Trump’s agenda slows to crawl

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump’s agenda has slowed to a crawl in Congress.

Daily distractions and a pair of major controversies in the past week are diverting lawmakers from their day jobs. While the Trump administration delegates many decisions on legislation to more experienced GOP leaders in Congress, Trump’s low poll ratings and the turmoil at the White House are additional complications.

What GOP senators and House members aren’t doing now is passing major legislation, and it’s not just the marquee items such as health care and a tax overhaul that are dragging.

The Senate has no legislation on its agenda this week – business is instead limited to three low-profile nominations. The House – fresh off an 11-day recess – is devoting the week to mostly symbolic, feel-good legislation designed to show support for law enforcement. Another 11-day recess, for Memorial Day this time, is just around the corner.

Separately, a small group of Senate Republicans is meeting in hopes of finding a way forward on keeping Trump’s promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. But that effort appears likely to take several weeks – with no guarantee of success.

In the meantime, must-do legislation on the military, children’s health and a full slate of spending bills are all slipping behind schedule. Trump’s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is dead in the water after being rejected during negotiations on a catchall spending bill.