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(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

President Trump sought to repackage his hard-line campaign promises with a moderate sheen Tuesday night, declaring what he termed a new chapter of American greatness of economic renewal and military might in his first joint address to Congress.

Seeking to steady his presidency after a tumultuous first 40 days, Trump had an air of seriousness and revealed flashes of compassion as he broadly outlined a sweeping agenda to rebuild a country he described as ravaged by crime and drugs, deteriorating infrastructure and failing bureaucracies.

Trumps 60-minute speech touched on his plans to overhaul the nations health-care system and tax code, but it was short on specifics and heavy on lofty prose. Struggling to steer a bitterly divided nation with his job-approval ratings at historic lows, Trump effectively pleaded with the American people to give him a chance and to imagine what could be achieved during his presidency.

We are one people, with one destiny, Trump said quietly near the end. The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us. We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.

Trump extended olive branches to his opponents. He called on Congress to pass paid family leave, a reference to a long-held Democratic Party priority that brought liberal lawmakers to their feet to applaud. And he pledged to work with Muslim allies to extinguish Islamic State terrorists, going so far as to acknowledge the killings of Muslims as well as Christians in the Middle East.

Still, Trump did not back away from his most controversial policies. He used typically bellicose language to describe the fight against the Islamic State, calling it a network of lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, and men, women and children of all faiths and all beliefs. He made a point to utter the phrase radical Islamic terrorism, which Republicans cheered heartily.

[President Trumps joint address to Congress, annotated]

The president forcefully defended his travel ban of refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries an executive order that was halted in federal court as necessary to prevent the entry of foreigners who do not share Americas values.

We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America, Trump said. We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.

The president trumpeted his plans to budget a major increase in military spending. One of Trumps fiercest Republican critics, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), stood enthusiastically when the president said he would end the defense sequester caps on Pentagon spending.

On foreign affairs, Trump said he would honor historic alliances and explicitly stated his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, on which he had wavered during his campaign but said he would seek new ones as well, even with former adversaries. The latter seemed an indirect reference to potentially working to combat terrorism with Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded meddled in the November election in hopes of helping Trump.

America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where share interests align, Trump said. We want harmony and stability, not war and conflict.

Trump declared the time had come to rewrite trade deals and alliances in terms that benefit the United States, irrespective of global pressures.

My job is not to represent the world, Trump said. My job is to represent the United States of America.

Trump was adamant that the United States cannot continue to abide by what Republicans and Democrats see as free trade. It also has to be fair trade, Trump said. He cited Abraham Lincoln, who, he said, warned that the abandonment of the protective policy by the American government [will] produce want and ruin among our people. He said he would not let workers be taken advantage of anymore.

As is tradition when the president addresses a joint session of Congress typically known as a State of the Union, although the speech is not called that during a presidents first year Trump invited guests to sit with first lady Melania Trump in the balcony.

The nights emotional high point came when Trump singled out one of the nights guests, Carryn Owens, the widow of Navy SEAL William Ryan Owens, who died in a Jan. 29 raid in Yemen.

Although Ryans father has spoken out against the raid that killed his son, Trump said Tuesday night that Ryan died a warrior and a hero, with Carryn looking on with tears in her eyes. The audience stood with sustained applause. Trump peered up at Carryn and said, Ryan is looking down right now. You know that. And hes very happy.

Trump, as he typically does, basked in his electoral feat and cast his ascent to the presidency in epic terms. In 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feet, he said, saying that a rebellion that started as a quiet protest morphed into a loud chorus and finally an earthquake.

He said he was sent to Washington to deliver on the promises he made on the campaign trail arguably chief among them, to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump argued that everyday Americans cannot succeed in an environment of lawless chaos at the borders.

To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this one question: What would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income or their loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?

As he spoke, Trump turned toward Jamiel Shaw, a black man whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant. Shaw, who frequently traveled with Trump during last years campaign, sat stone-faced and then grew visibly emotional as Trump spoke to him and Shaw stood to applause.

On the seemingly intractable issue of immigration, Trump signaled he would be open to a reform bill though he did not state what terms he would find acceptable in such a compromise.

I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nations security, and to restore respect for our laws, Trump said. If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens, then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.

Trump said he supports a merit-based immigration system, such as those in Canada and Australia, that allow people to enter the country who can support themselves financially and contribute to society.

Trump challenged both parties in Congress to move quickly to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the signature health-care law of former president Barack Obama.

Obamacare is collapsing, and we must act decisively to protect all Americans, Trump said. Action is not a choice; it is a necessity.

House Republicans immediately rallied behind Trumps remarks, interpreting his words as an endorsement of several key parts of their own plan. In an email to reporters, an aide to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) wrote that Trump embraced the House plan and demonstrated that the White House and Congress are coalescing around a particular approach that includes individual health-savings plans and tax credits.

The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we are going to do, Trump said, calling for Democrats to work with him. He said he would ensure that Americans with preexisting conditions have access to coverage and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the health care exchanges.

Turning to the states, he said he would give governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out, a supportive mention of a program whose budget some Republicans would like to see pared back.

Trump also called for a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that he said would be the biggest program of national rebuilding since former president Dwight Eisenhower built the interstate highway system in the 1950s. Trump said his projects would be financed through a combination of public and private capital, but he offered no further details.

Trump was more somber than usual, toning down his bravado, but there were moments where he reveled in his celebrity. He glad-handed Supreme Court justices as he made his way to the rostrum and shared small talk with a reverential congressman, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.). As he left at the end of his speech, he paused to autograph books in the aisle.

An uncharacteristically disciplined Trump stuck mostly to the script running on his teleprompters, but he veered off his prepared text at times to make playful asides. During a discussion about taxes, Trump recalled his visit with Harley-Davidson executives and ad-libbed, They wanted me to ride one and I said, No, thank you.

Trump opened his address by noting the wave of anti-Semitic vandalism and threats targeting Jewish cemeteries, community centers and schools. We are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms, Trump said.

Trump plans to take his message to the American people on a traditional road show, like those his predecessors undertook to sell their agendas following major addresses to Congress.

On Thursday, Trump plans to give a speech aboard the USS Gerald Ford, a newly christened aircraft carrier in Newport News, Va., and lead a roundtable discussion with military officials and shipbuilders. And on Friday, he will visit St. Andrews Catholic School in Orlando to conduct what aides described as a listening session on school choice.

At a moment when more Americans oppose him than support him, Trump sought to sell the country on his vision for transformational change. He wanted people to imagine America on its 250th anniversary in 2026 following what he hopes will be a two-term presidency.

He said dying industries like coal would come roaring back to life, new roads and bridges would be built, and the drug epidemic would not just slow down, but stop.

Everything that is broken in our country can be fixed, Trump said. Every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find healing, and hope.

Abby Phillip and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.

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Trump gives his hard-line campaign promises a more moderate tone in address to Congress - Washington Post

Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said Monday that he could not get behind the Republicans current plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

Walker, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, which has 170 members, told Bloomberg that he would recommend that his fellow members reject the plan, too.

The bill contains what increasingly appears to be a new health-insurance entitlement with a Republican stamp on it, he said.

With the GOP-controlled Congress starting its third month of work on one of its marquee priorities, unresolved difficulties include how their substitute would handle Medicaid, whether millions of voters might lose coverage, if their proposed tax credits would be adequate and how to pay for the costly exercise.

VIDEO TRUMP TALKS CRAPPING OBAMACARE WITH GOVERNORS, LAWMAKERS

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office made their job even dicier recently, giving House Republicans an informal analysis that their emerging plan would be more expensive than they hoped and cover fewer people than former President Obamas statute. The analysis was described by lobbyists speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations with congressional aides.

For many in the party, those problems while major are outweighed by pledges theyve made for years to repeal Obamas 2010 law and substitute it with a GOP alternative. Conservatives favoring full repeal are pitted against more cautious moderates and governors looking to curb Medicaids costs also worry about constituents losing coverage. But Republicans also see inaction as the worst alternative and leaders may plunge ahead as soon as next week with initial House committee votes on legislation.

VIDEO: WILL 'NOW OR NEVER' STRATEGY UNITE REPUBLICANS?

I believe they have left themselves no choice. Politically they must do something, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican economist and health analyst, said Monday.

President Trump spoke about health cares complexities on a day he held White House talks with dozens of governors worried Republicans could shift a huge financial burden to the states by curbing Medicaid, the federal-state program that helps low-income people and those in nursing homes pay bills.

Trump also met with insurance company executives concerned that uncertainty about possible GOP changes could roil the marketplace. Insurers said they remain committed to working with the administration and the GOP-led Congress.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Monday that Republicans have yet to win any Democratic support for their effort and said the odds are very high Obamas law wont be repealed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Key Republican would vote against GOP's ObamaCare replacement - Fox News

Congressional Republicans came to town with an ambitious agenda and high expectations. But as President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first joint address to the House and Senate, that agenda has not moved as quickly as members or Trump anticipated.

The realities of governing, coupled with challenges brought on by the Trump administration, have thwarted an aggressive to-do list that focused on reversing many of the previous administration's actions.

Trump will take the podium with few legislative accomplishments. However, he is expected to tout his first month in office and promote his goals for the next year in what is expected to be a broad speech full of ideas but short on specifics.

Here's a look at where the Republican agenda stands in Congress:

With a Republican in the White House, the GOP-controlled congress was ambitious in a quick timeline to pass a repeal bill after six years of voting to do just that. But the process was dramatically slowed as some members expressed nervousness about repealing a bill without a replacement and disagreements emerged among Republicans about what a replacement should look like and how to pay for it. Now nearly two months into the session, Congress has yet to present a bill. A draft bill was leaked last week but Republican leaders caution that a new version could emerge. House Speaker Paul Ryan's latest timeline is the presentation of a bill before the full House the first full week of March - a date that is quickly approaching.

Republicans' next big agenda item is tax reform, but tensions have emerged early in the process between each body of Congress and the White House. Central to Speaker Ryan's corporate tax reform plan is something called the border adjustment tax, which taxes any product of good or part imported into the United States. Trump has signaled hesitation on the idea, calling it "too complicated," and Senate Republicans have no interest in what many say would make products more expensive for American consumers. Some have even said it would cause a trade war. The original goal for tax reform was late spring but a more likely timeline appears to be July, before the month-long August recess.

Reversing some of President Barack Obama's regulations is perhaps the biggest accomplishment for Republicans so far. Trump has already signed three measures, including one that rolls back environmental protections. The House passed additional measures that now have to be taken up by the Senate, including one that reverses the ban on allowing mentally ill people from purchasing firearms.

What President Trump wants to achieve

One of Trump's biggest priorities is infrastructure. Republicans in Congress, however, are less eager to spend a proposed trillion dollars on repairing the nation's roads and bridges. Congress hasn't addressed it and with little buy in from Congress, it could quickly be put on the back burner.

Congress is expecting an emergency funding bill this spring to begin funding Trump's wall along the Mexican border, which is expected to cost billions of dollars. Construction won't begin until the funding bill is received.

Because of Democrats' ability to slow-walk the confirmation process, Trump's cabinet is not fully in place. A handful of positions remain open and the nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andy Puzder, withdrew his name after ongoing scrutiny and concerns raised by Republicans. Because the confirmation process has been so time-consuming, the Senate has done little legislating other than putting Trump's cabinet in place.

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch is on his way to hold courtesy meetings with all the members of the Senate but he has yet to have his confirmation hearings, which are scheduled for March 20.

Allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. election and the resignation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn after questions about the content of phone calls with a Russian official has forced Congress to take up investigating the developments. It is an investigation that has expanded and is being looked at by at least five committees. While committees can focus on multiple issues at a time, it is using valuable resources and time and a constant story that Republicans are asked about when they'd rather be focusing their news cycle on their legislative agenda.

Excerpt from:
Trump Speech: Republican Agenda in Congress Makes Slower Progress Than Promised - NBCNews.com

Feb. 27, 2017, 4:50 p.m.

SenatePresidentPro Tem Kevin de Lenon Monday pledged a nonpartisan review intoactions taken last week byDemocratic leaders to removeSen. Janet Nguyen from the housefloor , saying he was troubled and unsettled by the tense events that unfolded.

"Members, last Thursday was not one of the finest moments of the Senate," he said. "As the leader of this body, I take full responsibility for what transpired and in making sure that it never happens again."

Republican lawmakers commended the statement. But they blastedwhat they described as the majority party's infringement of free speech. They demandeda formalapology for Nguyenandcalledfor the resignation of DeLen's chief of staff, who they said made inappropriate comments about the incident to the media.

Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), a Vietnamese refugee,on Thursday was escorted from the Senate floor by sergeants-at-armsafter shetriedto offer what she said was a different historical perspectiveon the lateTom Hayden and his opposition to the Vietnam War.

Reading a letter toSecretaryof theSenate Daniel Alvarez, Sen. Jean Fuller(R-Bakersfield), leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, called for a complete and transparent investigation.

Fuller saidNguyenspoke from the heart when she said Hayden's being honoredtriggered outrage among the constituents in her district's Vietnamese community, where memories of the war were still raw.

"Brutality of the Vietnamese Communist party continues to haunt the collective memory of the Vietnamese American community," Fuller said. The letter was submitted to the Senate journal through a unanimous vote.

Before the start of session, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle shook hands withNguyenas she entered the chamberfor her first time back since her ouster last week. Some Republican lawmakers embraced her and whispered words of approval and encouragement.

"Thursday's events were shocking and distressing," she later said. "But what happened today on the floor reaffirmed my faith in America's deep belief in the democratic process."

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Republican lawmakers blast removal of state senator from the floor, call for full investigation - Los Angeles Times

Over the weekend, Darrell Issa did something that no other Republican congressman has done.

Sitting for an interview with HBOs Bill Maher, the longtime Vista Republican said he believed that a prosecutor needed to investigate Russias involvement in the U.S. election and that Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who was involved in President Trumps campaign, should not be that prosecutor.

You cannot have somebody a friend of mine, Jeff Sessions who was on the campaign and who is an appointee, Issa said. Youre going to need to use the special prosecutors statute and office.

He backed that up Monday with a statement calling for a fully independent review of Russian attempts to interfere in the election, saying there is too much speculation and assumption.

An investigation is not the same as an assertion of specific wrongdoing, its following the facts where they lead so that American people can know what may or may not have taken place, Issa said.

It makes him one of the most prominent Republicans in the country to call for an independent investigation into what Russia was trying to do during the election and who knew about it, but the only one to call for a special prosecutor to do it. He added to his statement on Monday in an interview with CBS News, emphasizingthat no person is currently under suspicion, which is what would usually prompt calls for a special prosecutor.

Issas positionstill puts himat odds with Republican leaders in the House, Senate and White House, who have said there is no need for an investigation beyond the reviews currently taking place in the House and Senate and have not supported the idea of a special prosecutor.

There are a few reasons hes taking a stand now.

Issa finds himself in a classic electoral problem:The long-serving Republican congressman faced his toughest reelection fight in years in 2016, beating back a challenge by Democrat Doug Applegate by fewer than 2,000 votes. The tight margin, and the fact that the district went narrowly for Clinton, seems to have shaken Issa.

Issa is also known for his aggressive investigationsinto President Obama and agency officials as chair of the House Oversight Committee, and could truly be trying to be consistent under a Republican president.

Issa took his oversight role very seriously and very aggressively during the Obama years. Its reasonable that hed adhere to the same approach with a new president, said Dan Schnur, a political communications professor at USC.

Issas district stretches from La Jolla to Dana Point and has ticked slowly left in recent years. Voters there narrowly picked Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump with 50.5% of the vote.

His is one of seven California Republican districts Democrats have said they planto target. Applegate has already announced plans to challenge Issa again in 2018, painting a target on the congressmans back.

While Issas special prosecutor statement was the most dramatic, its not the only change hes made since the election. Hes also shown a softer, more centrist side. On Saturday, he urged his fellowRepublicans at Californias GOP conventionto do a better job listening to all Americans, even those who didnt vote for them.

Earlier in the week, when many Republican members were avoiding the swarms of anti-Trump protesters outside their offices, Issa joined protesters and supportersdemonstrating outside his office,answeringquestions on issues such as the future of the Affordable Care Actand listening to concerns for an hour and a half.

Hes smart enough to understand that he will benefit in his district by establishing some daylight between himself and the Trump administration, Schnur said.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow@sarahdwire on Twitter

Excerpt from:
Why Rep. Darrell Issa is breaking with his fellow Republicans on the Russian hacking probe - Chicago Tribune