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EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN is sleep deprived, anxious to relax a little this weekend and reflect on the huge issues that loom between today and the U.S. Thanksgiving. Here are five crucial issues:
1. Is Vladimir Putin ready to negotiate? There are tentative signs that the Russian dictator may be willing to talk about a Ukraine deal — which would have enormous implications for U.S. defense spending. A breakthrough would be a huge victory for Donald Trump.
2. Taxes, the big domestic issue: The army of lobbyists that runs tax policy is worried — could the new Trump Administration move too quickly on the hugely complicated tax reform bill? This issue will heat up before Christmas with members of both parties asking — could the cost become excessive?
3. Susie Wiles, the new superstar: A tough lobbyist who has been appointed as White House chief of staff, Wiles will have her hands full, starting with what will be a very controversial issue: the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a major official in the new administration. Kennedy wants to abolish or radically scramble the Food and Drug Administration.
4. Energy production — too much? The U.S. is producing and exporting more energy than any country in the history of the world — but Trump wants to produce even more. This worries the energy industry — potentially the first issue in the new administration that could generate internal squabbling.
5. Who controls the House? It could take several more weeks before all the votes are counted in California, where the betting is that Republicans will win just enough House seats to gain control.
More to come, as the next three weeks will set the tone for the new administration — and exposes growing rifts among Democrats.
Related: The Day After: Washington in Shock
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