Trump faces Congress cold shoulder
UNITED STATES: US Presidentelect Donald Trump criticised China yesterday, saying it had benefited from its economic ties with the US but would not help control North Korea.
‘‘China has been taking out massive amounts of money and wealth from the US in totally onesided trade, but won’t help with North Korea. Nice!’’ Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump also insisted North Korea would not develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the US, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hinted at the weekend that his country would test an intercontinental ballistic missile in the new year.
Trump tweeted: ‘‘North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won’t happen!’’
It was unclear if Trump meant he would stop North Korea or he was simply doubting the country’s capabilities.
Meanwhile, Trump is on a collision course with the new Republican-dominated Congress for his warmth towards Russia and the key appointments to his cabinet. The Senate and House of Representatives will open their sessions today and welcome seven new senators and 53 new congressmen.
The Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan is expected to be re-elected as Speaker of the House, in which his party will have 241 of the 435 seats. In the Senate, Republicans have a slim majority with 52 seats.
John Mccain, the Arizona senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has been in open opposition to Trump over his apparent admiration for President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
On a tour of Baltic states last week, Mccain said he and his colleagues would urge stronger sanctions against Russia, describing cyber attacks during the election, which US officials believe were backed by the Kremlin, as ‘‘an act of war’’.
‘‘We have to make sure that there is a price to pay,’’ Mccain said. ‘‘We must stand up to Vladimir Putin.’’
Trump’s spokesman says no evidence has emerged to suggest Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the US presidential election.
Mccain has said he will open a congressional inquiry into the cyber attacks, and there is pressure from other Republicans and Democrats to set up an independent panel to investigate them.
Cory Gardner, a Republican senator, said he would introduce legislation to create a select committee in the new Congress.
The move would be a rebuke to the party leadership and Trump, who has made it clear he wishes to give the matter a low priority and focus instead on moving quickly to dismantle President Barack Obama’s policies.
Republicans have promised to place the repeal of Obama’s healthcare reform, known as Obamacare, as a first order of business.
Trump may have alienated Republican leaders, however, after the New York Post reported that he prefers Chuck Schumer, the new Democratic Senate minority leader, to Mitch Mcconnell, the Republican majority leader, or Ryan. The president-elect has known Schumer for decades and has supported his campaigns in the past.
Schumer vowed this week to hold up confirmations for Rex Tillerson, the Exxonmobil executive nominated to be secretary of state, and Jeff Sessions, chosen to be attorney-general, among others.
‘‘President-elect Trump is attempting to fill his rigged cabinet with nominees that would break key campaign promises and have made billions off the industries they’d be tasked with regulating,’’ Schumer said.
– Reuters, The Times, AP