Alabama business leaders announce AlabamaWorks, new unified workforce system
Alabama business, education and workforce training leaders made a major announcement Tuesday at the RSA Center for Commerce in Montgomery about the state’s workforce development system. Together they will transform the state’s workforce development efforts into one unified system, AlabamaWorks, that will seamlessly link employers looking for skilled workers with Alabamians seeking jobs or job training. “The Alabama Workforce Council and our partners are focused on helping transform the state’s workforce system to dramatically improve the livelihoods for millions of Alabama families for years to come,” said Zeke Smith, executive vice president at Alabama Power Co. and chairman of the Alabama Workforce Council (AWC). “We are doing that today by providing a tool to match the needs of employers with job seekers across our state to grow our economy and raise the standard of living for Alabamians.” Tuesday’s announcement marked a major milestone in the unification of Alabama’s workforce system, bringing together key components of the K-12 and two-year college systems, state workforce training and placement services, and industry. “We didn’t want to settle for a mere touch-up. We called for a new identity, a new brand – recognizable, descriptive and effective,” George Clark, president of Manufacture Alabama and vice chairman of the AWC remarked. “And we needed everyone involved in workforce development – state agencies, education and the business sector – all pulling together in the same direction.” AlabamaWorks will more easily connect businesses with job seekers and help prepare workers by linking them to career and job training opportunities. Over the course of the next year, each of the state’s seven newly restructured Regional Workforce Councils will integrate its services into the new AlabamaWorks brand. Ed Castile, deputy secretary of the Department of Commerce and executive director of Alabama Industrial Development and Training (AIDT), said the backbone of AlabamaWorks will be the seven local Regional Workforce Councils, local Alabama Career Centers and the new AlabamaWorks website. “Our system is driven by local businesses and will therefore be responsive to the current and future needs of businesses in Alabama,” Castile explained. “Each Regional Workforce Council will be able to focus on the business sectors within its geographical area.” AlabamaWorks is the result of an ambitious, business-driven initiative and partnership between leaders in the private and public sectors. “Today is about a lot more than a new brand and new logo,” added Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “It’s about taking Alabama to the national forefront of workforce development so that every person in Alabama who wants to find a job can, and so that every employer that comes to Alabama will be able to hire the skilled workers it needs. We truly believe that we are building a system that will soon become a national model.”
Boeing announces 400 jobs coming to Huntsville, investing $70 million in Rocket City
Boeing announced on Tuesday that 400 jobs will be coming to Huntsville as the company looks to improve its efficiency. Boeing will make an expected capital investment of $70 million in the state by 2020. “Boeing has been a tremendous corporate partner, and we are thrilled to play an important role in the company’s ability to create greater efficiencies,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “It is Huntsville’s talent that will help Boeing meet the needs of the warfighter and, in turn, help secure our nation and that of our allies.” These 400 jobs will add to the current Boeing positions already in the Yellowhammer State and take Boeing’s footprint to just over 3,100 jobs in Alabama. “This only furthers their commitment to our region and once again shows that Madison County is perfectly positioned in every aspect related to missile defense, space and national security,” said Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong in a statement. By the end of 2020 Boeing will reduce facilities space by approximately 4.5 million square feet. Along with that, many positions in Huntington Beach will move to El Segundo, Long Beach, and Seal Beach in Southern California, with others moving to St. Louis and Huntsville, Ala. “In order to push ourselves farther and win more business, we need to make the most of our resources and talent,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO, Defense, Space & Security. “These steps will help us be a stronger partner for our customers worldwide.” U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said Boeing’s announcement is “a true testament to Alabama’s world class workforce.” “The company’s commitment to Alabama has not only made a lasting impact on our nation’s aerospace and defense capabilities, but also on our state’s economy,” said Shelby. “I look forward to the progress that will come from the additional jobs and investment in our state, and I am confident that Boeing will continue to build on its history of success in Alabama.”
Jeff Sessions seen as likely Secretary of Defense
The rumor mill is still swirling over what role Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions will play in the Donald Trump administration, though he seems increasingly likely to be the next president’s pick for Secretary of Defense. Sessions was the first sitting senator to back Trump’s campaign and has been one of the president elect’s most vocal defenders since endorsing him in February, a move that puts him near the top of the list for any cabinet position he desires. The third-term Republican senator has not said whether he wants to run the Defense Department, though he has said he would be “pleased to consider” a position in Trump’s cabinet. His background as Alabama’s attorney general could make him a contender for the top spot in the Department of Justice, and some say he may end up being Trump’s pick to head up the Department of Homeland Security, though insiders say the 69-year-old lawmaker is leaning toward Secretary of Defense. Session’s has advocated limiting military spending in the past, putting him slightly at odds with Trump, whose campaign platform included an armed forces buildup that could cost taxpayers an extra $55 billion a year. Still, Sessions is a trusted ally of Trump’s, and would likely get the nod over most other candidates for the position, namely former George W. Bush security adviser Stephen Hadley, former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent or retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Each of those candidates likely has their own drawbacks in Trump’s eyes: Talent’s late-filed endorsement of Trump was lukewarm at best, though it did praise his defense plans; Hadley’s position on the Iraq War is at odds with Trump’s; and Flynn would require a waiver from Congress to be eligible since he is not yet 7 years removed from military service. Whether Sessions becomes Secretary of Defense or fills a different cabinet position, his exit from the Senate would stir up Alabama politics and require Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint a temporary Senator and set special election dates to find a permanent replacement.
House GOP nominates Paul Ryan as speaker, with Donald Trump’s support
Speaker Paul Ryan unanimously won his GOP colleagues’ votes on Tuesday for another term at the helm of the House. He told fellow Republicans he had President-elect Donald Trump‘s support, and heralded “the dawn of a new, unified Republican government.” “It feels really good to say that actually,” Ryan told reporters. “This will be a government focused on turning President-elect Trump’s victory into real progress for the American people.” While victory was the GOP unifier, Democrats were verging on disarray. House Democrats abruptly announced Tuesday that they were delaying their own leadership elections set for Thursday until Nov. 30 to give lawmakers more time to process disastrous election results. It’s not clear whether the election delay might morph into a real challenge to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She has led House Democrats for more than 12 years and has consolidated support with strong fundraising and an ability to deliver votes, but there’s long been grumbling from Democrats who say new leadership is needed at the top. As for Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican still has to win a floor vote for speaker in January, when all members of the House will cast ballots, including Democrats. But he secured the nomination at a closed-door GOP conference vote Tuesday afternoon with the strong backing of his fellow House Republicans, even though a few conservative dissenters pushed unsuccessfully to delay the balloting. Those grumblings of dissent could hardly be heard over the buzz of enthusiasm as House Republicans convened for their first regular conference meeting since Trump won the presidential election. Even though a number of House Republicans, including Ryan, had opposed Trump or were critical along the way, most said they’re now firmly on board and prepared to try to enact Trump’s agenda on immigration, infrastructure, energy and jobs. Republicans also backed California’s Kevin McCarthy for majority leader and Steve Scalise of Louisiana for the No. 3 job of House whip. Lawmakers trooped out of their morning meeting in the basement of the Capitol smiling, pledging quick action to roll back President Barack Obama‘s accomplishments and clutching red “Make America Great Again” hats. “That was a nice fun touch. Now here’s my problem: Every member wants it autographed,” said GOP Rep. Chris Collins of New York, one of Trump’s earliest congressional backers, who has been tapped as congressional liaison to the transition team. “I’m going to have to say, ‘President-elect Trump, bring out your Sharpie, we’ve got to do a lot of autographing.’” During the meeting, Ryan told colleagues that he’d spoken Tuesday morning with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who said that he and Trump “are very supportive of the leadership team and are looking forward to working with them,” said Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. Coming after a campaign full of very public GOP infighting and clashes between Ryan and Trump, it’s “a validating moment,” said Lummis, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus. Republicans had widely been forecast to lose the Senate and suffer major losses in the House, but instead lost just two Senate seats and a half-dozen in the House, giving them full-scale control of Washington for the first time in a decade. For Democrats, ill-feeling was only magnified in defeat. “Everything’s not good. Business as usual is not gonna work,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. “This is about our constituents. Saying we have heard you. We have clearly missed the mark with regard to legislation and messaging.” For Republicans, though, it was heady times after they’ve spent years watching their legislative priorities get stymied, if not by Democrats in the Senate then by Obama’s veto pen. The situation also brings stark risks since Republicans will have no one to blame but themselves if they can’t deliver on Trump’s promises. Already GOP leaders and Trump himself have been shifting on some of his pledges, including the border wall and a full repeal of Obama’s health care law. Ryan refused to answer directly when Congress would go along with Trump’s plan to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure. “These are things we’re working on. … The point is Donald Trump wants job,” he said. Ryan also avoided a direct answer on Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon to a senior White House role. Bannon’s Breitbart website, which embraces white nationalist currents, has frequently singled out Ryan himself for attacks. “Look, I would just simply say that the president is going to be judged on his results,” Ryan said. “I’m not looking backwards, I’m looking forward.” In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats were meeting separately Wednesday to pick their leadership teams. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is keeping his job in a chamber that Republicans will control by 52-48. Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is retiring after a 30-year Senate career and will be replaced by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
2 of 1,100 Alabama wildfires under investigation
Alabama’s fire marshal says state officers are investigating two of nearly 1,100 statewide wildfires as possible arson. Fire Marshal Scott Pilgreen says a fire that burned 800 acres in DeKalb County is under investigation. So is a series of three blazes that burned 65 acres along Interstate 65 north of Birmingham last week. No arrests have been made. But Pilgreen says officers also issued a few misdemeanor citations to people who allegedly violated a statewide no-burn order during the drought. The Alabama Forestry Commission says about 1,100 wildfires have burned more than 12,500 acres in the last month. The agency attributes most of those blazes to carelessness, like people tossing cigarette butts on the ground. But a spokeswoman says the cause of most of those wildfires is unknown. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Hearing set on future of Gwendolyn Boyd as ASU President
Trustees at Alabama State University in Montgomery have decided to hold a hearing that could result in the removal of president Gwendolyn Boyd. The decision came during a board meeting held Monday. Boyd was suspended from work 10 days ago, and the hearing set for Dec. 16 will determine the next step. Board members complained that they can’t get information from Boyd. They mentioned a laundry list of issues on campus including prisoners being allowed to clean dorm rooms. Chairman Ralph Ruggs says he has lost confidence in Boyd’s ability to lead. Trustees hired Boyd as Alabama State’s first female president three years ago. She received a $300,000-a-year contract, and board members gave her a three-year extension last year. The provost is acting as president during her suspension. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
GOP governors gather amid push for ‘disruptive change’
The nation’s Republican governors are meeting in battleground Florida with an unexpected opportunity: a president-elect of their own party with political IOUs to pay, perhaps the projects the party’s heads of the states prefer. Donald Trump owes no governor more than Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, the onetime rival for the GOP presidential nomination who ended up endorsing the billionaire and whose state had been thought to be a Democratic firewall. But for the first time since 1984, Wisconsin voted for a Republican last week. When Trump won that state and Pennsylvania, The Associated Press around 2:30 a.m. EST declared him the winner of the presidential race over Hillary Clinton. Walker, the incoming chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association, said Tuesday that Trump’s election elevates “the possibilities in terms of what we can do to take power out of Washington and send it back to the states.” More importantly, he said on MSNBC, “back to the people.” What the people can agree on as a top post-election priority is fixing the nation’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure, according to a survey at the end of the election. Clinton and Trump voters polled on 13 issues after the election agreed on two problem areas – drug addiction and crumbling infrastructure in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. Walker said the federal government’s focus should be on “fixing and maintaining our existing infrastructure” not “grandiose” high speed rail lines, for example. During a speech at a Monday night reception at an Orlando hotel, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called on his fellow Republicans to help Trump bring “disruptive change” to Washington. For Scott, that means a complete repeal of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Scott, who has been vague about what should be done about the 20 million Americans who got health insurance through the overhaul, said “of course we will need to unwind in a fair way, but we absolutely must repeal it.” Those expected to attend this week’s conference include governors who had voiced differing opinions over Trump’s bid for the White House. Scott backed Trump right after he won the Florida primary in March and eventually headed up a Super PAC that ran ads praising Trump and criticizing Clinton. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, the nation’s only Latina governor, refused to endorse Trump before the election but did congratulate him after he won. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions: 5 things you need to know about Donald Trump’s closest congressional ally
President-elect Donald Trump is wasting no time in putting his cabinet together and Alabama’s own Sen. Jeff Sessions finds himself among the list of politicians the President-Elect is considering for a top post. First elected in 1996, the 69-year-old Senator is among the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate and a perennial Tea Party favorite. Here’s five things you should know about Jeff Sessions: Sessions was the first sitting senator to endorse Donald Trump during primary season Ahead of Super Tuesday and the Alabama primary, Sessions became the first sitting U.S. Senator to endorse Trump.”I told Donald Trump this isn’t a campaign, this is a movement,” Sessions said at a rally in Madison, Ala. Sessions acknowledged that “we don’t get everything we want” in a candidate but added: “At this time, in my best judgment, at this time in America’s history, we need to make America great again.” In May, Sessions said the Republican party must embrace Trump. “I think [Paul Ryan] needs to recognize, on some of these issues, Trump is where the Republicans are and if you’re going to be a Republican leader you should be supportive of that,” Sessions said on Politico’s “Off Message” podcast. Sessions has long-said a Mexican border wall is “an essential part” of fixing illegal immigration In the Senate, Sessions has long pressed for a crackdown on immigration, saying he’s opposed to any path for legal citizenship for undocumented immigrants and is in favor of Trump’s plan to build a wall on the Southern border.“The crisis at the southwest border highlights the simple fact that without barriers to prevent the illegal entry of additional aliens, the brave men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol simply do not have enough personnel to detain and deport all illegal border-crossers,” Sessions said eight days before Trump won the election. Sessions was a leading opponent of the 2007 amnesty bill and 2013 “Gang of Eight” amnesty bill. The Gang of Eight bill largely ended immigration enforcement, opened up welfare and citizenship to millions of illegals aliens, issued an 33 million green cards in a single decade, and doubled the annual flow of temporary workers to fill jobs at lower wages. Sessions has also been a leading opponent of President Obama’s executive amnesties, which gives jobs and benefits to illegal workers. “The most important thing is to focus first and foremost on a lawful system that protects the interests of the American people first. If you enter the country unlawfully you’re subject to being deported. That’s just what the law has always been. But we have large number of people that have been here a very long time,” Sessions said during a 2016 interview on “Fox & Friends.” Sessions served in the U.S. Army Reserves and believes in having a strong American military Sessions served in the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to1986 ultimately attaining the rank of Captain. He still considers that period to be one of the most rewarding chapters of his life.He’s a senior member of the prestigious Senate Committee on the Armed Services. He’s also senior member on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which oversees all U.S. nuclear weapons, missile defense, and strategic strike programs. In this role, he has been a strong advocate for protecting American security through deterrence and defense. As strong advocate for America’s military, Sessions has advocated four major defense installations in Alabama – Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville; Fort Rucker, near Ozark; Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery; and the Anniston Army Depot. Sessions is a lawyer by trade and served as Alabama’s attorney general for two years Having earned a J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1973, Sessions’ first began as a practicing attorney in Russellville, Ala., and then in Mobile, a place he now calls home. Following a two-year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1975-1977, Sessions was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama’s Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. In 1995, Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General, serving as the state’s chief legal officer until 1997, when he entered the United States Senate. Sessions is a staunch pro-life conservative who opposes same-sex marriage Sessions has been a consistent supporter of pro-life policies. He is an original co-sponsor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and believes that sanctity of life begins at conception. Sessions believes that a marriage is union between a man and a woman, and has routinely criticized the U.S. Supreme Court and activist lower courts when they try to judicially redefine marriage.
The next stage: Will anti-Donald Trump marches become a movement?
Demonstrators upset over the election of Donald Trump have marched in cities around the country over the past week, and some are making plans to be in Washington for his inauguration Jan. 20. But whether marches will become a movement is an open question. At this early stage, the protesters who have taken to the streets to brand Trump a bigot and a sexist and chant “Not my president!” appear to be mostly venting their frustrations and do not seem to have coalesced behind overall leaders or a common set of demands. Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin, who as an early leader of Students for a Democratic Society helped organize an anti-Vietnam War demonstration that brought thousands to Washington in 1965, said the anti-Trump protests by themselves “are not the makings of a movement.” “A movement requires that clusters of people take responsibility for creating vehicles that can carry through, focus energy, develop priorities, strategize, recruit, figure out how to govern themselves,” Gitlin said. For that to happen, a critical mass of protesters has to “transform their mindset from protest into successful politics, which is much less exciting,” he said. Gitlin said that means “dirtying our hands in winning local and state battles which are instrumental to changing the national balance.” On Monday, hundreds of students decrying Trump’s election walked out of schools in Denver, Los Angeles and Silver Spring, Maryland, after a weekend in which thousands of people demonstrated around the country and scores were arrested. Protesters threw rocks at police in Indianapolis and hurled bottles and other objects in Portland, Oregon. Marchers have also converged on Trump Tower in New York, the president-elect’s transition headquarters. Among other things, the demonstrators have condemned Trump’s behavior toward women and his stand on immigration and civil liberties. Ralph Young, a history professor at Temple University in Philadelphia who teaches a course on dissent in America and has written two books on the topic, said it is too early to predict what the marches might become. Once Trump becomes president and starts making policy decisions, that could crystalize opposition and focus people’s attention on certain issues, he said. If the anti-Trump demonstrations are going to become a movement, they also need leaders who can articulate their grievances, he said. That’s one thing the Occupy Wall Street movement against economic inequality never really achieved – a proper organization, Young said. Jamie Henn of the group 350, which organizes protests to fight climate change, said liberal activist groups are still scrambling to figure out how they will push back against a Trump presidency. “There is definitely stuff coming together and being planned that looks like the messy process of everyone and their mother throwing up something on their Facebook page,” Henn said. Henn said liberals haven’t seen the need for this level of mobilization since the run-up to the Iraq War. But activists remember glumly how little a dent their big marches against the invasion made then, and may use different tactics this time. Some groups are already trying to come together, though there are differences of opinion, said Greg McKelvey, a protest organizer in Portland, Oregon. McKelvey said demonstrators are trying to organize with counterparts in New York; Washington; Austin, Texas; Oakland, California; Boston; and a few other cities. Some activists want to prevent Trump somehow from becoming president, while others feel that’s inevitable and instead want to insulate their communities from his policies, McKelvey said. He said his group, Portland’s Resistance, aims to make sure city and state governments are working on issues such as limiting climate change, pushing for better health care and dealing with racial disparities in policing. Trump’s election has made activists out of people who haven’t been part of any organized demonstrations before. Olivia Antezana, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Maryland at College Park, had never been to a demonstration before creating and promoting a “Not My President” event on Facebook. By Monday afternoon, 18,000 people had indicated on Facebook that they would be going to the event in Washington on Inauguration Day. “I will say I certainly underestimated it,” Antezana said. Still, Antezana said she is not sure what she will do after the demonstration she is planning is over. She doesn’t plan to join a political campaign, she said, though she would like to keep up with activism. Right now, she said, she has another priority: school. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Fast-food fan Donald Trump could remake healthy school lunches
Will President-elect Donald Trump remake school lunches into his fast-food favorites of burgers and fried chicken? Children grumbling about healthier school meal rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama may have reason to cheer Trump’s election as the billionaire businessman is a proud patron of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s while promising to curb federal regulations. The Obama administration has made healthier, safer and better labeled food a priority in the last eight years, significantly raising the profile of food policy and sometimes drawing the ire of Republicans, farmers and the food industry. The first lady made reducing childhood obesity one of her signature issues through her “Let’s Move” campaign. In addition to the healthier school meal rules, the administration ushered a sweeping food safety law through Congress, pushed through several new food labeling regulations, started to phase out trans fats, added calorie labels to menus and suggested new limits on sodium in packaged foods. The White House has also fended off efforts in the Republican Congress to trim the nation’s food stamp program. “Food advocates are already nostalgic for the Obama era and will be playing defense for the next four years,” says Sam Kass, a former White House senior adviser on nutrition and personal chef for the Obamas. A look at some of the food regulations that could be scrapped – or tweaked – in the new administration: — MAKING SCHOOL MEALS GREAT AGAIN Trump himself hasn’t weighed in on school meal regulations. But Republicans, school nutrition directors and some in the food industry have balked at parts of the administration’s rules that set stricter fat, sugar and sodium limits on foods in the lunch line and beyond. While many students have now gotten used to the healthier foods, some schools still complain that they are costly and that it’s difficult to meet the standards. “I would be very surprised if we don’t see some major changes on the school lunch program” and some other food issues, said Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama, the Republican chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees Agriculture Department spending. Aderholt, who sits on Trump’s agriculture advisory committee, says the Obama administration’s approach was “activist driven” and people who voted for Trump are looking for a more common-sense approach. One of many names that have been floated as a possible agriculture secretary is Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner who repealed a state ban on deep fryers and soda machines at schools. Miller recently got in trouble when he used a profanity on Twitter to describe Democrat Hillary Clinton; he blamed a staffer and the tweet was deleted. — THE FOOD POLICE In September, the Trump campaign pitched rolling back food safety regulations in a fact sheet, arguing they are burdensome to farmers and criticizing increased inspections of food manufacturing facilities as “overkill.” The sheet referred to the “food police” at the Food and Drug Administration. The campaign later deleted the proposal from its website. Congress passed new food safety regulations in 2010, a year after a salmonella outbreak linked to a Georgia peanut company killed nine people. Michael Taylor, former FDA deputy commissioner for foods who oversaw the food safety rules, says it wouldn’t be popular with consumers to roll them back. “Consumers are only getting more focused on safety, health and wellness,” Taylor says. Trump himself is a self-professed germaphobe who prefers eating at fast-food restaurants because he believes they have higher food safety standards. — FOOD STAMPS Congressional Republicans have been examining food stamps since the program’s cost grew to almost $80 billion annually after the recession. Participation and costs have dipped since its 2013 high, but conservatives have suggested tightening eligibility standards or increasing work requirements. House Speaker Paul Ryan has for years championed an overhaul to the program. Democrats in the Senate have consistently objected to any changes to the program, and will still wield influence. But they won’t have the backing of a Democratic White House. — OTHER FOOD POLICY Many other laws are either already in place or close to it, including a revised “nutrition facts” panel on the back of food packages, with a new line breaking out added sugars, a labeling law for genetically modified foods and calorie labeling on restaurant and supermarket menus. In many cases, the rules are a result of compromise with industry. Kass says that pulling back may just create more cost and uncertainty for businesses. “Unwinding things is really hard, especially when most of them have been implemented and industry has moved on,” Kass says. He predicts most of the regulations will stay, but that there will be little additional progress. Ongoing administration efforts to reduce sodium in food and antibiotics in meat could be casualties. Margo Wootan, a lobbyist on nutrition issues for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says advocates will continue to be aggressive at the state and local levels, hoping change will bubble up. “The public is more interested than ever in nutrition and will continue to press companies,” she says. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
House GOP seems ready to renew Paul Ryan, other leaders for 2017
House Republicans seem ready to keep Speaker Paul Ryan and other leaders in their posts as a GOP exultant over Donald Trump‘s White House triumph prepares to push year-end bills through the lame-duck Congress and focus on a bolder agenda next year. As lawmakers returned for a post-election session, House Republicans were meeting privately Tuesday to pick their leadership team for the next two years, when the GOP will have unfettered White House and congressional control for the first time since 2006. Ryan, R-Wis., seemed on track to being nominated to keep his job, with the full GOP-led House formally electing the speaker when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3. Ryan faced dissension from hard-right conservatives wondering if he’ll be aggressive enough and Trump backers irked by his refusal to campaign for the GOP presidential nominee. But lawmakers from across the party’s spectrum predicted Ryan would prevail, aided by Trump’s victory and the president-elect’s selection of Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus, a Ryan friend from Wisconsin, as White House chief of staff. Priebus’ selection is “a perfect indication of our new president’s desire to get things done,” Ryan said Monday on WBEL radio’s “The Stan Milan Show.” Asked about people nervous about the election results, Ryan said, “I’d tell people just to relax. Things are going to be fine.” But some Republicans weren’t. “I’m not going to support anybody in leadership until they tell me how things are going to change the next two years,” said Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, a member of the tea party oriented House Freedom Caucus that helped push Speaker John Boehner into early retirement last year. Labrador said he expected Ryan to win the majority of Republicans needed Tuesday to be nominated. He said “the rub comes” Jan. 3, when Ryan will need 218 votes – a majority of the full House – to be speaker and avoid a damaging setback to a career path that many think includes a presidential run. With four races undecided, Republicans will likely have 241 seats next year. Democrats are certain to back their own leader, meaning no more than 23 Republicans could desert him. Another Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Trump’s victory helped Ryan “more out of the necessity of having to hit the ground running on issues that are important, that were campaigned on, than anything else.” Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., an early Trump supporter not in the Freedom Caucus, said he’d not decided whether to back Ryan. He said he preferred delaying the leadership vote because Republicans needed time to discuss campaign “divisions,” a seeming reference to their differences over Trump. Before adjourning for the year, lawmakers who have failed to make a dent in the year’s spending legislation will have to find a way to approve something so federal agencies won’t shut down on Dec. 9. Leaders also want bills approved speeding government drug approval and financing water projects, including money to help Flint, Michigan, clean up its lead-poisoned water supply. The House voted on minor bills Monday and the Senate was returning Tuesday. Lawmakers leave at week’s end for Thanksgiving break. Republicans plan a 2017 agenda headlined by repealing and rewriting Obama’s health care law, cutting taxes and curbing federal regulations. Senate Republicans and Democrats were meeting separately Wednesday to pick their leadership teams. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is keeping his job in a chamber that Republicans will control by 52-48. Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is retiring after a 30-year Senate career and seems certain to be replaced by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., plan leadership decisions Thursday. More than two dozen junior Democrats wanted a delay, saying the party needs time to digest last week’s election flop, losing the White House and gaining a disappointing handful of congressional seats. On Tuesday the House is expected to approve a bill renewing a decades-old Iran sanctions law, which supporters say would let the U.S. punish Tehran should the country fail to live up to the terms of the landmark nuclear deal. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
