Donald Trump, GOP leadership set strategy for legislative agenda

The White House was elated Wednesday about the positive reaction across the country to President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress and quickly moved to turn his words into action on a legislative agenda.

But the administration also voiced disappointment that Democrats refused “olive branches” extended in the speech.

Mr. Trump hosted a working lunch with Capitol Hill’s Republican leaders to set strategy for advancing the goals laid out in the speech Tuesday night, including replacing Obamacare, cutting taxes and boosting spending on the U.S. military. It is an ambitious agenda, and nearly every proposal will be a heavy lift.

Beyond stiff resistance from Democrats, Mr. Trump faces divisions in his own party over issues such as dealing with Medicaid when remaking health care law and a budget blueprint that would increase Pentagon spending by $54 billion at the expense of other agencies, including the State Department.

“We’re just here to start the process. It begins as of now,” Mr. Trump said at the top of the meeting. “We think we are going to have tremendous success.”

Seated around the table in the White House’s Roosevelt Room were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, and every other member of both chambers’ party leadership teams.

Conspicuously absent were Democrats, to whom Mr. Trump appealed in the prime-time speech.

The White House expected to schedule meetings later with leaders from the other side of the aisle.

Mr. Trump’s speech, in which he called for unity and beseeched Democrats and Republicans to work together “for the good of the American people,” was widely praised for its optimistic and conciliatory tone.

A CNN poll found that about 7 in 10 Americans said the speech made them feel more optimistic about the direction of the country, and 57 percent said they had a “very positive” reaction to Mr. Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.

U.S. stock market indexes soared on Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average rocketed more than 300 points to break through the 21,000 barrier, closing at a record 21,115.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer resisted giving Mr. Trump credit for the rapid rise in stocks but noted “a renewed sense of confidence” since the November election.

He did credit the speech with boosting the president’s political stock.

“Last night’s address clearly generated a lot of momentum, and the president is anxious to continue working on an ambitious legislative agenda,” he said.

However, Mr. Spicer acknowledged the chilly reception from most Democrats.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said the address “was clearly a bait-and-switch speech.”

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, balked at Mr. Trump’s offer to work on bipartisan goals, saying he just didn’t trust the president.

“How he talks and how he walks are totally different,” Mr. Schumer said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, one of several TV appearances in which he bashed the speech.

Mr. Schumer did express a willingness to work on an infrastructure spending package but said Mr. Trump quickly took up a Democratic plan to spend $1 trillion to build and repair roads, bridges, railways and airports.

Mr. Trump has said he wants to use public-private partnerships to help finance a $1 trillion infrastructure program.

Mr. Spicer called it an encouraging sign.

“I’m glad he’s found one area where he’s willing to work with the president on. I know that multiple times this morning he was offered an opportunity on various shows to talk about things that he thought they could work on with the president,” he said.

“It is somewhat disappointing that when you look at all the things the president said that offered an olive branch to both parties and seemingly should unify the country on issues and on goals that it is nice to finally hear that we’ve found one,” said Mr. Spicer. “I think there are lots of areas in that speech last night that transcended party lines and ideology and that united us all as Americans.”