By Bo Erickson and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump is expected to meet Republican U.S. senators on Wednesday, a Republican aide said on Monday, as the president-elect urges his party to combine his priorities into one massive bill.
The aide added that a time and location for the meeting were still to be determined.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after winning the Nov. 5 U.S. elections in which his Republican Party also won a narrow majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Republicans have been weighing a complex legislative strategy that could allow them to bypass Democratic opposition to boost border spending and extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are due to expire this year.
CONTEXT
The president-elect will be in Washington for the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. Senate Republican leaders extended an invite to meet him on Wednesday, Punchbowl News reported earlier.
Trump on Sunday urged his fellow Republicans in Congress to combine his priorities into one massive bill that would cut taxes, bolster border security and increase domestic energy production. He said Republicans could cover the cost – which could amount to trillions of dollars – by raising tariffs on imported goods.
Republicans in Congress were at odds over how to proceed with Trump’s agenda, with some warning of potential failure, even as Trump himself called for quick action to pass his priorities.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson; additional reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Michael Perry)
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