| | | | Trump's tax cut 'plan' isn't really a plan | | Despite a positive public front, congressional Republicans are quietly voicing frustration that President Donald Trump's big tax announcement today emanated from a disjointed process -- and lacked crucial components necessary in the push to secure the first major tax reform in more than 30 years, per CNN's Phil Mattingly and Jeff Zeleny.
How the plan was presented: In a single-page sheet during a briefing this afternoon by economic adviser Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Aside from specifics on the tax cuts, the topline principles Trump is releasing leave out the important signs of actual reform, not the least of which include: how to pay for it, what's the pathway through the House and Senate, where the key players off the Hill that have enormous lobbying clout stand on things, and more.
The Trump administration has ruffled GOP feathers on Capitol Hill by getting in the way of legislators' efforts to fix the tax system. "It's not tax reform," said one senior GOP aide. "Not even close."
The truth is, Trump hasn't really done much in his first 97 days in office. Writes CNN's Chris Cillizza: "The single, large-scale accomplishment of the Trump administration to date is the nomination and confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Now, that is a biggie. Gorsuch will likely remain on the court for decades to come. But, aside from the court nomination, there's precious little that Trump has pro-actively accomplished on his agenda. ... Viewed broadly and without spin, Trump's first 97 days have largely been defined by often-frenetic movement with relatively few actual results or deliverables to show for it. Movement is a hallmark of Trump's presidential personality. To date, results aren't." | | "The President has no intention. The President has released plenty of information, and I think has given more financial disclosure than anybody else. I think the American population has plenty of information on his taxes." -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, making clear that President Donald Trump never plans to release his tax returns. | | | White House considering order to withdraw from NAFTA | | The White House is considering an executive order declaring the United States' intent to withdraw from NAFTA, though President Donald Trump has not yet decided how to proceed, two senior administration officials confirmed to CNN.
The real goal could be to trigger a renegotiation of the trade pact rather than outright withdrawal, the officials said. But Trump could also simply launch the US into renegotiations of the trade pact with Canada and Mexico without any executive order.
One senior administration official stressed that this is something Trump has "always been considering," and while the White House is currently considering an executive order, the official stressed a lot could change in the coming days. Trump has not made any decisions and a range of options are still on the table, the official said.
The number of US jobs dependent on trade with Canada and Mexico: 14 million, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. | | Health care update: Moderate GOPers under pressure | | | From CNN's MJ Lee: Moderate Republicans in the House are suddenly feeling a whole lot of heat. After weeks of hushed negotiations, GOP lawmakers this week touted a new amendment to a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare that was yanked from the House floor last month. That amendment won over the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which officially announced today that it would support the revised measure. What this means is that the future of the GOP's efforts to dismantle Obamacare now overwhelmingly rests with moderate Republicans. | | | Nearly every senator attended an unusual all-hands meeting on North Korea at the White House amid an increasingly tense standoff with Pyongyang. And they took buses to get there. Before boarding, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy spoke to CNN's Jim Sciutto about how he didn't know what to expect from the meeting -- and then photographed the inside of his bus and posted it to Twitter. | | 3 things you might have missed today | | | Government shutdown threat fades: The battle over a government shutdown appears to be mostly over for now, with the push for border wall funding sidelined and Democrats saying President Donald Trump's administration will continue paying for subsidies for low-income Americans as part of Obamacare. More from CNN's Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett and Lauren Fox. Trump admin rolls out immigration-related crime victims office: The Department of Homeland Security unveiled a new office called the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office, or VOICE, to focus on victims of crimes linked to immigrants -- the fulfillment of Trump's executive order on immigration. More from CNN's Tal Kopan.
Melania Trump celebrates her 47th birthday in DC: First lady Melania Trump, who is living in New York through the duration of the school year, spent her day at a luncheon for Senate spouses. More from CNN's Kate Bennett and Betsy Klein. | | | The new leader of the House Russia investigation asked House Democrats to cool their barrage of criticism as part of a reset for the House intelligence committee that both sides hope will hold. ... Here is a breakdown of the four committees investigating Russia's interference in the election right now. ... The US Air Force test-fired an unarmed long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon. ... Controversial (and currently suspended) Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore will run in the state's special Senate election for the seat formerly held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and currently occupied by Sen. Luther Strange. | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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