Congress

Today’s GOP quote of the day comes from Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), who slammed the Trump Administration’s budget for the draconian cuts it’s expected to make. From Politico:

The $110 billion arms transfer to Saudi Arabia announced by the White House - possibly as much as $350 billion overall - raises questions that need to be answered.

This week, Congress returned from a District Work Period during which constituents made their opinions on TrumpCare known to House Republicans. 

Either Trump is oblivious to reports that White House chaos and incompetence are causing insurers to pull out of health care markets, or he just doesn’t care. Reports indicate that he is now saying he wants to stop cost sharing reduction payments, which would sow further chaos in the markets. From Politico:

Remember when we said that the uncertainty caused by the Trump Administration would undermine insurance markets? Well, it’s happening. According to the LA Times, health insurers are making plans to dramatically raise premiums or exit marketplaces. And who do they blame? Trump.

Wanted to be sure you saw this Bloomberg story about how Republicans might have to vote on TrumpCare again because they passed it without actually knowing what was in it.

The Trump-Mulvaney budget is not real. It is a pre-text, and does not come to grips with the challenges confronting America. It is an ideological document, not a document that will ever be utilized. 

I thank my friend, the gentleman from New York, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I thank Mr. Kinzinger for his leadership and as well his statement. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation which will impose tough sanctions on entities aiding the Assad regime in Syria.