Trump to Address Congress Tuesday Night: What Lawmakers Want to Hear

Washington Examiner When President Trump gives his first speech to a joint session of Congress this Tuesday Republicans will be looking for him to do two things: talk about what he has done and what they will all ultimately do together. Thats the message from Republican operatives and lawmakers who are generally happy with the substance of the Trump administration so far but occasionally mystified by the style. They say the president has lived up to House Speaker Paul Ryans description of him as a man of action and wish he would talk about it more than past accomplishments such as beating Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College. It is truly an honor to be able to be part of this historical moment said Sen. Luther Strange R-Ala. the man who succeeded Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Senate. Like the millions of Americans who voted for real change in Washington I look forward to hearing President Trump talk about the actions he has already taken to secure our border repeal Obamacare and rebuild our military. Hes stayed focused on running down his list of campaign promises said Republican strategist Ed Pozzuoli. Theres nothing in his executive orders that is contrary to what he promised during the campaign. Soon Trump will have to move beyond his flurry of executive actions and engage the messy legislative process on issues such as repealing and replacing Obamacare tackling tax reform and creating jobs. With control of the White House and both houses of Congress Republicans have a chance to enact their agenda. The president has an opportunity to find common ground on key issues that unite the Trump coalition but also can reach out to disaffected Democrats and skeptical Republicans said Mike Duhaine a GOP strategist who advised Chris Christie. Those opportunities can be found in tax reform some replacement of Obamacare that doesnt result in people losing coverage and investment in infrastructure that will be supported by both business and labor. At the same time Republicans are nervous. They are facing a backlash at constituent town hall meetings reminiscent of the protests Democrats faced while passing Obamacare in the first place heightening divisions over how to scrap the healthcare law and replace it with a more market-friendly alternative. Republicans have tried to reassure themselves that they are encountering paid protesters and agitators from outside their districts who are being organized by left-wing groups. But many of them also have long enough memories to recall that the Democrats made similar claims about the Tea Party before losing the 2010 and 2014 elections. The White House through press secretary Sean Spicer has described the current shouting match as a hybrid of grassroots activism and Astroturf. This has Republicans looking for presidential leadership said a political consultant who works on GOP campaigns. Trump has never been precise in his language or overly interested in technical policy details but he has signaled to Hill Republicans through tweets and other public pronouncements that it is important to replace Obamacare quickly and avoid gaps in coverage.