President Donald Trump wants to spend more time with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan in the new year.
The three Republican leaders are planning a weekend trip to Camp David when the Congressional leaders return to Washington, DC — scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 6-7.
Trump was pleased with McConnell and Ryan’s efforts after the big win on tax reform at the end of 2017.
“Paul Ryan and Mitch — it was a little team,” Trump said during an event at the White House celebrating the bill’s passage. “We just got together, and we would work very hard … it was a lot of fun. It’s always a lot of fun when you win. If you work hard and lose, that’s not acceptable.”
Trump signaled that he wants to start rebuilding infrastructure in 2018 – looking for ways to work with Democrats as members of Congress face the midterm elections.
Ryan wants to focus on entitlement reforms, but McConnell wants to focus on infrastructure and revising Dodd-Frank.
Both McConnell and Ryan favor early 2018 legislation on amnesty for DACA recipients and they still have to pass meaningful legislation dismantling Obamacare.
Trump appeared optimistic about future endeavors with Republican leaders, despite a history frustration of dealing with the establishment figures in Washington.
When asked by reporters what he learned in 2017, he commented that he was pleased with developing relationships with both Republican and Democrat leaders in Congress.
“When I came, I didn’t know too many. I was very politically active but I didn’t know too many. I think the fact that I’ve become with friends with so many of the senators, so many of the congressmen and women, I think that’s a huge factor,” he said. “I can call anybody now. I know every one of them very well. And I understand the legislation very well.”
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