logo

Morning Report: July 24, 2017

image
Author: Jeff Powers
Created: 23 July, 2017
Updated: 21 November, 2022
2 min read

President Donald Trump is set to deliver a statement on health care at 3:15 p.m. ET.

Trump's statement will follow his participation "in a greeting with victims of Obamacare," the White House said in a news release.

The president commented on the Republicans' attempt to change the U.S. health care system in a Sunday Twitter post:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/889274373689028609

Last week, the GOP's effort to simply repeal Obamacare appeared to collapse after multiple Republican senators said they would not support the move.

That setback followed the replacement plan hitting a roadblock in the Senate.

Republicans hold 52 seats in the Senate, and passing a plan under budget reconciliation rules requires 50 votes, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a tie. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is away from the Senate recovering from surgery, so losing two votes or more will stall a Republican plan for now.

Small-business owners are launching a nationwide blitz with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to pressure Congress to pivot to tax relief after a frustrating summer of health care gridlock.

The group is armed with a survey showing that small-business owners want tax relief more urgently than a repeal of Obamacare, so that they can reinvest in their companies or pay down debt.

More Choice for San Diego

According to The Hill, a lobbying coalition led by Job Creators Network (JCN), FreedomWorks, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are planning to barnstorm the country in August.

Their goal is to force a pivot from health care legislation and to narrow ambitions from the complete tax code overhaul that has been favored by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort have each cut a deal with the Senate Judiciary Committee and agreed to negotiate with committee members to provide documents "and be interviewed... prior to a public hearing" in regards to its Russia probe, according to statement from the office of committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

Representatives for both Trump Jr. and Manafort did not respond to requests for comment from ABC, but previously said they are cooperating with the congressional investigations.

The announcement comes a day after senators threatened to subpoena the pair in pursuit of their investigation into Russian election interference. Both Grassley (R-Iowa) and committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) expressed confidence Thursday in achieving cooperation with the president's son and former campaign chair.

“I’m not concerned, because if they don’t they will be subpoenaed," said Feinstein.

On Wednesday, the committee invited the men -- who have come under scrutiny for their attendance at a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in which Trump Jr. believed they would receive incriminating information about Hillary Clinton -- to appear at a hearing next week and turn over documents related to their contacts with Russian nationals. They will not appear at Wednesday's session in light of their willingness to cooperate, according to an aide to Feinstein.

Latest articles

Vote
Leaders of Pro-Voter Movement for Better Elections to Meet in San Diego
The work to make elections better for voters never stops and no one knows that better than the organizations that put a historic number of systemic reforms on the 2024 ballot. And now, these leaders will gather in San Diego to plan for the future of this massive movement....
13 November, 2024
-
3 min read
money in politics
Maine Voters Reject Big Money in Politics Amidst Most Expensive Election Ever
The 2024 elections broke another spending record from independent political groups. Yet, amidst billions being used to influence voter decisions, Maine citizens voted to rein in this spending on Election Day....
12 November, 2024
-
5 min read
Arizona Government
Arizona Rejected Primary Reform in 2024, But Voters Don't Support the Status Quo Either
Election Day was mostly a rough night for election reformers across the board, from primary reform to new voting methods to gerrymandering. However, it would be a mistake to suggest that this means voters are okay with the status quo....
12 November, 2024
-
4 min read