1 U.S., Mexico Officials Begin Tariff Talks, As GOP Mounts Pushback
U.S. and Mexican officials have begun talks with the hopes of heading off President Trump's threatened tariffs on Mexican imports. As we reported previously, Trump said late last week he'll impose five-percent tariffs on all goods from Mexico, starting June 10th, unless that country stops Central American migrants from traveling to seek asylum in the U.S. Mexico's economy minister spoke with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross yesterday and delegations from the vice president's office and the State Department are expected to meet with Mexico's foreign relations secretary today. Meanwhile, a number of Trump's Republican supporters in Congress and many U.S. business groups have warned the tariffs will hit consumers in this country hard – and harm the nation's economy – and word is, they’re considering a vote to stop them.
2 Judge Denies House Request To Block Wall Funding
President Trump is notching one win in his efforts to get money to pay for a border wall. A federal judge has refused to block Trump from diverting money slated for other purposes towards building a wall on the border with Mexico. “The Court declines to take sides in this fight between the House and the President," Judge Trevor McFadden wrote. "This case presents a close question about the appropriate role of the Judiciary in resolving disputes between the other two branches of the Federal Government. To be clear, the court does not imply that Congress may never sue the Executive to protect its powers." As you might recall, House Democrats sued the Trump administration over the President's declaration of a national emergency at the border, which gave him authority to move those funds. And essentially, the judge said the House lacked standing to sue. He noted, however, that there are still political options available to the House if members believe the executive branch is grabbing powers meant for Congress.
3 House Approves Big Disaster Aid Bill After Delays
A massive disaster aid bill is headed to President Trump's desk after a week of delays. The roughly 19-billion dollar measure covers states impacted by hurricanes, floods and wildfires. The Senate passed the bill before the weeklong Memorial Day recess but most House members had already departed. House Democratic leaders tried to pass the measure three times last week in so-called unanimous consent votes, but were blocked by Republicans. Bills can be passed through unanimous consent with only a handful of members present, as long as no one objects. The Republicans who objected argued that all members of the House should be present to vote on the big spending bill.