Obamacare Repeal Not So Simple
Republicans increasingly queasy about Obamacare repeal. Politico: "There’s definitely fear on the Hill. Congress has only been in for a few days, but the conversation on Obamacare has definitely shifted. It’s no longer a 'let’s-burn-the-joint-down' type affair. Republicans are now realizing how hard it will be to replace the law, and many of them have plainly settled on the fact that they will never be able to craft a plan to insure as many people as Obamacare does. Several high-ranking members of Congress in both chambers told us they are extremely aware that this is a political minefield, and they’re not quite sure how they’re going to navigate it."
Drew Altman, of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, explains what Trump voters want from health care, in NYT oped: "The Kaiser Foundation organized six focus groups in the Rust Belt areas ... asked about policies found in several Republican plans ... several of these Trump voters recoiled, calling such proposals 'not insurance at all.' ... They were also worried about what they called 'chaos' if there was a gap between repealing and replacing Obamacare. But most did not think that, as one participant put it, 'a smart businessman like Trump would let that happen.'"
Sen. Rand Paul opposes budget bill that would begin Obamacare repeal process. WSJ: "'I’m a no,' he said in a brief interview. 'It adds $9.7 trillion in debt over 10 years.'"
Another Goldman Sachs Pick
Trump picks Wall Street lawyer to run SEC. The Atlantic: "[Jay] Clayton is currently a partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell ... Clayton represented large banks, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital, during the financial crisis. He’s also represented large financial institutions looking to settle mortgage-related claims with authorities ... Still, it’s largely unclear what Clayton’s stance on rolling back regulation would be."
"The Confirmation Process Is an Opportunity to Expose Trump’s Big Lie" counsels The Nation edit board: "...probing the priorities and presumptions of these nominees ... will help expose Trump’s big lie—that instead of advancing new populist policies for working people, he’s bringing in billionaires and ideologues committed to the failed policies of the Republican right."
Trump meets with labor leaders. Politico: "Trump was not accompanied by any staff as he sat in his office chatting with Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel Trades Council, and Jennifer Cunningham, a Democratic strategist and former member of Hillary Clinton’s New York leadership council. (Also in the meeting were Vincent Pitta, a New York labor lawyer, and Jim Callahan, general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers.) ... some Democratic labor leaders in New York City were gripped with fear that the meeting only helped to normalize the president-elect at a critical juncture..."
Breakfast Sides
Schumer and McConnell trade words over SCOTUS. Politico: "The Senate majority leader latched onto Schumer’s remarks from Tuesday night that Democrats were 'absolutely' prepared to keep the current Supreme Court vacancy open. McConnell, who spent most of last year engineering his own blockade of Merrick Garland, was quick to criticize his new counterpart’s pledge. 'Apparently, there’s yet a new standard which is to not confirm a Supreme Court nominee at all,' McConnell [said.] 'I think that’s something the American people simply will not tolerate.' ... Schumer responded ... 'if they’re out of the mainstream, we’ll oppose them tooth and nail.'"
"Ford Motor Co. investment in US plant likely for robots. Bloomberg's Mark Gilbert: "The U.S. automaker says abandoning its Mexico plan and instead spending $700 million to expand its domestic operations in Michigan will create just 700 jobs. Even I can work out that's $1 million per new employee hired ... that feels like a chillingly low number of new hires for an investment of that scale."
Republicans forget about shifting power to localities. The Hill: "Republican state legislatures are planning so-called preemption laws, which prevent cities and counties from passing new measures governing everything from taxes to environmental regulations and social issues."
