Today in Trump: March 13, 2017
Today in the Trump Administration
Trump Schedule
President Trump is at the White House where he held his first cabinet meeting today.
CBO scores GOP health-care bill
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis of the Republican health-care bill Monday -- it says that by 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law.
According to the CBO analysis, the legislation would reduce federal deficits by $337 billion over the next decade, with the largest savings coming from reductions in Medicaid outlays and the reduction of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
HHS Secretary Tom Price said the White House disagrees “strenuously” with the report and called the finding that 14 million people would end up without insurance “virtually impossible.”
Trump on the Healthcare Plan
President Trump continued to make a push for the American Healthcare Act, the GOP’s Obamacare replacement. In a “listening session” composed of people who have complaints about the effects of the ACA, Trump compared Obamacare to the former president.
Merkel meeting postponed
A heavy winter storm expected in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this week prompted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to put off her trip the White House by a few days. The two are slated to discuss NATO, ISIS and the Ukraine conflict. Merkel was to meet with Mr. Trump Tuesday. Their visit has now been moved to Friday.
What you missed yesterday
Democrats blast Trump for firing U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara
Democrats are criticizing President Donald Trump for firing U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, saying it is a further window into the character of Mr. Trump and an effort to sideline critical voices in the judicial branch.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), who represents the state in which Bharara is based, said he was “caught off guard” by the announcement and that Bharara will be “sorely missed” in New York.
Rand Paul: Conservatives “not going to vote for” GOP health care plan
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) hasn’t been shy about his issues with the Republican health care overhaul plan -- and on Sunday, he said congressional conservatives are “not going to vote for it.”
“Right now I think there’s a charm offensive going on -- everybody’s being nice to everybody because they want us to vote for this, but we’re not going to vote for it,” Paul told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Paul said House Speaker Paul Ryan is pitching the health care bill as a “binary choice” between his overhaul plan and Obamacare as it currently stands -- and isn’t interested in negotiating with the more conservative members of his party.
Paul Ryan says he hasn’t seen anything to support Trump’s wiretapping claims
House Speaker Paul Ryan said in an interview airing Sunday that he has not seen anything to suggest former President Obama wiretapped President Donald Trump during the 2016 election -- but that what Mr. Trump tweets is “outside of [his] control” and that the congressional investigation will clear up the truth.
“That’s outside of my control, what is tweeted or what isn’t tweeted. We’re focused on health care. The president’s focused on health care,” Ryan said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “I think he’s frustrated with this whole thing about Russia. I think he’s frustrated with selective leaks coming from parts of government that malign his campaign.”
Putin aide says Russia is frustrated with Trump administration
The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin is expressing frustration with the inconclusive first two months of relations between Moscow and the Trump administration.
The election of President Trump, who had spoken admiringly of Putin and called for improved US-Russia relations, had raised hopes in the Kremlin. But Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says there are no signs of progress yet.
“Face the Nation”
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont; and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, appear on “Face the Nation” with host John Dickerson Sunday.
Lawmakers demand evidence for Trump’s wiretap claim
The House intelligence committee is asking the Trump administration for evidence that the phones at Trump Tower were tapped during the campaign as its namesake has charged.
President Donald Trump asserted in a tweet last week: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” He continued the allegation against former President Barack Obama in other tweets but offered no evidence.
Schedule
The president is at the White House.