Highlights: The Trump presidency on January 24
(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave the energy industry a boost with action on pipelines, met with auto executives and moved to streamline regulations for domestic manufacturers. Highlights of the day follow:
PIPELINES
Trump signs two executive orders to move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, rolling back key Obama administration environmental actions in favor of expanding energy infrastructure.
AUTO INDUSTRY
Trump meets with the CEOs of the Big Three U.S. automakers, General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, urging them to build more cars in the United States.
MANUFACTURING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Trump signs an executive order directing that the permitting process and regulatory burden for domestic manufacturers should be streamlined to reduce what he called an “incredibly cumbersome, long, horrible” system.
SUPREME COURT
Trump is meeting on Tuesday with Republican and Democratic Senate leaders to discuss his Supreme Court nominee, which he says he will announce next week. Among the reported front-runners are three federal appellate judges with strong conservative credentials: Neil Gorsuch, William Pryor and Thomas Hardiman.
FBI
Trump intends to keep James Comey as FBI director, a source says, amid reports that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are scrutinizing Trump associates over their ties to Russia.
CABINET
U.S. Senate committees approve Trump’s choices for U.N. ambassador and heads of the commerce, housing and transportation departments.
Representative Tom Price, Trump’s nominee for health and human services secretary, tells a Senate panel he wants to ensure that people with pre-existing medical conditions have access to health insurance and does not support the privatization of Medicare.
TRADE
Mexico could pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if a renegotiation of terms does not benefit the country, its economy minister says.
Australia and New Zealand hope to salvage the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by encouraging China and other Asian countries to join the trade pact after Trump kept a promise to abandon it.
Trump’s approach to international trade issues suggests an inclination for bilateral deals that risk a backlash from nations that are left out, the European Central Bank’s chief economist says.
FedEx Corp’s chief executive officer says Trump should reconsider his positions on international trade and work to embrace China and its vast market.
Germany will take advantage of any trade opportunities in Asia and South America left by a protectionist United States, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel says after Trump withdraws from the TPP.
CONGRESS
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer vows to oppose any infrastructure plan by Trump that would rely on “tax credits for developers” to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other such structures.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan says he has invited Trump to address a joint session of Congress on Feb. 28.
ENVIRONMENT
The Trump administration is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily halt all contracts, grants and interagency agreements pending review, according to sources.
(Compiled by Bill Trott; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Jeffrey Benkoe)