Trump cools to idea of taking on welfare programs seeing little chance of success in Congress
President Trump  on Friday walks from the Oval Office as  he  leaves en route to Camp David to participate in congressional Republican leadership retreat. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
 President Trump  has begun telling advisers that it will likely be impossible to advance legislation this year to reduce welfare spending and enrollment â a priority  he  previously embraced with the backing of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and a number of conservative activists.
In conversations with aides and outside advisers in recent days   Trump  has said  his  supporters would embrace the idea â but that it remains unlikely because the votes will not be there in Congress and it would be a difficult undertaking in an election year. Some Republicans want to reduce health-care  housing and food-stamp spending by making it tougher for beneficiaries to receive the dollars â such as through new work requirements.
But a number of White House officials and advisers have begun tamping down expectations for any overhaul of social safety-net programs  and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has told  Trump  itâs a nonstarter in  his  chamber because  he  would need the support of Democrats who oppose the idea  a White House adviser said.
The Washington Postâs Ed OâKeefe takes a look at President Trumpâs demands in the negotiation over a program shielding young undocumented immigrants from deportation. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Discussions about this yearâs legislative agenda began Friday at Camp David  where  Trump  is hosting a retreat with McConnell  Ryan (R-Wis.) and other Republican leaders  who want to hash out details of an immigration plan and a cohesive strategy for this year  when Republicans are likely to face a difficult political terrain ahead of the midterm elections.
 Trump  advisers are also looking for wedge issues that would force Democrats in largely Republican states to take âtough votesâ to make  their  reelection odds tougher  according to a White House official  and to build support for an infrastructure plan that could be difficult to pass.
 Trump  and legislators face deadlines on immigration and spending â government funding expires later this month  and tensions over what to do with âdreamers â immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program who arrived in the country illegally as children  need to be resolved by March 5. The two issues have become intertwined  but Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have made little progress on the negotiations.
At a private meeting at the White House on Thursday  Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) told  Trump  and fellow senators that Ryan wanted the Senate to go first on trying to pass immigration legislation and that the House would try to follow. Ryan has told White House advisers that the issue is âtoxicâ and he wants it done  according to two people familiar with the conversation. A senior House aide said Ryan would have certain priorities in any bill  as well  and was not entirely deferring to the Senate.
 Trump  has also told a number of aides and outside advisers in recent days that  he  is concerned Republicans will not support an infrastructure plan  even though  he  wants one and sees it as a good midterm election play. White House aides are trying to determine what a plan looks like and how to pay for it â possibly through state contributions or private-sector investments.
 Trump  seems more interested in infrastructure than other subjects  aides said  talking about building and  his  former life in construction.  He  often notes how much  he  thinks different things could cost â and how it would be good for  him  politically to travel throughout the country to promote new projects.
Another showdown could come over earmarks. The House Rules Committee will convene hearings this month on earmarks  House aides said. The hearings are not a sign of renewed interest from leadership in installing earmarks â spending designated for specific home-state projects â as a way to reclaim control over unruly lawmakers. Instead  they will fulfill a commitment by Ryan to some members of the Appropriations Committee who pushed for the limited reinstatement of earmarks when rules were set for the 115th Congress shortly after  Trumpâs election .
At the time  some rules changes pushed by the appropriators came close to passing  and Ryan had to intervene to shoot them down  pointing to how bad the optics would be to reinstate earmarks behind closed doors just when Trump was elected to âdrain the swamp.â The issue was put off but is now coming back up. Reinstating earmarks could be bad politics in an election year.
âThat would be a disaster for them if they put that issue on the agenda â said David McIntosh  president of Club for Growth. âThey were smart enough to avoid it in their rules session right after  the election . Now to come back to it would be a disaster.â
[TGT] on Friday walks from the Oval Office as   [TGT]   leaves en route to Camp David to participate in congressional Republican leadership retreat. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
  [TGT] has begun telling advisers that  [TGT]  will likely be impossible to advance legislation this year to reduce welfare spending and enrollment â a priority   [TGT]   previously embraced with the backing of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and a number of conservative activists.
In conversations with aides and outside advisers in recent days    [TGT] has said   [TGT]   supporters would embrace the idea â but that it remains unlikely because the votes will not be there in Congress and it would be a difficult undertaking in an election year. Some Republicans want to reduce health-care  housing and food-stamp spending by making it tougher for beneficiaries to receive the dollars â such as through new work requirements.
But a number of White House officials and advisers have begun tamping down expectations for any overhaul of social safety-net programs  and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has told   [TGT] itâs a nonstarter in  his  chamber because  he  would need the support of Democrats who oppose the idea  a White House adviser said.
The Washington Postâs Ed OâKeefe takes a look at President Trumpâs demands in the negotiation over a program shielding young undocumented immigrants from deportation. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Discussions about this yearâs legislative agenda began Friday at Camp David  where   [TGT] is hosting a retreat with McConnell  Ryan (R-Wis.) and other Republican leaders  who want to hash out details of an immigration plan and a cohesive strategy for this year  when Republicans are likely to face a difficult political terrain ahead of the midterm elections.
  [TGT] advisers are also looking for wedge issues that would force Democrats in largely Republican states to take âtough votesâ to make   [TGT]   reelection odds tougher  according to a White House official  and to build support for an infrastructure plan that could be difficult to pass.
  [TGT] and legislators face deadlines on immigration and spending â government funding expires later this month  and tensions over what to do with âdreamers â immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program who arrived in the country illegally as children  need to be resolved by March 5. The two issues have become intertwined  but Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have made little progress on the negotiations.
At a private meeting at the White House on Thursday  Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) told   [TGT]   and fellow senators that Ryan wanted the Senate to go first on trying to pass immigration legislation and that the House would try to follow. Ryan has told White House advisers that the issue is âtoxicâ and he wants it done  according to two people familiar with the conversation. A senior House aide said Ryan would have certain priorities in any bill  as well  and was not entirely deferring to the Senate.
  [TGT] has also told a number of aides and outside advisers in recent days that  he  is concerned Republicans will not support an infrastructure plan  even though  he  wants one and sees it as a good midterm election play. White House aides are trying to determine what a plan looks like and how to pay for it â possibly through state contributions or private-sector investments.
  [TGT] seems more interested in infrastructure than other subjects  aides said  talking about building and   [TGT]   former life in construction.   [TGT]   often notes how much   [TGT]   thinks different things could cost â and how it would be good for   [TGT]   politically to travel throughout the country to promote new projects.
Another showdown could come over earmarks. The House Rules Committee will convene hearings this month on earmarks  House aides said. The hearings are not a sign of renewed interest from leadership in installing earmarks â spending designated for specific home-state projects â as a way to reclaim control over unruly lawmakers. Instead  they will fulfill a commitment by Ryan to some members of the Appropriations Committee who pushed for the limited reinstatement of earmarks when rules were set for the 115th Congress shortly after  Trumpâs election .
At the time  some rules changes pushed by the appropriators came close to passing  and Ryan had to intervene to shoot them down  pointing to how bad the optics would be to reinstate earmarks behind closed doors just when Trump was elected to âdrain the swamp.â The issue was put off but is now coming back up. Reinstating earmarks could be bad politics in an election year.
âThat would be a disaster for them if they put that issue on the agenda â said David McIntosh  president of Club for Growth. âThey were smart enough to avoid it in their rules session right after  the election . Now to come back to it would be a disaster.â