The White House News

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                              August 3, 2017

PRESS GAGGLE

BY DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY LINDSAY WALTERS

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Huntington, West Virginia

5:50 P.M. EDT

     MS. WALTERS:  So I know you guys had so much fun yesterday with Stephen. Sorry to disappoint but today is not going to be nearly as lively as yesterday was.

Yesterday, we talked about the American Dream and how the President’s immigration policies will help keep it alive for generations to come.  Today I want to briefly talk about two other critical parts of his agenda: economic growth and keeping the promises we made to the American heroes.

Just yesterday, the Dow soared to an all-time high of over 22,000 points.  American businesses and consumers have great reason to be optimistic under President Trump.  From an aggressive push for smarter regulation to renegotiating unfair trade deals, everything comes back to jobs for the President.

That’s why we’ve added over 850,000 jobs since he took office.  That’s why consumer confidence is at an all-time high.

And that’s why major companies are announcing billions of dollars of investments here at home instead of overseas.  And the President is bringing this same forward-looking vision to the care of the men and women who have risked their lives to protect our freedom. 

This morning, as many of you saw, the President and VA Secretary Shulkin unveiled a suite of new telehealth options that will expand access to department medical care for tens of thousands of rural homebound veterans.

Last year, 700,000 veterans got telehealth services through the VA.  With the help of the innovations like Veterans Appointment Request, which allows veterans to schedule VA appointments on their smartphones, and a VA [Video] Connect, which allows VA providers to better connect with their patients, we hope to see that number continue to rise.

Finally, this might be one of the last times we gather like this before the West Wing staff are temporarily relocated.  I wanted to give you a little information update on the GSA renovations.  Beginning tomorrow, Friday, all staff will be relocated to the EEOB to accommodate necessary renovations to the West Wing.  These renovation plans had been approved by the previous administration, following the completion of the phase 1, but were never actually initiated.

I know most of you have seen the ceiling issue we have in lower press, but to give you an idea of some of the other vital projects that need to be taken care of — for example:  The HVAC systems are 27 years old, but due to the 24/7, 365-day use a year, the estimated age of the system based off of usage is 81 years old.  The South Portico steps on the South Lawn will also be repaired. They haven’t been restored in 64 years.

In addition to these larger structural repairs, we will be renovating the Navy Mess kitchen, the West Wing lower lobby, and the IT system, and generic cosmetic upgrades.

So all of us in lower press will miss seeing you guys every day, but we’re definitely looking forward to the much-needed renovations in the HVAC system, as well as throughout the rest of the West Wing.

And with that, I will take your questions.

Q    Where will the President be working during this time when everyone is evacuated from the West Wing?

MS. WALTERS:  The President tomorrow will be taking off for Bedminster for a working vacation.  As I mentioned, with the HVAC system being replaced, that means that the West Wing will be without air conditioning for the next two weeks, which is why the staff and the President are moving out, because I don’t think any of you would like to be in the West Wing in an August D.C. summer day when it’s over 100 degrees with no air conditioning.

Q    The President is going to West Virginia today.  This is a campaign rally.  But his opioid commission recommended declaring an emergency on the opioid crisis.  Will he be making any announcements about that?  Is he considering that recommendation?

MS. WALTERS:  I don’t want to get ahead of what the President’s announcement will be tonight.  This week, the opioid commission did submit their interim report.  As you know, this is an issue that is very important to the President — something he discussed on the campaign trail and has continued throughout his administration to advocate for, as it’s plaguing many of the states across our country.

Q    I have a coal-mining question.  As you know, the White House hasn’t nominated a chief for the Mine Safety and Health Administration yet.  Is there a timeline for that?  Do you have plans in place for when to —

MS. WALTERS:  We don’t have any personnel announcement at this time.  When we do, you will all be notified.

Q    Are there any concerns about pushing greater coal production and possibly easing regulations, and whether that could lead to an increase in the number of coal miners injured or killed?

     MS. WALTERS:  The regulations that the President is doing are to help create jobs.  He’s not lowering any safety regulations.  Safety is still a top priority, but as the President said, we need to create jobs, we need to bring jobs back to our shores, and send them to the people of West Virginia where coal mining is so prevalent. 

     These are important jobs that grow and boost their economy, and so nothing he is doing is cutting back on the safety — safety is a top priority, but our main focus is on creating and growing jobs in these communities that rely on the coaling industry as a main source of income.

     Q    Did you — apparent transcripts of the President’s conversations with world leaders in January leaked today, including comments about the President to President Peña Nieto where he apparently said that building the wall on the southern border with Mexico was not a policy priority but only a political one.  And then separately he had a conversation with Malcolm Turnbull — it got heated at points, there seemed to be a bit of information — sort of confusion between the President and Prime Minister Turnbull.  Do you have any response to those revelations?  And since the White House had denied some of those revelations when they were reported back three months ago, now here’s the transcript proving that that conversation did in fact happen as reported back then.

     MS. WALTERS:  I’m not going to comment on leaked calls.  Obviously, as you said before, this is a national security matter when phone call transcripts are being leaked out.  It prevents the President from being able to do what he does best and negotiate with foreign leaders.

     What I can tell you regarding the border wall is that the President spoke about this on the campaign, continues to echo it now, that having a secure border is prevalent to the safety of our country, and that that is something that he had promised his supporters and has continued to focus on is making sure that we have a secure border.

     Q    I’m going to follow up on that.  The President’s comments about the state of New Hampshire have been condemned now by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle from the Granite State.  Does the President intend to apologize to the people of New Hampshire for his comments?

     MS. WALTERS:  The President was referring to — you know, he was talking about the opioid epidemic up there which has affected a lot of lives in New Hampshire.  I can tell you that’s an important focus of his.  As we talked about earlier, the commission he formed — you know, that is a focus and something that no person should deal with.  You shouldn’t be a mother or a father, or sister, or brother — have to bury a loved one who has — their life has been cost due to substance abuse.

     Q    He referred to it as a “drug-infested den.”  People are feeling insulted by the way he characterized their state.

     MS. WALTERS:  Again, this was a conversation that was leaked out.  I’m not going to get into commenting on that conversation.  I can just echo the fact that combatting the drug abuse and substance and opioid epidemic is important to the President. 

     Q    So no apology?

     MS. WALTERS:  I’m not going to comment any further. 

     Q    Does he plan to act on the recommendations of the commission?  You said that they put out a report, but what is he doing about it?

     MS. WALTERS:  They put out the interim report earlier this week.  Let me check back with you on what the next steps are regarding that report. 

     Q    How did those conversations get out — those transcripts get out?  What stage are things at in terms of looking at how that happened? 

     MS. WALTERS:  Again, Roberta was asking how did the transcripts end up getting leaked to yourselves, and I’m not going to get into leaked conversations. 

What I can tell you is that it’s damaging to our national security, and it’s something that we take very seriously.  You’ve heard this administration talk over and over again about the fact that we need to end these leaks, and that it’s not beneficial to anyone to be having documents leaked out.

     Q    So is that being investigated then?

     MS. WALTERS:  I’ll look into that for you.

     Q    Do you have any update on that big announcement that the President was talking about?  Can you give us some idea of what he was talking about?

     MS. WALTERS:  If I did that, it wouldn’t be the surprise he was talking about earlier.  So unfortunately, you’re going to have to wait.  But we are landing shortly as you can hear the gears go down.  So you’ll know soon enough.

     With that, I’ll take one more question.

     Q    Do you have any comment on legislation that’s afoot to sort of protect special counsel Mueller from being terminated?

     MS. WALTERS:  Let me look into that.  What I can tell you is I will refer to Ty Cobb, but I can get back to you on that.

     Q    Why is the President taking vacation if he said that Congress should stay in town and work in healthcare, and the President criticized President Obama for taking multiple vacations?  So can you talk about why the President decided to take this vacation now?

     MS. WALTERS:  The President is going to continue to work.  We all need to be relocated out of the West Wing due to these renovations that should have taken place before.  And we’re at a position that we’re now at a dire need, and they either need to be repaired or replaced.  And it’s not something that can go on while we’re still occupying the West Wing.  So the President will continue to work over the next two weeks. 

     But I’m going to let everyone sit down since we are landing and it’s getting awfully turbulent.  Thanks, guys.

                          END                       6:00 P.M. EDT

THE WHITE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2017

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts

President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:

Duke Buchan III of Florida to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Spain, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Andorra.  Mr. Buchan is the Founder and CEO of Hunter Global Investors L.P.  Hunter manages multiple funds that invest in a range of asset classes globally, including real estate.  Mr. Buchan and his family own and manage farms that grow over a 100 varieties of heirloom vegetables and raise horses.  He is active in a number of educational and philanthropic causes.  As an example, he established the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s (UNC) largest single endowment focused on Spanish languages, literature, and culture.  Mr. Buchan received a B.A. in economics and Spanish from UNC and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.  He also studied at La Universidad de Valencia, and La Universidad de Sevilla in Spain.  He speaks Spanish, and has a working knowledge of Catalan.

Thomas J. Hushek to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America the Republic of South Sudan.  Mr. Hushek, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1988.  He is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting Assistant Secretary) in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the Department of State.  A three-time Deputy Chief of Mission and senior official at the State Department, he has extensive experience in management and communications, coordination of humanitarian programs, and crisis management.  Mr. Hushek has served at eight U.S. Missions overseas.  He earned a M.I.A. from Colombia University and a B.A from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  He speaks Russian and Persian (Dari).

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THE WHITE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2017

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: MORE PRAISE FOR THE RAISE ACT

Rep. Lamar Smith: “Each year one million legal immigrants are admitted to the United States. Our immigration system is the most generous in the world. However, our current system fails to prioritize immigration based on skills and abilities. Less than 15 percent of green card holders are admitted based on education and skills. Existing immigration policies do not prioritize the interests of American workers and taxpayers. The RAISE Act ensures that our legal immigration system admits those with the highest training and abilities to spur economic growth and innovation. These reforms make sure that our immigration policies protect hard-working Americans. I thank Senators Cotton and Perdue for introducing the RAISE Act. We’ve been working with the senators for months on this effort and I plan to introduce the House companion bill soon. We appreciate President Trump’s support of this legislation and his help in fulfilling the pledge we made to make our immigration laws better serve America.”

Rep. Lou Barletta: “I commend Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue for introducing this legislation to move our country toward a skills-based immigration system that will raise American workers’ wages, create jobs, and benefit our economy.  We have immigration laws in this country for two basic reasons: to protect national security and to preserve American jobs.  This bill reinforces those principles. For more than a decade, I have argued that fixing our broken immigration system will create greater economic opportunities for American workers and families.  Yet, for decades, politicians in Washington have supported policies that benefit foreign workers at the expense of American workers.  Just one out of every 15 immigrants to the United States comes here because of their skills.  This influx of low-skilled immigrant labor has decreased wages for those without college degrees by nearly 20 percent since the 1970s, and threatens to place the American Dream out of reach for far too many workers and their families.  That has to change if we want to help American workers find jobs and remain competitive in today’s increasingly global economy.  I look forward to working with the White House and my colleagues in Congress, particularly Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21) and Senators Cotton and Perdue, to follow through on President Trump’s promise to reform our immigration system so that it puts America first.”

Rep. Jim Banks: “It’s been a long time since the United States has updated its immigration laws, which are very outdated. And this is a common sense reform. … I broadly support these reforms because it’s been a long time coming. And there’s hardly anything radical about these reforms. Establishing a skills-based, merit system to help govern our immigration policies. This is a lot like what we see around the world: countries like Canada and Australia have exactly this type of design of their immigration policy too. So we should take into account the skills gaps in our economy as we attract immigrant labor – both low-skilled and high-skilled labor (and) I think this is a common sense way to approach it.”

Rep. Mo Brooks: “As a backdrop, America has by far and away the most generous immigration system on the planet.  However, we only accept between 5-12% of immigrants based on education and skill level.  I applaud Senators Cotton and Perdue for their leadership in introducing the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE).  The RAISE Act replaces the current permanent employment-visa framework with a skills-based system that rewards applicants based on their individual merits.  Further, the legislation eliminates the diversity visa lottery as well as the immigration preferences for extended family and adult family members of U.S. residents, while maintaining preferences for the spouse and minor children of U.S. residents – thereby encouraging the unification of nuclear families. America must recognize our challenges and opportunities, and be much more selective in our immigration policies to ensure incoming immigrants are both self-sufficient and are able and willing to be properly absorbed into American society.  If we aren’t, American workers will continue to have their wages undercut by the importation of cheaper, foreign labor and America will lose its special place in history.  I am proud to support this key component of President Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda and appreciate the President’s continued leadership and dedication to making America’s economy great again.”

Dr. James Carafano, Vice President, the Heritage Foundation: “Legal immigration reform has been off Washington’s to-do list far too long. Heritage has long argued for legal immigration policies designed to serve America in the 21st century, not those tailored to past decades. We have long favored ending blanket chain-migration, and replacing it with a rational, skills based-migration system. We have looked at the lessons from the Canadian and Australian models for reform to see what might best serve the United States’ immigration system. The RAISE Act seeks to reduce low skill immigration which is very costly to U.S. taxpayers, while promoting a modernized, skills-based migration system that makes sense for all Americans. We look forward to Congress taking this issue seriously, rolling up its sleeves and delivering legislation that establishes a legal immigration system designed for the demands of the 21st century.”

Radio Host Rush Limbaugh: “This is a reform of legal immigration. Merit-based is what has the left in a tizzy. And of course the English language is preferred. To them, merit-based is discriminatory. Merit-based is insulting. And the reason for that is that not everybody will qualify if it’s merit-based. That’s kind of the definition of it. It’s rooted in wanting the best and the brightest and the most qualified, which exactly should be our requirements!”

Columnist and Political Commentator Charles Krauthammer: “I love the hypocrisy of the liberals who are so shocked by this, people who swoon over Canada’s progressivism, with its national healthcare and its matinee star liberal Prime Minister, who want him to be the leader here. All of a sudden when the U.S. proposes essentially the Canadian system, the merit-based system, are shocked at how mean and racist it is. This is a no-brainer. Here’s the analogy: The United States is the place everybody wants to go, every immigrant. You find somebody on a raft on the South China Sea—where do they want to go? United States. We have the top 500 draft picks for the N.B.A. and instead we choose to pick people randomly out of the Karachi phonebook. This does not make sense. We should be doing what Canada and Australia are doing and cashing in on the fact that the world wants to come here. This is so obvious, it’s almost amazing that we haven’t done this and that I think is the core of the issue.”

Radio Host Mark Levin: “The RAISE Act, a bill to roll back the nation’s unprecedented levels of unfettered immigration in favor of a merit-based immigration system, is outstanding… Trump’s position used to be a very basic government positon of Presidents in both Democrat and Republican parties. Immigration is not a policy for the benefit of the third world or any part of the world. The purpose of immigration is to benefit the American citizen.”

Daniel Horowitz, Editor Of Conservative Review: “There is broad consensus among the public that immigration should a) be limited to those who have unique skills; b) cultivate the assimilation of American values and the English language; and c) that it should be a net positive for all Americans, not just the corporate-D.C. cartel. This is the message Trump ran on, and it is the message that Cotton and Purdue have restored with this legislation.”

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THE WHITE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2017

President Donald J. Trump Announces Sixth Wave of Judicial Candidates and Fifth Wave of U.S. Attorney Candidates

The President today announced that he has nominated ten individuals to the following Federal judgeships and four individuals to the following U.S. Attorney positions. 

If confirmed, Michael B. Brennan of Wisconsin will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  Mr. Brennan currently serves as a partner in the Milwaukee law firm Gass Weber Mullins LLC, where he tries cases and handles appeals in Federal and state courts involving commercial and tort disputes, and he serves as a mediator and an arbitrator.  Before that, Mr. Brennan served for nine years as a judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where he presided over hundreds of trials and motions in criminal and civil cases. During that time, he served as the presiding judge of the civil division of that court.  Before his service on the bench, Mr. Brennan prosecuted cases as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County where he first-chaired numerous trials, and spent four years as a litigation associate in the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner LLP.  Mr. Brennan served as a law clerk to Judge Daniel A. Manion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and as a law clerk to Chief Judge Robert W. Warren of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  Mr. Brennan received his B.A. in government and philosophy, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, where he served as the coordinating note and comment editor of the Northwestern University Law Review and he won the Julius H. Miner Moot Court Competition.

If confirmed, L. Steven Grasz of Nebraska will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.  Mr. Grasz currently serves as a senior counsel in the Omaha office of Husch Blackwell LLP, where he handles business, appellate, public policy, regulatory law, and governmental affairs matters. Before joining the firm, Mr. Grasz spent over eleven years as the state of Nebraska’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, where he oversaw the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office’s civil and appellate practice in state and Federal courts, the state’s official Attorney General’s Opinions, and the representation of state constitutional officers and legislators. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Grasz spent two years as an associate at Kutak Rock and one year as a legislative assistant to Congresswoman Virginia Smith. Mr. Grasz received his B.S., cum laude, in agriculture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif, served as the executive editor of the Nebraska Law Review, and received the Roscoe Pound Award for his selection as top oral advocate in his class.

If confirmed, Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of South Carolina will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.  Mr. Coggins is currently a shareholder in the Spartanburg, South Carolina law firm of Harrison, White, Smith & Coggins, P.C.  His law practice focuses on general civil litigation in state and Federal courts.  Before that, Mr. Coggins was a partner in the Spartanburg law firm of Cummings, Smith and Coggins, where he had started his legal career as an associate.  Mr. Coggins received his B.A. from Clemson University and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

If confirmed, Terry A. Doughty of Louisiana will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.  Judge Terry Doughty serves as a District Judge for the Fifth Judicial District Court, where he presides over criminal, civil, and juvenile cases arising in the parishes of Franklin, Richland, and West Carroll, and where he has served since assuming office on January 1, 2009. In 2015, Judge Doughty was re-elected to the court and received the Citizen Lawyer Award from the Louisiana State Bar Association. From 1985 through 2008, Judge Doughty served as an assistant district attorney for the Fifth Judicial District. During that period, he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases, and litigated post-conviction proceedings and juvenile cases. Prior to joining the district attorney’s office, Judge Doughty practiced at the Rayville, Louisiana, firm of Cotton, Bolton, Hoychick & Doughty. Judge Doughty received his B.S., in finance, from Louisiana Tech University and his J.D. from the Louisiana State University Law School.

If confirmed, Michael J. Juneau of Louisiana will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.  Mr. Juneau is a founding member and shareholder of Juneau David, APLC, a Lafayette-based litigation firm that handles a broad range of civil litigation in state and Federal courts across Louisiana. Mr. Juneau also has extensive experience administering mass tort settlements as a court-appointed neutral in significant mass tort and nationwide class action matters. In this capacity, he has managed some of the largest multidistrict litigation in the United States, including In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation and In Re: Oil Spill by the Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. Mr. Juneau received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was selected as the best oralist in the Ames Moot Court Competition.

If confirmed, A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr., of South Carolina will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.  Mr. Quattlebaum is currently a partner in the Greenville, South Carolina, office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, the same firm where he started his legal career as an associate.  Mr. Quattlebaum’s nationwide trial practice focuses on complex civil litigation in federal courts. On the basis of this expertise, he was invited to serve as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.  From 2011-12, Mr. Quattlebaum served as the President of the South Carolina Bar.  Mr. Quattlebaum received his B.A., cum laude, from Rhodes College and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served as a member of the South Carolina Law Review.

If confirmed, Holly Lou Teeter of Kansas will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.  Mrs. Teeter is currently an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.  Earlier in her career, Mrs. Teeter practiced patent law at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP, and was a patent law clerk at Los Alamos National Security, LLC.  She served as a law clerk to Judge Brian C. Wimes of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and to Judge Carlos Murguia of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.  Mrs. Teeter received her B.S. with highest distinction from the University of Kansas School of Engineering, and her J.D. from the University of Kansas, where she was a member of the Kansas Law Review and graduated first in her class.  She also holds a Diploma in Legal Studies from the University of Oxford.

If confirmed, Robert E. Wier of Kentucky will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.  Judge Robert Wier currently serves as a Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a position to which he was first appointed in 2006 and reappointed in 2014.  Before his judicial service, Judge Wier worked in private practice as a member of the law firm Ransdell & Wier PLLC and, before that, as an associate with the Lexington, Kentucky, law firm Stoll, Keenon & Park LLP.  Judge Wier started his legal career serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  Judge Wier received his B.A., with high distinction and departmental honors, from the University of Kentucky, and his J.D., with high distinction, from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was valedictorian, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Kentucky Law Journal.

If confirmed, Elizabeth Ann Copeland of Texas will serve as a Judge on the United States Tax Court.  Ms. Copeland serves as a tax litigation partner in the San Antonio law firm of Strasburger & Price, LLP. Before joining Strasburger, Ms. Copeland spent nineteen years as an associate and then shareholder in with the law firm of Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & Tate, Inc., where her principal area of practice focused on resolving taxation controversies. Ms. Copeland has been Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2002.   Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Copeland served as an Attorney Advisor to Judge Mary Ann Cohen of the United States Tax Court. Before enrolling in law school, Ms. Copeland spent four three years as a senior accountant at Ernst & Young rising to the rank of Senior Accountant. Ms. Copeland received her B.B.A., in Accounting with Honors, from the University of Texas at Austin, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. Tax Analysts® named her a 2012 Tax Person of the Year in its national edition of Tax Notes.  Best Lawyers® selected her as its Lawyer of the Year in Tax Law for 2017.  She served as Chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section from 2013 to 2014.  In addition to her J.D., Ms. Copeland holds an active Certified Public Accountant’s license.

If confirmed, Patrick J. Urda of Indiana will serve as a Judge on the United States Tax Court.  Mr. Urda currently serves as Counsel to the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice’s Tax Division, where he advises the Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Tax Division front office on legal and administrative issues facing the Division, particularly regarding appellate and settlement matters.  In addition to acting as Counsel, Mr. Urda is a member of the Tax Division’s Appellate Section, which he joined in 2006.  During his time in the Appellate Section, he has litigated more than eighty appeals from the United States Tax Court and the United States District Courts and has presented oral argument on behalf of the United States in more than forty-five appeals, including arguments in each of the United States Courts of Appeals.  Mr. Urda also was one of the principal drafters of the United States’ successful brief in Hall v. United States, 566 U.S. 506 (2012).  Mr. Urda is a five-time recipient of the Tax Division’s Outstanding Attorney Award, and has received the IRS’s Mitchell Rogovan Award.  Prior to his government service, Mr. Urda spent three years in private practice, and served as a law clerk to Judge Daniel A. Manion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  He received his B.A. in Classics, summa cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

If confirmed, Scott C. Blader of Wisconsin will serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.  Mr. Blader is currently the elected District Attorney for Waushara County, Wisconsin and has been serving in that capacity since 2007.  Prior to 2007, Mr. Blader was an associate attorney with Blader Law Office, where he focused on criminal litigation.  He received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and his J.D. from Marquette Law School.

If confirmed, Robert M. (Rob) Duncan, Jr. of Kentucky will serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.  Since 2005, Mr. Duncan has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Kentucky, where he has prosecuted a variety of criminal cases, including complex drug trafficking, money laundering, firearms offenses, and violent crime.  Mr. Duncan clerked for the Honorable Henry R. Wilhoit, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.  Mr. Duncan received his B.A. from Centre College, and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

If confirmed, John R. Lausch Jr. of Illinois will serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Lausch is currently a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where his practice focuses on corporate investigations and other complex litigation matters.  Previously, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois from 1999 to 2010.  During his time in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Lausch served as a Deputy Chief in the Narcotics and Gangs Section for several years, where he helped lead the District’s Anti-Gang and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs.  Mr. Lausch clerked for the Honorable Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  He received his A.B., cum laude, from Harvard University and his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law.

If confirmed, William J. Powell will serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.  Mr. Powell is currently serving as the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Jefferson County West Virginia Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.  He previously was a member at the law firm of Jackson Kelly PLLC in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where his practice focused on civil litigation and white-collar criminal law.  He also previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of West Virginia, where he prosecuted major fraud and violent crimes.  Mr. Powell received his B.A. from Salem College, and his J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law.

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                             August 4, 2017

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP

AT FEMA HEADQUARTERS

FEMA Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

10:04 A.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, thank you very much.  I just want to congratulate Acting Secretary — this is really a big — this is a big position — Elaine Duke.  A terrific person.  She has done an amazing job for the Trump administration and everywhere she preceded.  So congratulations.  This is a very important thing you’re doing.

     We are very strong on homeland security and we are very strong with respect to FEMA.  FEMA is something that I’ve been very much involved in already.  We’ve had some things during the last six months, including the highway in Atlanta, where I have to say the Governor and all concerned did a fantastic job of rebuilding that stretch of highway that ended up burning so badly.  We found the reasons why, and it wasn’t for a good reason.  But nevertheless, they did it in record time.  I’m a builder and I understand they did it ahead of schedule and under budget, and that was very nice to see. 

     So I just — we have many, many things like that.  We’ve already taken care of many of the situations that really needed emergency funds.  We did it quickly.  We did it effectively.  We have an incredible team.  And I just want to thank, Elaine, all of your people and your representatives.  They have really done a fantastic job.

     Thank you very much.  Thank you very much, everybody.

                             END                10:06 A.M. EDT 

THE WHITE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 4, 2017

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD PRAISES THE RAISE ACT: “A REASONED RETURN TO POLICY SANITY”

“President Trump’s backing of a proposed Senate immigration reform bill isn’t an attack on immigrants, as you might have heard, but a reasoned return to policy sanity.”

Can ‘Raise Act’ Make Immigration Work For America Again?

Editorial

Investor’s Business Daily

August 3, 2017

Immigration: President Trump’s backing of a proposed Senate immigration reform bill isn’t an attack on immigrants, as you might have heard, but a reasoned return to policy sanity.

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Today, because of the confusion on our border and a nonsensical policy based on “diversity” and family criteria, U.S. immigration policy no longer serves the American people to do what it should: Bring in the best and the brightest who can immediately fit in and contribute to our extraordinarily advanced economy.

Sadly, today our immigration policy seems directed at the exact opposite, bringing in millions of people who don’t speak English, have no First World skills or education, and are almost certain to end up on welfare. Our policy of tolerating illegal immigration has likewise been a disaster, with estimates for those here illegally ranging from 12 million to as many as 30 million.

The new law, dubbed the “Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act,” or the “Raise Act,” focuses on the legal side of the immigration equation. Right now, our system for handing out green cards makes no sense.

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Britain, Canada and Australia have all moved to a point-based system and had success. No reason that can’t be the case here, too.

1965’s Teddy Kennedy-authored immigration reform — which destroyed the U.S.’ old system in favor of the current family-based immigration law — led to a surge of poor immigrants. We let in too many people who shouldn’t be here, and kept out too many who should.

While economists largely agree that immigration is overall a net benefit, low-skilled immigration has a devastating impact on U.S. minority communities, pushing down wages and job opportunities for unskilled and untrained American workers.

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The Raise Act will work in tandem with Trump’s other policies on reducing illegal immigration, including cracking down on the illegal Sanctuary City movement, deporting illegal aliens who commit crimes, and turning away more illegal entrants at the border.

By focusing on letting in mostly those who are highly qualified to work in our high-tech economy, and keeping out those who shouldn’t be here, the pressure at the low end of the labor force should be eased.

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We have always supported immigration as good for the U.S. We still do. And we’d like to see even more high-skilled immigration, if possible, as we’ve argued before. This new policy, along with the others pursued by the Trump administration, isn’t perfect. But it goes a long way toward fixing an immigration system that has been broken for decades.

Read the full editorial here.

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THE WHITE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 4, 2017

Spring 2018 White House Internship Program

The Spring 2018 White House Internship Program application is now open.

The application portal will remain open until 11:59PM EDT on September 8, 2017.  Any applications received after the deadline will not be considered. 

The Spring 2018 White House Internship Program term runs from January 10, 2018 to April 27, 2018.  All applicants must be at least 18 years of age by the program start date, and must be able to commit to the full internship term to be eligible.  Additionally, applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet at least one of the following criteria to apply:

– Are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two-to-four year institution).

– Have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two-to-four year institution) no more than two years before the internship program start date.

– Are a veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty—for any length of time—in the two years preceding the internship program start date.

The White House Internship Program is highly competitive.  Applicants are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to public service, leadership in their community, and commitment to the Trump Administration.  Questions about the White House Internship Program application can be directed to intern_application@who.eop.gov. More information, including details about placement in the White House Internship Program and answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on the White House website.

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