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U.S. NEWSFriday 2 February 2018
GOP legislators gather in search of winning 2018 agenda
By MATTHEW DALY and President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the 2018 House and Senate Republican Member ised, dubbing his record:
CATHERINE LUCEY “promises plus.”
Associated Press Conference at The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018. But amid the optimism
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, were nagging questions
West Virginia (AP) — Con- Associated Press about whether lawmak-
gressional Republicans in ers will enact immigration
sweater vests and fleece they got bigger items done bring projects in on time mark to Hillary Clinton’s changes or deadlock over
gathered at a West Virginia Trump’s calls for a wall
resort Thursday in search and that 2018 will be a time and under budget,” said 2016 description of his sup- along the Mexican border
of a winning election-year and a path to citizenship
agenda, facing the notion to deal with necessary busi- Shuster, who added that he porters as “deplorables,” for young immigrants here
that the best they have to illegally.
offer in 2018 may be a reci- ness, including spending brought up the “elephant” and Rep. Steve Stivers, Meanwhile Congress faces
tation of the tax cuts ap- a Feb. 8 deadline to avert
proved in 2017 and with the and immigration. Infrastruc- in a room full of Republi- R-Ohio, chairman of the another government shut-
threat looming of another down.
government shutdown. ture would likely require a cans: raising the gas tax to House campaign arm, said Senate Majority Leader
The legislators had forums Mitch McConnell prom-
on topics such as infra- sustained push from the pay for more highways. Pelosi’s words will be re- ised that wouldn’t happen,
structure, national security saying, “There’s no educa-
and the economy — but president. The message for Shuster acknowledged that peated in TV ads around tion in the second kick of a
noticeably not on immigra- mule.”
tion, the major issue that the midterms is expected a tax increase was a tough the country. Sen. James Lankford, R-Ok-
bedevils them. la., said he doubted there
They got a pep talk from to be the economy and sell in an election year but “Her ‘crumbs’ comment is will be a unified Republican
President Donald Trump re- approach on immigration,
living passage of the tax bill tax cuts. said public-private partner- something I think we can noting that House and Sen-
and highlighting other GOP ate Republicans have vast-
victories from his first year “Tax reform is working,” said ships such as those used by use pretty effectively,” Sti- ly different visions on the
in office. But the president bill. And while there was
offered no clear strategy House Speaker Paul Ryan, Connecticut at highway vers said. no formal immigration ses-
for resolving the immigra- sion on the agenda, Lank-
tion-and-spending stand- citing investments by UPS rest stops could be an al- Trump claimed his first year ford and other lawmakers
off that produced a three- said the issue has come up
day government shutdown and employee bonuses ternative. in office was “one of the frequently in informal talks
in January and threatens among lawmakers.
a second shutdown next by Lowes as the latest evi- Trump mentioned a “right greatest years in the his- “There’s a lot of dialogue
week. And he offered no happening in the hallway”
new policy details on infra- dence. Take-home pay is to try” bill to speed approv- tory of politics, in the his- on immigration, Lankford
structure, prescription drug said, adding that he hopes
prices or other items he’s going up, while consumer al of life-saving drugs, but tory of our country, for a the GOP will coalesce
mentioned as ripe for at- around a White House
tention in 2018. confidence is at a 17-year the plan received little or party, what we’ve done framework Trump outlined
As for an immigration strat- last week and reiterated
egy, Trump said: “We have high and unemployment at no buzz among lawmakers. and what we’ve accom- during his State of the Union
to get help from the other address.
side, or we have to elect a 17-year low, Ryan said. Besides tax cuts and the plished. I don’t think it’s Trump claimed that if Dem-
many more Republicans.” ocrats don’t agree to the
He then proceeded to Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., strong economy, Republi- been done.” immigration framework
take jabs at Democrats just he’s presented, it will be
days after calling for bipar- chairman of the House cans said they have a not- The boast brushed over a because they want the is-
tisan unity in his State of the sue to animate voters in the
Union address. Transportation Committee, so-secret weapon: House limited legislative record 2018 midterm elections.
Republicans appear head- “It’s now an election issue
ed into the year with the gamely told reporters that Democratic Leader Nancy beyond the tax bill. But that will go to our benefit,
idea that 2017 was when not their benefit,” he said.q
Trump’s history as a devel- Pelosi, who said the GOP Trump said Republicans
oper makes him the ideal tax bill would provide mere were unified like never be-
person to push a major in- “crumbs” for many taxpay- fore and claimed he’d now
frastructure plan. ers. fulfilled “far more promises”
“He understands how to Trump compared the re- than he had even prom-
