Feb 3, 2017 - Politics & Policy

The takeaways from Spicer's Friday briefing

Evan Vucci / AP

  • Financial regulatory executive orders: The president is about to sign two executive orders that set the table for a revamped regulatory system that "mitigates risk and encourages growth."
  • Dodd-Frank: "Dodd-Frank is a disaster ... It did not address the causes of the financial crisis." In addition to executive orders, Spicer said that the administration plans to work with Congress to potentially repeal some or all of the law.
  • Foreign policy roundup: Iran: Trump doesn't like to "telegraph his actions" and refuses to explicitly rule out military action.Cuba: The Trump administration is "committed to human rights" and is "reviewing" policy, but nothing has been explicitly discussed with the Cuban government.Israel: "At the end of the day, the goal is peace." Pressed on settlements, Spicer said that new construction or expansion of settlements "is not going to be helpful going forward."
  • Opioid and heroin crisis: The administration not only believes it is a "health crisis," but a "border crisis" as well.
  • "I'll get back to you on...": "The 100,000 visas revoked" under the travel ban; changes to the current anti-extremist "Countering Violent Extremists" program; Trump's tweet on professional anarchists; further arming Ukraine

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