Trump, GOP leaders prepare for D.C. takeover

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There’s a growing sense among various factions of the divided House GOP Conference that it’s time to put aside their differences as Donald Trump’s presidency gets underway. | Getty

By RACHAEL BADE and BURGESS EVERETT 11/10/16 12:42 PM EST Updated 11/10/16 02:18 PM EST

President-elect Donald Trump and Mike Pence began their meetings with top congressional leaders Thursday to start piecing together a plan to take the reins of power in Washington.

Trump and Pence sat down for lunch with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) at 12:30 at the Capitol Hill Club before huddling with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in his office at 1:30. Trump’s wife, Melania, joined them at lunch.

The meeting comes as Trump and Pence are in town meet with President Barack Obama at the White House. Trump’s surrogates have likewise begun reaching out to a number of top Republicans lawmakers as they work to build a core group of congressional allies and get a sense of their priorities. A group of several dozen pedestrians stopped and lined up behind a yellow taped off area to see if they could get a glimpse of the new president.

Following lunch, Ryan plans to walk Trump through the Capitol and show him where he'll be sworn in on Inauguration Day.

Republicans will soon control the presidency and both chambers of Congress, leaving them in prime position to enact conservative legislation in 2017. Lawmakers are already talking about repealing Obamacare — a GOP talking point that’s gone from pipe dream to real possibility — cutting taxes and scaling back regulations.

At the same time, the question of whether Ryan will continue as speaker will soon come to a head. Despite their high-profile disputes during the campaign, Trump has signaled little desire to replace Ryan with a loyalist. Ryan's allies are confident he’ll retain his post.

There’s a growing sense among various factions of the divided House GOP Conference — from the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus to the moderate Tuesday Group — that it’s time to put aside their differences as Trump’s presidency gets underway.

“The focus is: How we can make sure that the Trump administration is the most successful administration, in the first 100 days, of any administration we’ve seen in modern history?” said Freedom Caucus co-founder Mark Meadows (R-N.C.). “What I think you’re going to see is honest and forthright negotiating … on how we’re going to get regulatory reform, lower health care costs and veterans taken care of.”

The Senate will move more cautiously because Republicans will need at least eight Democratic votes to pass most legislation, barring drastic rule changes. McConnell signaled at a news conference Wednesday that while he will pursue ambitious goals like repealing Obamacare, he also doesn’t think the party has carte blanche.

"I think overreaching after an election, generally speaking, is a mistake," McConnell said. "I think it’s always a mistake to misread your mandate, and frequently new majorities think it’s going to be forever. Nothing is forever in this country.

“We have an election every two years right on schedule, and we have had since 1788,” McConnell continued. “We’ve been given a temporary lease on power, if you will.”

Pence’s presence at the meetings with Hill leaders signals that the former congressman will be central to the Trump White House’s relationship with Congress.

"Mike's presence in the [meetings] is an indication of the role Mike will play,” a senior Pence aide told reporters on the flight to Washington. “I think you will see Mike having a very active role as a liaison to Capitol Hill with both Leader McConnell and with Speaker Ryan.”

Pence also called incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday and is expected to speak with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) later Thursday.

But there was at least one interruption during the carefully scripted day.

While Trump was dining with Ryan, a man in business attire pointed at some onlookers and began screaming obscenities. He yelled Freddie Gray's name and said "you can yell at Trump supporters without being handcuffed and put the back of a police van," before Capitol Hill police officers handcuffed him and put him the back of a large white police van.

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