The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump signs exec actions on trade, abortion, hiring freeze | Rubio to back State pick | Spicer, press gear up for first briefing | Behind-the-scenes drama over CIA pick | National Pie Day 

BREAKING — THIS BETTER NOT AFFECT MY AVOCADO ACCESS 😉 President Trump signed an executive order today announcing his plan to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. What else?: Via CNBC, Trump plans to renegotiate a free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Did we see this coming: Yes, eliminating the North American Free Trade Agreement was a frequent campaign promise from Trump. http://bit.ly/2jJ2P8i

Keep in mind: Congress never ratified the TPP — President Obama had hoped to push it through before leaving office.

JUST LIKE A LOCAL FURNITURE COMMERCIAL — SLASH THIS, SLASH THAT, AND SLASH THOSE PRICES!: President Trump vowed to slash taxes for U.S. companies as long as they keep their operations within the United States during a Monday meeting with business leaders. “We’re trying to get it down anywhere from 15 to 20 percent, it’s now 35 percent, but it’s probably more 38 percent than it is 35,” he told a group of business leaders at the White House. http://bit.ly/2jigHrl

IT MAY NOT BE PRETTY THOUGH: President Trump may be headed into a big fight with Republican lawmakers over his plans for dramatic cuts to federal spending. http://bit.ly/2jU7bMg

ALSO BREAKING — DAY 1, MORE EXECUTIVE ORDERS: President Trump signed two other executive orders: one blocking foreign aid or federal funding for international nongovernmental organizations that provide or “promote” abortions. http://bit.ly/2jJIYFH The other places a hiring freeze on non-military federal workers. http://bit.ly/2jQSmcR

It’s Monday, D.C. has cleared out from the weekend madness and we’re back to our own, usual, daily chaos. *small chuckles slowly turn into sniffles* I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

{mosads}

BREAKING — GRUMBLE, FINE. SURE. SOUNDS DANDY: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) posted on Facebook that he will support Rex Tillerson‘s nomination for secretary of State. “I must balance [my] concerns with his extensive experience … it would be against our national interests to have this confirmation unnecessarily delayed or embroiled in controversy. Therefore, despite my reservations, I will support Mr. Tillerson’s nomination in committee and in the full Senate.” http://bit.ly/2jhKPTR

THROWBACK: Less than two weeks ago, Rubio called Tillerson’s positions on Russia “troubling.” The exchange was tense and awkward. Watch: http://bit.ly/2jJr9XH

SPOTTED: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has been spotted in the Manchester, N.H. airport waiting for her flight to Washington, D.C.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE CIA NOMINEE DRAMA: Via The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes, President Trump expected to have Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) confirmed as CIA director on Inauguration Day. Pompeo will almost certainly be confirmed, but partisan nastiness behind the scenes delayed the vote. http://tws.io/2jhzhzV Wow, this sounds tense: 

“[Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer told Sen. Tom Cotton that the Senate had never previously confirmed a CIA director on Inauguration Day and if Cotton had been around eight years earlier, he’d know that Republicans didn’t extend that courtesy for incoming president Barack Obama. ‘Eight years ago, I was getting my ass shot at in Afghanistan,’ Cotton snapped. ‘So don’t talk to me about where I was 8 years ago.'” 

SPOTTED: “[Tesla CEO and founder] Elon Musk walking in the West Wing here at the White House ahead of the 9 am CEO meeting.” (h/t CNBC’s Eamon Javers) http://bit.ly/2jT7SVW

 

TALK OF THE WEEKEND — WELCOME TO THE NEW ADMINISTRATION:

I CAN’T BELIEVE THE FIRST TRUMP NEWS CYCLE IS OVER CROWD SIZES…: Eh, no, maybe I can. Sigh. Anyway, the Trump administration disputed media reports of low turnout for Friday’s inauguration. Saturday, Sean Spicer held his first official appearance as White House press secretary, accusing reporters of making inaccurate claims, then took no questions. Press conference, shmress shmonference. Politico then fact-checked Spicer’s statement and reported four inaccurate claims in the 5 minutes and 30 seconds of speaking: http://politi.co/2jQNswz

LINE OF THE WEEK — ‘ALTERNATIVE FACTS’: Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump, then went on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to discuss the fight. “Conway … said the White House press secretary gave ‘alternative facts’ when he inaccurately described the inauguration crowd as ‘the largest ever’ during his first appearance before the press this weekend.” 

Notice: Conway even pauses with a small smile after she says “alternative facts.” Watch the back-and-forth. http://nbcnews.to/2jp5z9U

MUST READ — IF THAT WEEKEND IS A PREVIEW TO THE NEXT 4 YEARS, YOU CAN FIND ME SCREAMING INTO A PILLOW: Via The New York Times’s Peter Baker, Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman, even Trump’s top aides were troubled by his rocky first weekend. “The lack of discipline troubled even senior members of Mr. Trump’s circle, some of whom had urged him not to indulge his simmering resentment at what he saw as unfair news coverage. Instead, Mr. Trump chose to listen to other aides who shared his outrage and desire to punch back. By the end of the weekend, he and his team were scrambling to get back on script.” http://nyti.ms/2iVYL7e

INTERESTING BACK AND FORTH: Former George W. Bush’s press secretary Ari Fleischer and former President Obama press secretary Jay Carney debated current White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s first official statement on Saturday from the White House.

Fleischer: “This is called a statement you’re told to make by the President. And you know the President is watching.” http://bit.ly/2jJc4oQ

Carney: “Wrong. The President I worked for never told me to lie. Ever. And I doubt Pres. Bush ever told Ari Fleischer to lie. Today was not normal.” http://bit.ly/2kjJ8H3

Fleischer: “No. Not wrong. It indeed wasn’t ‘normal’, but the reason Sean said it was because his boss told him to say it. He didn’t wing it.” http://bit.ly/2k8eU6u

CNBC’s John Harwood then asked Carney and Fleischer: “What should a WH press secretary do if directed by his boss to say something untrue?” http://bit.ly/2kjHd5f

Carney: “Not an experience I had, but in your scenario the press secretary should decline.” http://bit.ly/2kjMNAu

 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

Mary McGill
The Trump Sandwich Special, spotted in Ballymote, Sligo. Side orders include ‘indigestion’ & ‘heartburn’. http://bit.ly/2kjGx01 

NYT’s Maggie Haberman
Announcers at an NBA game were making #SpicerFacts jokes this weekend. This moment broke through huge. And can’t be put back in bottle. http://bit.ly/2jpp1TE

 

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are in. President Trump is holding lots of meetings in the White House today.

1:30 p.m. EST: White House press secretary Sean Spicer gives the daily press briefing. Live-stream: http://1.usa.gov/1Q8xGab And it’s safe to assume that all the major cable news networks will air this live. 

1:30 p.m. EST: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) meets with women’s rights advocates after the Women’s March on Washington.

3 p.m. EST: Senate meets to consider Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) for CIA director.

3 p.m. EST: President Trump meets with union leaders and American workers in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

4:30 p.m. EST: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee votes on secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson. Live-stream: http://cs.pn/2j56Fqm

5 p.m. EST: The House Rules Committee will meet to discuss the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017. http://bit.ly/2iSblEx

5 p.m. EST: President Trump brings congressional leaders from both parties to the White House for a reception.

6 p.m. EST: President Trump meets with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

6:30 p.m. EST: The House votes on a series of suspension bills.

7 p.m. EST: MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid moderates a candidate forum for chair of the Democratic National Committee. All seven candidates will participate. Live-stream: http://cs.pn/2iVlP6m

Tonight: “Ryan hosting Pence tonight for dinner at Capitol. Also expected are top Trump aides: Priebus Bannon Kushner et al. Also HHS nominee Price.” (From Fox’s Chad Pergram) http://bit.ly/2jp7bR2

10 a.m. EST Tuesday: Senate confirmation hearing for Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) for Health and Human Services secretary. http://bit.ly/2kg2klc

10:30 a.m. EST Tuesday: The Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing on Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Live-stream: http://bit.ly/2iVx1zD

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Pie Day!

TALKED ABOUT — AZIZ ANSARI FOR THE WIN: This week’s “Saturday Night Live” was much anticipated after the newsy week. Comedian Aziz Ansari‘s opening monologue was what we all needed. Watch: http://cnn.it/2j5xAlI

And because you read this far, here’s a day-old baby sea otter floating around in the water. http://on.fb.me/1VM0sg8

 

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