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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 2 March 2017
Trump speech leaves GOP encouraged, but still divided
ERICA WERNER the government.” Those
AP Congressional Corre- were comments House
spondent GOP leaders interpreted
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- as an embrace of their
dent Donald Trump’s first plan to replace the Afford-
speech to Congress left able Care Act with a new
Republicans encouraged system built around refund-
and enthusiastic Wednes- able tax credits.
day, yet still confronting “That should be on the
thorny divisions on health (Senate) floor. And from
care, taxes and more. there we should build up,
Trump’s disciplined and and we should focus on
optimistic tone was what areas of consensus,” Cruz
GOP lawmakers wanted said. “We should not focus
to hear after a rocky first on ideas that divide us and
month that provoked daily pull us apart.”
anxiety on Capitol Hill with The stance adopted by
each new presidential Cruz, Lee and Paul pro-
tweet. Republicans wel- voked familiar backbit-
comed Trump’s presen- ing from other Republican
tation and his call for “a senators who fear that the
new chapter of American rebels could block action
greatness.” President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, given the GOP has few
“It’s just one speech, but I Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, as Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., votes to spare with a slim
think what we see is a guy applaud. 52-48 majority in the Sen-
who comes from outside (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image via AP) ate.
“We do have some prob-
the political process now lems with two or three peo-
weaving his way through ple on our side that make
into becoming an effec- it so if this becomes a par-
tive leader,” said Sen. Da- tisan vote we won’t have
vid Perdue, R-Ga. the votes,” said Sen. Orrin
Vice President Mike Pence Hatch, R-Utah. “So yeah,
said on MSNBC Wednes- it’s a problem, it’s a big
day morning that Trump problem.”
showed Congress and the Trump’s comments on an-
nation his “broad shoul- other massive legislative
ders, big heart, reaching priority, overhauling the
out, focusing on the fu- loophole-ridden tax code,
ture.” also did not appear to
And House Speaker Paul move the needle.
Ryan declared the speech A vague overture on im-
a “home run.” migration was welcomed
Yet even though Trump by some, yet with no de-
offered some specifics on tails provided its future
health care and appeared was cloudy. The president
to embrace a key element repeated his call for a $1
of a leadership-backed trillion infrastructure bill,
plan emerging in the but that could provoke a
House, his comments did confrontation with deficit
little to settle an extremely hawks and is on the back
difficult debate over Re- burner on Capitol Hill any-
publicans’ top legislative way given the enormous
priority. legislative lifts on health
“I don’t know that that was care and taxes that loom
his intent,” said Sen. Bob first.
Corker, R-Tenn. “But I mean And Trump’s failure to say
he gave the kind of guide- anything about Medicare
lines that I think most presi- and Social Security, the
dents give on issues like this massive entitlements that
and it’s up to us.” are eating up the bud-
As Republicans cheered get, left some Republicans
and Democrats sat silently complaining that he was
Tuesday night, Trump de- ducking political reality.
clared: “We should help “The president has a say-
Americans purchase their ing, ‘All talk, no action.’
own coverage, through His budget is all talk and
the use of tax credits and no action when it comes
expanded health savings to long-term indebted-
accounts — but it must be ness,” Sen. Lindsey Gra-
the plan they want, not the ham, R-S.C., told reporters
plan forced on them by Wednesday. q
