Here's How President Trump Will Impact New Jersey: A List

They're not predicting that President-elect Donald Trump will do the kind of harm that some predicted on the campaign trail. But the billionaire reality TV star and improbable election victor should certainly have an impact on everyday lives, analysts say.

Patch, with help from NJ Spotlight and NJ.com, has provided a list of the different ways the new president will have an impact on the New Jersey economy, health care and the rest:

Of course, Congress can also pass budget matters with a simple majority — as it did when it approved the Affordable Care Act in 2010. So it could repeal it the same way, some lawmakers say.

Linda Schwimmer, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, urged Trump to move carefully, according to NJ Spotlight. “They'll be hearing from all their constituents who previously were shut out of insurance coverage and having it literally change or save their lives,” she told the publication.

As an alternative to the ACA, Trump has suggested he would provide federal block grants for states to craft their own Medicaid programs, instead of the current system that is run by states but primarily funded and governed by a national program, according to the report. He also has said he would allow insurance to be sold across state lines.

According to NJ.com, health care premiums will be based on the cost of doing business here, which is higher than elsewhere. New Jersey lawmakers over the years have passed laws to mandate coverage of certain treatment: Everything from alcoholism and nursing home care in 1977, through second opinions in 1980, minimum hospital stays for delivering a baby and mammograms in 1991, according to the report.

Transportation

New Jersey is looking to do multi-billion transportation projects such as the Gateway tunnel, as well as Port Authority projects like a new bus terminal. Most of this will not be possible without federal funding, according to NJ Spotlight.

Janna Chernetz, senior New Jersey policy analyst with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, told NJ Spotlight the big issue to look out for is what happens to the federal government’s planned $24 billion Gateway tunnel project. After years of discussion, federal officials recently said the proposal to build two rail tunnels under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey with Manhattan would be eligible for billions in federal funding, as well as an expedited permitting process, according to the report. “I am keeping my eye on the momentum to get Gateway done,” Chernetz told the publication.

Trump has pledged to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, including its bridges and tunnels. Trump, however, will also be working with a Congress controlled by Republicans that could prioritize new tax cuts, and there are concerns that could make it harder for the federal government to generate the revenue needed to pay for major mass-transit projects like Gateway.

The economy

It’s very unclear how a Trump administration will impact the economy. Trump talked throughout the campaign about lowering tax rates and reforming trade deals. His proposals on immigration, health care and energy could also impact the broader economy. But right now, exactly how those campaign positions will translate into policy is unknown — as is whether New Jersey could ultimately benefit, according to the report.

Though property taxes are largely a local issue, federal policy can directly affect health care and the cost of doing business.

Meanwhile, more than 20,000 New Jersey businesses, supporting thousands of jobs, export products to countries around the world, according to The Courier Post. They could be wary of Trump’s positions on global commerce, most notably regarding China, which the state’s No. 1 foreign trading partner, said Rutgers economics professor Thomas Prusa.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is a central access point for Chinese trade — regardless of what direction the goods are headed, and $1.5 billion in exports to China last year originated in New Jersey. That translates to the Chinese buying the equivalent of $1 out of every $20 worth of Jersey-made goods, according to the report.

“Most of our trade policies are bound by agreements that Donald Trump can’t change without creating a trade war,” Prusa said told the publication. “Could he pursue this path with Congress? I suppose, but it would be terrible for not just New Jersey companies but everybody.”

Environment and energy

Trump has already picked someone who is considered a "climate change denier" to head his EPA transition efforts. The Republican often supported weakening the maze of environmental regulations and called for bolstering efforts to allow expanded exploration for oil, natural gas and coal, NJ Spotlight noted. He wants to scale back the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and kill its plans to combat global warming by ratcheting down emissions from the nation’s power plants.

In many ways, the battles a Trump administration wages with clean-energy proponents and environmental groups is likely to repeat many of the fights waged in New Jersey during the first seven years under Gov. Chris Christie, according to the report.

Education

Trump has laid out some broad positions on some of the issues important in New Jersey and elsewhere. He has shown disdain for the federal role in public education as a whole, suggesting the elimination of the federal Department of Education altogether.

You can read the full report by clicking here.