With Eye On High-Stakes Mid-Terms, Republicans Decide To Rein In Ambitious Entitlement Agenda
After a weekend retreat with President Donald Trump, Republicans seem to have narrowed their focus for the year down to the basics. Although House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has previously announced that he'd like to tackle safety-net programs, others in the party have no interest in pursuing such issues during a campaign year.
The Wall Street Journal:
Republicans Scale Down Agenda For Safety-Net Programs, Health Law
Republicans are scaling back their ambitions to overhaul safety-net programs and dismantle the Affordable Care Act following President Donald Trump’s weekend retreat with GOP leaders, due to concerns they can’t muster enough support ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Instead, Republican lawmakers are likely to embrace a slimmed-down agenda focused on the basics, including funding the government, raising the government debt limit and striking a deal on immigration, according to GOP lawmakers and aides. (Peterson and Armour, 1/9)
Reuters:
Factbox: What Republicans Mean When They Talk About U.S. Welfare Reform
President Donald Trump had indicated he would like to rein in spending on U.S. social welfare programs to follow up on his 2017 victory in overhauling the U.S. tax code. Some Republicans, including House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, welcomed the effort. Others, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, indicated they are hesitant to tackle this politically volatile issue in a congressional election year. (Becker, 1/8)
