MORNING MESSAGE
Workers Challenge Trump To Follow Through On His Promises
Speaking
at the New York Economic Club in September, Donald Trump promised that in his
administration, “Every policy decision we make must pass a simple test: Does it
create more jobs and better wages for Americans?” ... Trump has an opportunity
to show he meant what he said. He can make sure federal government contractors
at least stop stealing wages from contract workers.
TRUMP ATTACKS LOCAL UNION LEADER
Trump
attacks Carrier’s union head. NYT: “Chuck Jones, the president of United
Steelworkers Local 1999, told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the
president-elect had ‘lied his ass off’ when he claimed he had saved 1,100 jobs …
That was pretty much backed up by the chief executive of United Technologies,
the parent company of Carrier, who said on CNBC that he would automate the plant
and lay off many of the workers anyway … That, apparently, was too much for the
man who will soon lead the United States.”
“He
didn’t tell the truth. He inflated the numbers and I called him out on it,”
Jones said on CNN today.
“Trump’s
Carrier jobs triumph looks more like a sham every day” says LAT’s Michael
Hiltzik: “Trump doesn’t seem to recognize that one-off tax incentives are
mercilessly gamed by manufacturers … By showing himself to be a paper tiger on
international job transfers, he gave all employers a template for extracting tax
benefits by threatening to move across the border. And he offered carte blanche
for firms to play states off against one another in a quest for local
incentives.”
Alliance
for American Manufacturing’s Scott Paul lays out a real manufacturing agenda in
NYT oped: “First, we need to negotiate a new manufacturing deal with China
to end its trade war on the United States … Trump in his presidential campaign
said we needed at least $500 billion in new infrastructure investment. America’s
civil engineers would like seven times that … Third, tax breaks to manufacturers
for capital expenditures could help keep factory jobs in the United States …
Lastly, [embrace] ideas from Germany on promoting apprenticeships and other
vocational training…”
EPA PICK FACES FIGHT
Trump
picks climate denier for EPA. Politico: “As attorney general for a state
that is one of the nation’s biggest oil, natural gas and grain producers, Pruitt
has been at the forefront of lawsuits challenging EPA regulations on carbon
emissions and water pollution … Pruitt has questioned just how much temperatures
have risen, and has been skeptical that man-made greenhouse gas pollution has
had an impact.”
NYT
in 2014: “[There is an] unprecedented, secretive alliance that Mr. Pruitt
and other Republican attorneys general have formed with some of the nation’s top
energy producers to push back against the Obama regulatory agenda … Energy
industry lobbyists drafted letters for him to send to the E.P.A., the Interior
Department, the Office of Management and Budget and even President Obama …
Industries that he regulates have also joined him as plaintiffs in court
challenges, a departure from the usual role of the state attorney general, who
traditionally sues companies to force compliance with state law.”
Dems
prepare to fight Pruitt. Bloomberg: “Senator Brian Schatz, a Hawaii
Democrat, signaled Pruitt faces a tough battle. ‘We are totally mobilizing on
this one,’ Schatz told reporters in Washington, adding that he expects ‘it will
be extremely difficult’ for Pruitt to be confirmed.'”
Trump
slow in staffing sub-Cabinet appointees. Politico: “The slower pace of
agency-level transition efforts could have a real impact on Trump’s ability to
quickly tackle big issues such as Obamacare, infrastructure, and immigration
reform.”
TRUMP ROILS GOP ON IMMIGRATION
Trump’s
immigration comments confuse. AP: “…the president-elect’s advisers worked to
walk back his comments almost as soon as they were published, with one
transition aide demanding anonymity to deny that Trump intended to set any new
policy … Republicans who’ve supported congressional action to help immigrant
youths welcomed Trump’s new tone … For immigration hard-liners, on the other
hand, Trump’s comments set off alarm bells.”
Rep.
Steve King expects Trump to cancel DACA. The Hill: “‘Among all of these
dreamers, there are some awfully bad people,’ King said Thursday on CNN … King
said from listening to the president-elect’s campaign promises, he would expect
Trump on his first day in office to cancel the DACA program.”
Trump
to help student debtors? Bloomberg: “A Republican lawmaker who’s also a
senior member of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team … Representative
Tom Reed this week formally endorsed a law originally proposed by House
Democrats. Though a long shot, the bill would do more for America’s roughly 42
million student debtors than the one proposed two years ago by Warren, the
liberal firebrand from Massachusetts. Democrats didn’t quite know what to make
of Reed’s move. ‘Heavens, are you sure that happened?’ said U.S. Representative
John Garamendi…”
DEMS GEAR UP FOR OBAMACARE BATTLE
“Liberals
mount campaign to save Obamacare” reports Politico: “Liberal groups plan to
[share] the personal stories of thousands of Americans who would lose health
insurance … The campaign will detail how many people in each state would lose
coverage if the law is repealed, as well as the negative impact on hospitals and
other health care organizations … The Center for American Progress Action Fund …
has set up ACAworks.org…”
Health
bill clears Congress. The Hill: “The Senate on Wednesday cleared a $6.3
billion bipartisan bill to advance medical cures, the biggest healthcare package
to pass Congress since ObamaCare. The measure passed 94-5, with liberals like
Sens. Elizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposing it over
provisions on drugmaker incentives.”
BREAKFAST SIDES
“Portland
Adopts Surcharge on C.E.O. Pay in Move vs. Income Inequality” reports NYT:
“…the City Council in Portland, Ore., voted on Wednesday to impose a surtax on
companies whose chief executives earn more than 100 times the median pay of
their rank-and-file workers. The surcharge, which Portland officials said is the
first in the nation linked to chief executives’ pay, would be added to the
city’s business tax for those companies that exceed the pay threshold.”
Rep.
Ellison will resign if named DNC chair reports AP:“Aides and supporters of
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are searching for an alternative to Rep. Keith
Ellison … Hoping to assuage some of the concerns, Ellison said Wednesday that
he’ll resign his seat in Congress if he’s picked as chairman by DNC members at
the late February elections.”
Sen.
Harry Reid defense scaling back of filibuster in Politico interview: “… I’m
satisfied we did it … We got almost 100 judges approved … we saved the integrity
of different agencies of government … think of what our country would’ve been
without that … [The rule are] going to erode [further], it’s just a question of
when … changing the rules is one of the best things that has happened to America
in a long time.”
Democratic
millionaires look to emulate Trump. Politico: “In three major states with a
governor’s mansion up for grabs in 2018, a big-name, politically active
billionaire or multimillionaire is taking steps toward a run … In Florida, it’s
John Morgan … In Illinois, it’s J.B. Pritzker … And in California, it’s Tom
Steyer …[Already Democrats have elected] Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf — a
furniture magnate who funded his own primary effort — and West Virginia
Governor-elect Jim Justice — the richest man in his state…”
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