Trump, Dems say bipartisan work possible

Both parties hint that they’re open to cooperating after contentious midterms; possibility of gridlock remains strong.

Now that Democrats have won control of the House, President Donald Trump finds himself in the position of working with the party he has been at odds with for the past two years.

Despite the contentious midterm campaign, Trump and Democratic leaders have signaled they are open to bipartisan cooperation.

Among the possible opportunities for common ground: a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, health care for people with pre-existing conditions, controls on prescription drug prices, paid family leave — and possibly even providing a path to citizenship for immigrant children known as “Dreamers,” analysts said.

“I think the president has proven that he’s interested in negotiating on a number of issues,” Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., said on CNN earlier today, adding Trump “has talked a lot about prescription drugs recently, and infrastructure.”

“There is no reason at all that we shouldn’t be able to come to some kind of agreement,” he said.

Still, the scenario for gridlock remains strong. The animosity between Trump and Democratic leaders may be too great for them to trust one another. And House Democrats are already planning to open a series of investigations of Trump and his administration, taking up the subpoena power that has been in GOP hands for the past two years.

Trump, in a midday news conference, told Democrats that if they pursue investigations of him “all you’re going to do is end up in back and forth and back and forth, and two years is going to go up, and we won’t have done a thing.” But he also said the Democratic takeover of the House could result in a “beautiful bipartisan” situation.

“They’re the majority in the House,” the president said about the Democrats. “I expect that they will come up with some fantastic ideas that I can support, on the environment, on so many different things.”

During that same news conference, the president criticized members of his own party who lost after not seeking his support. There were also some tense moments between the president and some reporters. And he did not answer questions about upcoming staffing changes in his West Wing or Cabinet but hinted that moves could be coming soon. Within hours, news broke that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had been forced out.

Earlier, Trump congratulated Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeting that she “deserves to be chosen Speaker.” In addition to his conversation with Pelosi, Trump called Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as other candidates he backed during the race, the White House said. And he downplayed reports of voter irregularity and suppression.

Dan Glickman, a Democratic former congressman from Kansas and former agriculture secretary who runs a congressional program at the nonpartisan Aspen Institute, said he hopes an influx of younger party members will spur an impulse “to get things done, with less stock in the gridlock of the past.”

Although Trump is unlikely to agree to reverse his tax measure, he has said he wants to pass legislation to rebuild roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.

Pelosi, who is seeking to regain her post as House speaker, said in an interview Tuesday with PBS’ “NewsHour” that passing an infrastructure bill is possible.

“The president has said that that is something he wants to do. It’s always been nonpartisan, always been nonpartisan. Hopefully, we can work together to advance that agenda,” she said.

Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, could play a role in reaching across the aisle by stepping up her advocacy for measures with potential Democratic support. Last year, she persuaded her father to support expanding a child-care tax credit, a measure that was included in a tax bill Republicans approved.

Similarly, she has expressed support for a federal family leave plan that would give new parents six weeks of paid leave from work.

The proposal has languished. But family leave is overwhelmingly favored by Democrats and has wide support among Republicans.