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News and updates

News and updates

Trump Won’t Prosecute Clinton

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Today on the MSNBC program, Morning Joe, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said that President-elect Trump will not pursue prosecution of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when Trump is President.  While on the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue the investigations, arguing that President Obama and the Clintons had used their influence to shape the Justice Department’s investigation. Additionally, during Trump rallies, it was common to hear the chant “Lock her up.”

During a 60 Minutes interview earlier this month, President-elect Trump said that prosecuting Clinton would not be a priority for his administration.

 

Trump First Day Agenda

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President-elect Trump posted a 2 minute 37 second video on You Tube, which is the first time he’s addressed the American people directly since the election.

Mr. Trump’s video included six calls for action on trade, immigration, energy, regulatory curbs, national security (specifically cyber infrastructure), and lobbying ethics changes, most of which have already been announced either during the campaign or the transition period.

Of note, Trump did not mention action on the Affordable Care Act, his proposed wall along the southern border, the tax code, or the Iran nuclear deal, all of which were central arguments for his election.

See the video here or below.

Thanksgiving Recess

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Congress is out for the Thanksgiving Recess. They return next week to address the CR, and what that should entail as well as the NDAA, 21st Century Cures, the Water Resources Development bill, and any other legislation they can possibly get passed.

White House Ceremony to Receive the 40th Thanksgiving Turkey, 1987
White House Ceremony to Receive the 40th Thanksgiving Turkey, 1987

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday observed on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving began in 1621 as a harvest celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians, and has become a time for families and friends to gather to reflect, to express gratitude, to eat lots, and to watch college football rivalries. Presidents pardon turkeys.

In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving. Subsequent Presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations, but the dates of the commemoration changed. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving In October 1941, Congress formally recognized the last Thursday or November as the legally observed holiday by passing H.J. Res. 41.

Happy Thanksgiving from Federal Relations!

Trump’s First Cabinet Picks Announced

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The Trump transition team has announced it’s first picks for the cabinet. 

National Security Advisor: Michael Flynn, Retired General – Flynn served as one of the Trump’s top confidants during the campaign, joining him during some of his early intelligence briefings. Flynn gained a reputation as a skilled but combative intelligence officer during his 33-year career. However, he was forced out as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. He’s expected to bring an aggressive posture to foreign policy matters, and is known for his hardline views on Islam.

Attorney General: Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) – Senator Sessions was one of Trump’s earliest supporters and served as an advisor on the campaign trail. He was first elected to the Senate in 1996, prior to which he was a U.S. Attorney in Mobile, Alabama, and Alabama Attorney General. He is known for his hardline views on immigration and his appointment has been criticized by some because his nomination to become a federal judge was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee some thirty years ago due to racially charged comments and actions.

CIA Director: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) – Pompeo serves on the House Intelligence and Benghazi committees. Prior to his election to Congress in 2010, he was an executive in the aerospace and oil industries. He served in the Army for five years and has degrees from Harvard Law and West Point. 

Trump is headed out to his golf course in Bedminster, NJ, for the weekend. He is expected to meet with Mitt Romney, education reform leaders Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos, and a number of other individuals. Next week, we expect the transition team to announce picks for Treasury, Commerce, US Trade Representative, Small Business Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and Social Security Administration.