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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 17 OcTOber 2017
Democrats seek tax relief for Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

By MARCY GORDON U.S. territories don’t enjoy ample, extend the earned package for Puerto Rico cratic Reps. Joe Crowley
AP Business Writer the same benefits as those income tax credit for low- and the U.S. Virgin Islands. and Nydia Velazquez, both
WASHINGTON (AP) — A in the mainland. to moderate-income work- But that relief was “paltry” of New York.
group of Democratic law- The lawmakers are asking ers to Puerto Rico and in- for the territories’ residents The request comes as Con-
makers are asking for tax Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, crease the amounts paid “given that they are not gress prepares to craft into
relief for hurricane-stricken head of the tax-writing under the low-income able to avail themselves of legislation a nearly $6 trillion
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Vir- House Ways and Means housing tax credit. some of the tax benefits we tax overhaul plan pushed
gin Islands, saying people Committee, to work on leg- The House last week passed typically provide,” said the by President Donald Trump
and businesses in the two islation that would, for ex- a $36.5 billion disaster aid lawmakers led by Demo- and GOP leaders.q

Trump, McConnell: No matter what people say, we’re friends

By ERICA WERNER cans whom McConnell has
Associated Press pledged to defend.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Don- “Some of the people that
ald Trump and Mitch Mc- he may be looking at, I’m
Connell reaffirmed their al- going to see if we talk him
liance of necessity Monday out of that, because frank-
in a raucous Rose Garden ly, they’re great people,”
news conference that also Trump said.
underscored their sharp That represented a nota-
differences. The garrulous ble shift from just a couple
president claimed they hours earlier, when Trump
were longtime friends now had praised Bannon at a
closer than ever; the re- Cabinet meeting without
served Senate Republican suggesting he might step
leader allowed that they in to protect incumbent
share goals and speak of- Republicans like John Bar-
ten. rasso of Wyoming or Deb
It was a spectacle that Fischer of Nebraska, both
mesmerized Washington, of whom Bannon named
as Trump and McConnell in a threatening speech
appeared side by side for over the weekend. Trump’s
more than a half hour, the change in tone suggested
president tossing off an- that McConnell, whose al-
swers — sometimes mini- lies regularly do battle with
speeches — on all topics President Donald Trump answers questions with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Bannon, might have talked
while McConnell, disci- in the Rose Garden after their meeting at the White House, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, in Washington. Trump into intervening.
plined as always, delivered (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) “Just so you understand,
brief, scholarly explana- backtracking on that asser- president proclaimed as senator seconded the pres- the Republican Party is
tions about the legislative tion when pressed. He also McConnell grinned stiffly ident’s latest views. very, very unified,” Trump
process and the risks to noted, as he often does, at his side. “My relationship “Contrary to what some of insisted.
their party of nominating that he won the presiden- with this gentleman is out- you may have reported, McConnell took the op-
candidates who can’t win. tial election last fall, and he standing.” we are together, totally, portunity to lay out, for the
At various points, the presi- implored Hillary Clinton to Trump spent August assail- on this agenda to move public and for the audi-
dent denounced the Rus- run again. ing McConnell for his in- America forward,” McCon- ence of one standing be-
sia-Trump campaign inves- In front of a hastily assem- ability to pass legislation nell said. side him, why he and GOP
tigation, lauded himself for bled White House press to repeal the Affordable Trump defended his former allies work protect Senate
his record on judicial nomi- corps, jostling each other Care Act, calling the failure top adviser, Steve Bannon, incumbents. He listed some
nations, argued wrongly on the lawn because there “a disgrace” and ordering who is now threatening conservative Republicans
that “it took years for the wasn’t time to bring out McConnell over Twitter to all-out political war on Mc- nominated in the 2010 and
Reagan administration chairs, Trump began his re- “get back to work.” For his Connell and establishment 2012 cycles, before ob-
to get taxes done,” and marks by saluting McCon- part, McConnell has com- Republicans, including in- serving, “They’re not in the
claimed that past presi- nell and, as he described plained that Trump had cumbent senators. But the Senate. And the reason for
dents hadn’t necessarily it, their longstanding friend- “excessive expectations” president also suggested that was that they were not
contacted bereaved fam- ship. for how quickly Congress he might try to talk Bannon able to appeal to a broad-
ily members to mourn lost “We’re probably now clos- could act. out of some of his threats er electorate in the general
service members — before er than ever before,” the Nevertheless the Kentucky against Senate Republi- election.” q

Firm behind Trump-Russia dossier balks at House subpoena

By ERIC TUCKER nas from the House intel- to the panel Monday that panel and signs its subpoe- with the firm — are com-
MARY JALONICK ligence committee, with a House Intelligence Chair- nas. pelled to appear before
Associated Press lawyer for the firm question- man Devin Nunes is acting Levy signaled that the com- the committee, they will
WASHINGTON (AP) — A ing the legitimacy of the “in bad faith.” pany won’t cooperate with exercise their Fifth Amend-
political research firm be- panel’s probe into Russian Nunes stepped back from the panel. He said in the ment rights and refuse to
hind a dossier of allega- meddling in the 2016 elec- the Russia investigation letter that if any of the em- testify.
tions about President Don- tion. after criticism he was too ployees subpoenaed — Fu- He also portrayed the sub-
ald Trump’s connections to Joshua Levy, a lawyer for close to the White House, sion GPS co-founder Glenn poena as an attack on
Russia is balking at subpoe- Fusion GPS, said in a letter but is still chairman of the Simpson and two others their free speech rights. q