacturing, further strengthen the economy, boost outdoor recreation, and promote the growth and vitality of the RV lifestyle nationwide.”
Meanwhile, the nation will now wait and see how much of Trump’s campaign promises will be enacted. The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details, according to an Associated Press report, but through more than a year of policy pronouncements and written statements outlined a wide-ranging agenda that blends traditional conservative approaches to taxes, regulation and cultural issues with a more populist bent on trade and a shift in America’s international role.
Trump’s agenda also would scale back federal government efforts on civil rights and expand presidential powers.
A look at what Trump has proposed:
Taxes
Trump’s tax policies broadly tilt toward corporations and wealthier Americans. That’s mostly due to his promise to extend his 2017 tax overhaul, with a few notable changes that include lowering the corporate income tax rate to 15% from the current 21%. That also involves rolling back Democratic President Joe Biden’s income tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans and scrapping Inflation Reduction Act levies that finance energy measures intended to combat climate change.
Those policies notwithstanding, Trump has put more emphasis on new proposals aimed at working- and middle class Americans: exempting earned tips, Social Security wages and overtime wages from income taxes. It’s noteworthy, however, that his proposal on tips, depending on how Congress might write it, could give a back-door tax break to top wage earners by allowing them to reclassify some of their pay as tip income — a prospect that at its most extreme could see hedge-fund managers or top-flight attorneys taking advantage of a policy that Trump frames as being designed for restaurant servers, bartenders and other service workers.
Tariffs & Trade
Trump’s posture on international trade is to distrust world markets as harmful to American interests. He proposes tariffs of 10% to 20% on foreign goods — and in some speeches has mentioned even higher percentages. He promises to reinstitute an August 2020 executive order requiring that the Food and Drug Administration buy “essential” medications only from U.S. companies. He pledges to block purchases of “any vital infrastructure” in the U.S. by Chinese buyers.
Workers’ rights
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance framed their ticket as favoring America’s workers. But Trump could make it harder for workers to unionize. In discussing auto workers, Trump focused almost exclusively on Biden’s push toward electric vehicles. When he mentioned unions, it was often to lump “the union bosses and CEOs” together as complicit in “this disastrous electric car scheme.” In an Oct. 23, 2023, statement, Trump said of United Auto Workers, “I’m telling you, you shouldn’t pay those dues.”
Click here to read the full AP article, which also touches on Immigration, abortion; DEI, LGBTQ and civil rights; regulation, federal bureaucracy and presidential power; education; Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; Affordable Care Act and Health Care; climate and energy; and national defense and America’s role in the world.
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