Trump Tidbits
In break with Trump, EPA pick says climate change isn’t hoax
In response to questions from Democrats during his Senate confirmation hearing, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said he disagreed with Trump’s earlier claims that global warming is a hoax created by the Chinese to harm the economic competitiveness of the United States.
The 48-year-old Republican has previously cast doubt on the extensive body of scientific evidence showing the planet is warming and man-made carbon emissions are to blame.
Price tries to reassure on health care; Dems not buying it
Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., also told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that Trump is “absolutely not” planning to launch an overhaul of Medicare as he tries to revamp coverage under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. He acknowledged high prescription drug costs are a problem, but did not endorse the idea of government directly negotiating prices.
Price said he wants to reopen a bipartisan dialogue on health care centered on practical solutions.
Committee decisively approves Mattis for defense secretary
On a vote of 26-1, the Republican-led panel agreed Mattis’ nomination should be sent directly to the full Senate for consideration instead of first being referred to the committee. Although Trump selected Mattis last month, he can’t formally nominate him until after he’s inaugurated on Friday.
The move bypasses a procedural hurdle and all but ensures there will be a seamless transition at the Pentagon.
Anxious European leaders seek an early audience with Trump
One leader has raised with Trump the prospect of a U.S.-European Union summit early this year, and the head of NATO – the powerful military alliance Trump has deemed “obsolete” – is angling for an in-person meeting ahead of Putin as well. British Prime Minister Theresa May is working to arrange a meeting in Washington soon after Friday’s inauguration.
For European leaders, a meeting with a new American president is always a sought-after – and usually easy-to-obtain – invitation. But Trump has repeatedly defied precedent, making them deeply uncertain about their standing once he takes office.
From Wire Reports
This story was originally published January 18, 2017 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Trump Tidbits."