Friday, February 16, 2018

Honoring Their Memory; Tackling Difficult Issues

Honoring the victims in Florida 
President Donald J. Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation yesterday morning in response to Wednesday’s tragic shooting at a public high school in Parkland, Florida.
“Our Nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones,” the President wrote. As a mark of solemn respect for the victims, he ordered the United States flag to be flown at half-staff at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, all military posts and naval stations, and upon all naval vessels stationed throughout the United States and its territories.
President Trump addressed the Nation shortly before 11:30 a.m. yesterday to explain the Administration’s response. “Our Administration is working closely with local authorities to investigate the shooting and learn everything we can,” he said. “We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.”

The flag is to remain at half-staff until sunset on February 19.

Americans are not divided on immigration 
The Schumer Democrats in Congress are trying to convince Americans that the country is deeply divided on immigration reform. Outside the Beltway, the numbers tell an entirely different story.
According to a recent CBS poll, nearly three-quarters of voters favor President Trump’s Immigration Reform and Border Security Framework. The core principles of that framework include 1) securing the border; 2) providing legal status for DACA-eligible immigrants; 3) protecting the nuclear families of immigrants; and 4) eliminating the Visa Lottery and replacing it with a system that prioritizes merit and public safety.
The CBS poll is no outlier. Polls from Harvard Harris (January 2018), Pulse Opinion Research (August 2017), and America First Policies (August 2017) all point to the same conclusion: Americans are more than ready for an immigration system that puts the national interest first once and for all.
Will our leaders in Congress listen?

The bottom line: Americans overwhelmingly support President Trump’s commonsense immigration plan. 

On tax reform, the good news keeps rolling in 
The American people overwhelmingly support taking action to rebuild our Nation’s infrastructure—and that support spans across the partisan divide:
  • “America’s infrastructure is falling behind other nations, and it’s costing us jobs, compromising safety, and constraining economic growth,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said in 2015.
  • “Real action to streamline the permitting process will help jumpstart projects that are vital to our communities and our economy,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) says.
  • “It should never take more than two years to complete all federal permits required for an infrastructure project,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argues.
  • The general public agrees with these views. In a September 2017 Harvard-Harris poll, an overwhelming 84 percent of those polled believe that America needs an investment in infrastructure. Business leaders feel even more strongly: 89 percent of business owners surveyed believe infrastructure investments will improve the U.S. economy. 

Read more: Republicans and Democrats both agree it’s time to fix America’s infrastructure. 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

President Donald J. Trump addresses the nation after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School  | February 15, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

POTUS TODAY

This morning, President Trump will receive a briefing on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy. Later, the President will sign H.R. 582, Kari’s Law.

This afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence will travel to Texas to participate in a walking tour of the Hidalgo Texas Port of Entry and a roundtable discussion on immigration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Later, the Vice President and Second Lady will participate in a boat tour of the U.S.-Mexico border on the Rio Grande and a walking tour along a bollard wall.

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