Today in Trump: March 17, 2017
Today in the Trump Administration
Trump-Merkel
President Trump meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House -- meeting at 11:15 a.m., followed by roundtable with Americans and Germans to discuss vocational training, and then a news conference at 1:20 p.m.
Merkel, Trump news conference - live updates
A joint press conference between Mr. Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to start around 1:20 p.m. ET.
During a meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office beforehand, the press had asked for them to do a handshake, and when Merkel appears to say something to him about a handshake, but Mr. Trump appeared to either not hear her or ignored her. The awkward moment started to circulate on social media. Watch the end of the video here.
MOMENTS AGO: Pres. Trump welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Oval Office https://t.co/nWZWthbgrj pic.twitter.com/9NNYHgxb4c
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 17, 2017
CBS News’ Emily Schultheis reports Friday’s meeting between Mr. Trump and Merkel will be watched closely on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly amid concerns that the new president’s “America First” rhetoric will reshape the longstanding close relationship between the United States and Germany.
Revised travel ban
AP: The government filed a brief notice Friday saying that it would appeal the Maryland ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
The ruling in Maryland and another in Hawaii earlier this week were victories for civil liberties groups and advocates for immigrants and refugees. They argued that a temporary ban on travel from six predominantly Muslim countries violated the First Amendment. The Trump administration argued the ban was intended to protect the United States from terrorism.
Republican congressman says Trump owes Obama an apology
A senior Republican Congressman says that former President Obama deserves an apology over President Trump’s unproven allegation that Trump Tower was wiretapped during the 2016 campaign.
“Frankly unless you can produce some pretty compelling proof, President Obama is owed an apology,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) told reporters on Friday when asked about the matter.
Laptop with Trump, Clinton information stolen from Secret Service
A Secret Service laptop with information on President Trump and Hillary Clinton has been stolen, CBS News homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues reports.
According to law enforcement sources, detectives with the New York Police Department are searching for the stolen laptop, which contains contains pages of important and sensitive information.
St. Patrick’s Day tweet
Happy Lá Fheile Phadraig to all of my great Irish friends!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2017
“The Takeout”: Rep. Mark Meadows on the fate of the health care bill
Watch “The Takeout” with Major Garrett and Steve Chaggaris on CBSN -- Fridays at 9 p.m. -- or on the CBS News app on iphones and android devices as well as Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Playstation, Xbox and Chromecast.
The fate of the Republican health care bill in the House could well be determined by lawmakers like Rep. Mark Meadows, the congressman from North Carolina who chairs the Freedom Caucus. That’s the group of around 30 of the most conservative congressmen in the House. For now, the caucus hasn’t taken an official position on the American Healthcare Act, but many of the members have made no secret of their opposition to the GOP’s bill, including Meadows.
Meadows wants some big changes to the bill put forward by Speaker Paul Ryan and supported by President Trump, he told CBS News’ Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett in the latest episode of “The Takeout” podcast. But he also said that he’s willing to compromise, in the interest of moving forward on an ambitious Republican agenda. House Republicans are in a hurry to get this plan passed.
“The pressure cooker is huge. The internal goal is to have it done by our Easter break,” Meadows said.
For more from Meadows’ conversation with Garrett and CBS News Senior Political Editor Steve Chaggaris, listen to “The Takeout” podcast, available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and CBSNews.com. And follow “The Takeout” on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @TakeoutPodcast.
Ryan, Price, Conway-National Review Summit
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway (8:20 a.m.), HHS Secretary Tom Price (12:15 p.m) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (11:10 a.m.) are among the speakers at the National Review Institute Ideas Summit Friday.
Tillerson in Asia
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Seoul and Beijing.
Recent Trump Administration News:
Trump’s budget blueprint
President Trump will roll out his first budget blueprint Thursday morning that would increase defense spending by 10 percent, funding for Homeland Security programs by 6 percent and dramatically slash funding to both the State Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The proposal, which will go public at 7:00 a.m. ET, will cover both the current fiscal year as well as fiscal 2018, which begins Oct. 1. It does not have the force of law, and is only used as a guideline for congressional appropriators who have the power of the purse.
Senate Intel: “No indications” of Trump Tower surveillance or wiretapping
The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Thursday that they had seen “no indications” that Trump Tower was wiretapped by the United States government during the 2016 campaign as claimed by President Trump.
“Based on the information available to us, we see no indications that Trump Tower was the subject of surveillance by any element of the United States government either before or after Election Day 2016,” said Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., in a short joint statement.
Obamacare repeal: What’s in and what’s out
House Republicans unveiled their long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act earlier this month, and like any plan that would affect roughly one-sixth of the American economy, it contained a lot to digest.
Adding to the complexity is the fact that the House bill will almost surely be significantly adjusted by the time it reaches President Trump’s desk -- if it gets to his desk. Republican moderates and conservatives in the House are already demanding major changes, some of which seem mutually exclusive, and that’s before the bill even hits the Senate, where a number of key lawmakers have floated their own versions.
Michael Flynn received nearly $34,000 to attend event with Putin
A House committee investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn revealed today that Flynn received tens of thousands of dollars in 2015 from RT, the state-run Russian television network.
Trump pre-St. Patrick’s Day schedule
Meets with Prime Minister Enda Kenny, 10:30 a.m.
Speaker Ryan hosts St. Patrick’s Day luncheon for Mr. Trump, Kenny, members, 12 p.m.; photo op 1:14 p.m.
Remarks at St. Patrick’s Day reception, 6 p.m.
Health care plan
House Budget Committee marks up American Health Care Act, 10 a.m.
National Review Summit: Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller speaks