Trump meeting with Republican leaders says welfare reform may have to wait
CAMP DAVID  Md. (Reuters) -  U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders  said after talks on Saturday that  they  would make an election-year push this year for an immigration overhaul and infrastructure spending but that welfare reform may have to wait for later.
 Trump  was joined for two days of talks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and other top Republicans to sketch out a legislative agenda during a year in which they will battle to keep the U.S. Congress in Republican control in November elections.
Taking questions from reporters after the talks   Trump  said  he  planned an active year on the campaign trail on behalf of Republican candidates.
“They want me to be involved  and very involved ”  Trump  said of Republican leaders. “We have to have more Republicans ... So I will be actually working for incumbents and anybody else that has my kind of thinking.”The party that controls the White House typically loses seats in the first congressional election after a presidential election  and  Trump ’s relatively low approval rating could increase the chances of Republican losses.
 U.S. President Donald Trump  speaks to the media after the Congressional Republican Leadership retreat at Camp David  Maryland  U.S.  January 6  2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Welfare reform  a priority for Ryan and other House Republicans  appeared to be waning as a  Trump  goal for this year.
 He  said “we are looking at it” but that the goal was to get a bipartisan deal on welfare reform. If that is not possible  the effort might be left to do later   he  said.
 Trump  called  his  top economic adviser  Gary Cohn  to the microphone to say  he  planned to stay in the administration. Cohn’s status has been in doubt since a tax overhaul was approved and his departure could rattle stock markets that have soared in recent months.
“Gary hopefully will be staying for a long time ”  Trump  said.
 Trump  said  he  also wants a bipartisan agreement on an immigration overhaul but the reality is that both sides are far apart on an agreement. Democrats do not want to fund the border wall that  Trump  has long sought and Republicans want any agreement to protect the “Dreamer” children of illegal immigrants to include increased border security.
CAMP DAVID  Md. (Reuters) -  U.S. President [TGT] and Republican congressional leaders  said after talks on Saturday that  they  would make an election-year push this year for an immigration overhaul and infrastructure spending but that welfare reform may have to wait for later.
 Trump  was joined for two days of talks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and other top Republicans to sketch out a legislative agenda during a year in which they will battle to keep the U.S. Congress in Republican control in November elections.
Taking questions from reporters after the talks   Trump  said  he  planned an active year on the campaign trail on behalf of Republican candidates.
“They want me to be involved  and very involved ”  Trump  said of Republican leaders. “We have to have more Republicans ... So I will be actually working for incumbents and anybody else that has my kind of thinking.”The party that controls the White House typically loses seats in the first congressional election after a presidential election  and  Trump ’s relatively low approval rating could increase the chances of Republican losses.
 U.S. President [TGT]  speaks to the media after the Congressional Republican Leadership retreat at Camp David  Maryland  U.S.  January 6  2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Welfare reform  a priority for Ryan and other House Republicans  appeared to be waning as a  Trump  goal for this year.
 He  said “we are looking at it” but that the goal was to get a bipartisan deal on welfare reform. If that is not possible  the effort might be left to do later   he  said.
 Trump  called  his  top economic adviser  Gary Cohn  to the microphone to say  he  planned to stay in the administration. Cohn’s status has been in doubt since a tax overhaul was approved and his departure could rattle stock markets that have soared in recent months.
“Gary hopefully will be staying for a long time ”  Trump  said.
 Trump  said  he  also wants a bipartisan agreement on an immigration overhaul but the reality is that both sides are far apart on an agreement. Democrats do not want to fund the border wall that  Trump  has long sought and Republicans want any agreement to protect the “Dreamer” children of illegal immigrants to include increased border security.