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The goal, he said, is to eliminate all its mandates and taxes and intrusion into your personal lives and into the lives of your business, he said shortly afterHouse Speaker Paul Ryan introduced Pence to the crowd.

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We both know the fundamental truth of our economy: when small business is strong, America is strong, and were gonna fight every day for small business America, said Pence.

Pence said states would be given the resources and flexibility needed to take care of our most vulnerable, he said. When we repeal and replace Obamacare that were gonna allow states to have the flexibility to craft state-based solutions that will work for the people of their individual states, he said.

The truth is is virtually every promise of Obamacare has been broken, said Pence.

Today Americans are paying $3,000 dollars a year more on average for their health insurance than when Obamacare was passed into law and premiums are skyrocketing, last year by more than 25 percent on average around the country. Millions have lost their plans and lost their doctors. And not only that, Obamacare is a job killer and everybody knows it.

The Vice President cited Wisconsin-based business Harley-Davidson, a company President Donald Trump spoke of during his Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress.

After years of delays, for instance, President Trump authorized the construction of the Keystone and Dakota pipelines creating thousands of American jobs and strengthening our energy infrastructure, Pence offered as evidence of Trumps efforts to restart the American economy.

Pence credited Trump with signing legislation to roll back reams of red tape while also thanking Congress, Speaker Ryan and Sen. Johnson for sending that legislation to Trumps desk. He added that Trump has called on every government agency to roll back two regulations for each new regulation they want to issue any new regulations on businesses and entrepreneurs.

Hes taken decisive action to end illegal immigration once and for all, to strengthen our borders and uphold the laws of the United States of America, Pence said of the President.

He said that American businesses have responded to Trumps calls to buy American and hire American.

The Vice President heavily emphasized the weight placed on businesses and American families by the Affordable Care Act. Its just a long list of broken promises, said Pence. He called Obamacare promises of the cost of health insurance going down, patients being able to keep their doctor and being able to keep their insurance, not true.

Im going to make you a promise, you heard the President say it and give direction to the Congress, and its just going to start happening in just a few days. Were gonna repeal Obamacare once and for all and eliminate all its mandates and taxes and intrusion into your personal lives and into the lives of your business, pledged Pence.He went on to promise it would be replaced with a better law that will lower health insurance costs without growing the size of government.

Pence again referenced Trumps Tuesday night speech, stating that the Trump Administration will end government mandated health insurance, allow it to be sold across state lines creating a national marketplace for health insurance that he said would be the catalyst to lowering health insurance costs.

Pence went on to speak of select additional aspects of the Trump Administration agenda, Jobs, jobs, jobs. He said that the President would be involved in overseeing the biggest tax relief package since President Ronald Reagans Administration.

He promised to roll back regulations, rein in unelected bureaucrats, end wasteful spending and provide the best roads, airports, and highways through infrastructure improvements.

President Trump stands with the men and women who serve in law enforcement all across this country like no one Ive ever met, said Pence. He said they would make sure that those who come into the country dont pose a threat to Americans.

President Donald Trump and the leadership of this Congress will rebuild the military, make sure armed forces have the training and resources they need to protect this nation starting now, said Pence.

Pence defined what it looks like to Make America Great Again, Health care reform, tax reform, regulatory reform, taking steps to make America secure, ensuring that the highest court in the land upholds our highest ideals.

The Vice President spoke of those who want to stick with the status quo, but said Trump would deliver on this moment for the people of the United States of America. Whether its the media, the establishment insiders or the rest, They have no problem standing in the way of change.

In closing, Pence said, Whatever challenges we face today, were going to stay in the promise-keeping business.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana

The rest is here:
VP Mike Pence Promises Obamacare Repeal to Begin in a 'Few Days' - Breitbart News

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Mike Pence used a private email address to discuss security matters while governor, though Republican security experts close to the situation tell us, BLAAAAARHG THE CLINTON FOUNDATION!!!! *vomits into boot*. Thanks to terrible Democratic messaging, guys who shook Sergey Kislyaks hand is now the guys who shook Sinatras hand of politics. And President Trump tweeted out a picture that popped up on Reddit, snaked its way through Gateway Pundit and finally landed on Drudge. The incident recalled that famous scene in All the Presidents Men when Woodward and Bernstein took down the president by posting a this is the future that liberals want meme that was straight fire. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Friday, March 3rd, 2017:

PENCE USED PRIVATE EMAIL AS GOV, INCLUDING TO DISCUSS SECURITY MATTERS - BRB, were trying to develop an 11-dimensional BENGHAZI acrostic. Tony Cook: Vice President Mike Pence routinely used a private email account to conduct public business as governor of Indiana, at times discussing sensitive matters and homeland security issues. Emails released to IndyStar in response to a public records request show Pence communicated via his personal AOL account with top advisers on topics ranging from security gates at the governors residence to the states response to terror attacks across the globe. In one email, Pences top state homeland security adviser relayed an update from the FBI regarding the arrests of several men on federal terror-related charges. Cyber-security experts say the emails raise concerns about whether such sensitive information was adequately protected from hackers, given that personal accounts like Pences are typically less secure than government email accounts. In fact, Pences personal account was hacked last summer. Furthermore, advocates for open government expressed concerns about transparency because personal emails arent immediately captured on state servers that are searched in response to public records requests. [Indianapolis Star]

GOP TRYING TO FIND COHESION ON OBAMACARE REPEAL - Matt Fuller: House Republican leaders are hoping recalcitrant conservatives in their party who claim they can sink those efforts wont be willing to cross President Donald Trump. During a closed-door conference Thursday morning, GOP leaders did everything they could to circle, underline and highlight anything they interpreted as clues that the president supports them. They went so far as to cut up clips of Trumps speech and tie his vague words to specific components of their plan. In the House GOP leadership edit of Trumps address, for instance, tax credits become advance refundable tax credits a controversial cornerstone of House Speaker Paul Ryans replacement plan that conservatives say is nothing more than another monthly welfare check. The leadership response is less focused on the policy, however, and more on raw power. Their message to their colleagues at Thursdays gathering: Whatever you may think of the plan, Trump supports it. And thats all you should need to know. [HuffPost]

THE ANATOMY OF A TRUMP TWEET - Sam Levine: President Donald Trump attempted to call out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday by highlighting a meeting over a decade ago between Schumer and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump tweeted the image after it appeared in a Reddit thread Thursday and was shared by a number of conservative pundits, including an editor-at-large for Infowars.com, a site that promotes conspiracy theories. The picture also appeared on Gateway Pundit, which has also promoted conspiracies, as well as on conservative site, The Drudge Report. The photo appears to be from 2003, when Putin made a public appearance at a New York City gas station that had recently been bought by Russias Lukoil. Schumer responded to Trump by highlighting the absurdity of his comparison, noting that Sessions denied having contact with Russias ambassador while he was under oath. [HuffPost]

Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. Its free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to eliot@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill

LAKES ALREADY GREAT, NO NEED TO MAKE THEM GREAT AGAIN - AKA, good luck with that buyers remorse, Rust Belt voters. Garret Ellison: The White House is proposing to slash Environmental Protection Agency funding that pays for Great Lakes pollution cleanup by 97 percent, according to a budget document obtained by the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. The potential cuts are part of President Donald Trumps initial 2018 budget proposal, detailed in a U.S. Office of Management and Budget passback to the EPA that outlines drastic cuts to an agency Trump has called a job killer and promised to reduce to tidbits as a candidate. The proposal would virtually eliminate annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding, slashing it from $300 million to $10 million among other cuts that would altogether reduce the EPAs total budget by a quarter. Specific program cuts were reported by the Oregonian and have been confirmed by other news agencies like the Detroit Free Press. [Michigan Live]

ITS ALMOST LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE IS FILLED WITH SYCOPHANTIC OPPORTUNISTS - And yet, Katrina Pierson is not yet employed there. Christopher Massie, Nathan McDermott, and Andrew Kaczynski: Sebastian Gorka, a top counterterrorism adviser to President Donald Trump, frequently criticized Trumps approach to foreign policy during the 2016 presidential campaign, at one point saying Trump was full of bluster on the issues but had no depth. In his current role as deputy assistant to the president, Gorka has become one of Trumps most prominent cheerleaders, frequently hitting the radio airwaves to defend the presidents policies and public statements. Gorkas work for Trump goes back as far as 2015, as federal election commission filings showed that Gorka was paid $8,000 that October to be a policy consultant for the Trump campaign. But a CNN KFile review of Gorkas public comments throughout the presidential campaign shows that even after his work for Trump, the former Breitbart national security editor offered stinging critiques of his future boss rhetoric on key foreign policy issues from terrorism to Russia and China. [CNN]

SESSIONS DOESNT WANT TO HARSH YOUR BUZZ AS MUCH - Americas attorney general, perhaps suddenly realizing the benefits of having marijuanas calming properties readily available, is being less of a narc. Burgess Everett: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has privately reassured some Republican senators that he wont deviate from an Obama-era policy of allowing states to implement their own marijuana laws. Sessions has rattled both libertarians and liberals in ordering a review of the hands-off pot policy under President Barack Obama. But Sessions provided some private assurances to senators before he was confirmed that he was not considering a major shift in enforcement, despite his opposition to the use of marijuana. [S]ince he was confirmed, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said administration officials have left him with the impression there is no big policy change coming. Nothing at this point has changed, Gardner said. [Politico]

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragans staff is having difficulty with its new office dog, per this email it sent around the Hill: We have a dog in our office (Nico), who is learning how to walk on the linoleum floor.. and he is terrified of it. I know this is an odd request, but does someone have a four legged pal that can show him the ropes? [From a reader on the Hill]

WITCH HUNT AT FEDERAL AGENCIES - Arshad Mohammed, Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel: Washington career civil servants say the clampdown appears designed to try to limit the flow of information inside and outside government and deter officials from talking to the media about topics that could result in negative stories. Several officials in different agencies who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said some employees fear their phone calls and emails may be monitored and that they are reluctant to speak their minds during internal discussions. In addition, the sources say that limits imposed on the flow of information have blindsided cabinet-level officials on some major issues and led to uncertainty among foreign governments about U.S. policy. [Reuters]

AHHHH, YES, THE OL MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR HAS TO BE A WEE BIT LIBERAL MOVE - LOL, remember when Mitt Romney was pro-choice? Priyanka Dayal McCluskey: Governor Charlie Baker is pledging to boost state funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Massachusetts if his fellow Republicans in Washington push ahead with a plan to slash the flow of federal dollars to the organization. Massachusetts five Planned Parenthood clinics stand to lose a total of about $2 million a year, from a budget of $21.5 million, if the federal cuts take place. That money does not go directly from the government to Planned Parenthood; it is paid through Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that provides health coverage for low-income Americans. The Republican proposal would effectively block Medicaid patients from receiving womens health services such as cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and contraception from Planned Parenthood. Federal dollars are already restricted from being used to pay for abortions. But some Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, want to defund the nonprofit because it provides abortions. [Boston Globe]

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR - Here are some turkeys holding a seance.

THIS STORY IS SOMEWHAT RELATED TO OUR POLITICS AND WE WANT TO DIE - Jenna Amatulli: Arnold Schwarzenegger is apparently not returning to Celebrity Apprentice as host, according to a recent report from Empire magazine. He cited President Donald Trumps involvement with the project as the reason. I learned a lot, I had a great time, it was a really great opportunity, Schwarzenegger told the publication. But under the circumstances I dont want to do it again. The actor and former governor said the decision had nothing do with the show, but rather the people who came up to him and said they wouldnt watch because of Trump. Everyone I ran into came up to me and said I love the show...but I turned it off because as soon as I read Trumps name, Im outta there! [HuffPost]

- Needy basset hound is needy.

- An eagle equipped with a GoPro hunts a fox.

- Historys greatest catch.

@JZdziarski: Im pretty sure the characters from Youve Got Mail exhibited better opsec than the current administration.

@SimonMaloy: Trump could try explaining why everyone around him lies about meeting with Russians

or he could tweet dumb pictures he got from Jim Hoft

@YAppelbaum: Rick Perry jokes hell one-up Zinkes horse by arriving for his first day at DOE on a single-stage rocket, per pool

Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com)

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HUFFPOST HILL - Jason Chaffetz Undoubtedly Preparing 11-Hour Grilling Of Mike Pence - Huffington Post

Northern Lehigh's Ryan Farber is a No. 2 overall seed at 160 pounds and Saucon Valley's Josh Jones is a No. 3 at 120 for this weekend's PIAA Class 2A wrestling championships at Hershey's Giant Center.

Here are the pairings:

106: Beau Bayless, Reynolds, bye; Ethan Paul, Upper Dauphin vs. Ethan Kauffman, Saint Joseph's; Sheldon Seymour, Troy vs. Kyle Anspach, Northern Lebanon; Luke Gorg, Hughesville vs. Elijah Bundro, Wilson; Kaden Cassidy, Bishop McCort, bye; William Burgess, Union City vs. Kody Evans, Susquehanna Township; Nate Smith, Bishop McDevitt, bye; Noah Hunt, Warrior Run vs. Baylor Shunk, Penns Valley; Allen Simmons, Cambria Heights vs. Anthony Glasl, Brockway; Josh Boozel, Mount Union vs. Steve McGarvie, Fort LeBoeuf; Jacob Blair, Muncy, bye; Devan Blose, Newport vs. Trent Valovchik, Burrell.

113: Jaret Lane, Southern Columbia, bye; Marckis Branford, Wilson vs. Manny Dovshek, Bentworth; Richie Markulics, Notre Dame-GP vs. Keelan Kunselman, Brookville; Tyger Evans, Susquehanna Township vs. Isaac Crowell, Fort LeBoeuf; Dylan Williams, Chestnut Ridge, bye; Colby Bronzburg, Bloomsburg vs. Landon West, Bermudian Springs; Kyle Busy, Ridgway, bye; Cal Schoffstall, Tri-Valley vs. Garret Cornell, Everett; Z.J. Ward, Freedom vs. Wyatt Lutz, Montoursville; Derrick Christie, Westmont-Hilltop vs. Austin Burkhart, Athens; Chase Shields, Bishop McDevitt, bye; Blake Passarelli, Curwensville vs. Bryan Gaul, Burrell.

120: Gavin Park, Brookville, bye; Isaiah Bryner, Newport vs. Jett Pattison, McGuffey; Cole Hauck, Line Mountain vs. Baily Wehr, Northwestern; Colin Pasone, Meyers vs. Bronson Garber, Upper Dauphin; Jacob Powers, Saint Joseph's, bye; John Wheeler, Northwestern vs. Colin Leonard, Northern Lebanon; Josh Jones, Saucon Valley, bye; Bob Long, Lake-Lehman vs. Trent Bechtold, Burrell; Brian Dawson, Hope for Hyndman vs. Andrew Ischo, Reynolds; Darren Yearick, Penns Valley vs. Kenny Kiser, Saegertown; Cole Rhone, Benton, bye; Ryan McGuire, Notre Dame-GP vs. Jimmy Gwyer, Beth-Center.

126: Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan, bye; Nicholas Vonelli, Notre Dame-GP vs. Bryce Barclay, Ridgway; Jeremy Hanford, Warrior Run vs. Tanner Ball, Pequea Valley; Joe Klock, Benton vs. Kollin Myers, Boiling Springs; Tye Varndell, Cambridge Springs, bye; Shawn Broadway, Derry vs. Nick Reto, Pen Argyl; Austin Clabaugh, Bermudian Springs, bye; Devin Pietkiewicz, Shamokin vs. Alex Richner, Moshannon Valley; Nick Oosterkamp, Harborcreek vs. Dillan Jeffrey, Burrell; Gage Bayless, Reynolds vs. John Rocco Kazalas, Quaker Valley; Brian Earlston, Line Mountain, bye; Paul Miller, Saucon Valley vs. Austin Mihalchik, Mount Pleasant.

132: Brian Courtney, Athens, bye; Farhan Musrial, Susquehanna Township vs. Charlie Beatty, Marion Center; Tanner McHugh, Tamaqua vs. Lukas McClain, Ridgway; Trevor Leonard, Northern Lebanon vs. Donate Constable, Brookville; Carnell Andrews, Bishop McCort, bye; Collin Klinger, Line Mountain vs. Colin Rex, Northwestern; Hunter Michaels, Reynolds, bye; Bodee Tolbert, Bishop McDevitt vs. Liam Flaherty, Everettt; Tyler Griffiths, Southmoreland vs. Colton Babcock, Benton; Caleb Dowling, Saint Joseph's vs. R.J. Driscoll, Lake-Lehman; Gabe Miller, Pequea Valley, bye; Tyler Thompson, Bradford vs. Tyler Alberts, Ellwood City.

138: Max Murin, Central Cambria, bye; Nick Bradley, Kennard-Dale vs. D.J. Erickson, Hanover Area; Logan McClain, Ridgway vs. Zach Kelly, Northern Lebanon; Michael Doerflinger, Slippery Rock vs. Jack Bennett, Schuylkill Valley; Brett Uhrin, Valley View, bye; Alex Caldwell, Ligonier Valley vs. Angelo Mahaffey, Saucon Valley; Sammy Hepler, Tri-Valley, bye; Hunter Wagner, Titusville vs. Chase Komara, Freedom; Braden Stahlnecker, Hughesville vs. Thayne Lawrence, Frazier; Noah Stamm, Milton vs. Josh Kuslock, Chartiers-Houston; Cole Matthews, Reynolds, bye; Mario Gordon, Notre-Dame-GP vs. Austin Lee, Berlin-Brothersvalley.

145: John Pipa, Bishop McDevitt, bye; Jared Hurd, Penns Valley vs. Josh Hancock, Cranberry; Bob Lipski, Lake-Lehman vs. Kody Komara, Freedom; Logan Bennett, Milton vs. Dallas Bulsak, South Park; John Mott, Commodore Perry, bye; Jason Jones, Saucon Valley vs. Joe Demor, South Side Beaver; Justin McCoy, Chestnut Ridge, bye; Kenny Boyer, Line Mountain vs. Jackson Bernhard, Northwestern; Jude Mattocks, Saegertown vs. Nathan Haubert, Palisades; Chaise Hauck, Reynolds vs. Andrew Barnett, Kennard-Dale; Todd Lane, Southern Columbia, bye; Challen Cornetto, Marion Center vs. Cameron Palmer, Boiling Springs.

152: Caleb Hetrick Brookville, bye; Jon Dale, Moshannon Valley vs. Tyler Stoltzfus, Mifflinburg; Derek Yingling, West Branch vs. Caleb Clymer, Northwestern; Brock Biddle, Central Martinsburg vs. Chase Anklam, Pen Argyl; Kaidon Winters, Athens, bye; Aiden Hulings, Kane vs. Ashton West, Bermudian Springs; Edmond Ruth, Susquehanna Township, bye; Sam Garner, Laurel vs. Dane Csencsits, Saucon Valley; Josh Haley, Wyalusing vs. Cameron Prebble, Sharpsville; Cade Linn, Southern Columbia vs. Michael Lineman, Greenville; Robby Patrick, Ligonier Valley, bye; Jakob Naylor, Wyomissing vs. Logan Witwicki, Carlynton.

160: Creighton Edsell, Wyalusing, bye; Colin Fegley, Mahanoy Area vs. Hunter Jones, Greensburg Central Catholic; Tanner Vogl, Wyomissing vs. Jacob Kallenborn, Port Allegany; Hunter Kennedy, Panther Valley vs. Gage Arnold, Coudersport; Larry Brown, Moshannon Valley, bye; Cal Haladay, Southern Columbia vs. Brian Shermeyer, Delone Catholic; Gavin Wilkerson, Reynolds, bye; Jackson Kennerly, Upper Dauphin vs. Derek Brown, Penn Cambria; Seth Baney, Huntingdon vs. Kyle Bennett, Montoursville; Morgan Deremer, Chestnut Ridge vs. Jacob Carpenter, Shamokin; Ryan Farber, Northern Lehigh, bye; Joe Galvin, Iroquois vs. Cody Jenkins, South Allegheny.

170: Jacob Oliver, Huntingdon, bye; Tyler Fisher, Kutztown vs. Bruce Parola, Scranton Prep; Matt Lewandowski, Mahanoy Area vs. Jared Kula, Fort LeBoeuf; Carl Harris, Littlestown vs. Nick McClimans, Sharon; Gaige Garcia, Southern Columbia, bye; Kyle Myers, West Branch vs. Dawson Schwalm, Tri-Valley; Joe Leise, Reynolds, bye; Luca Colestock, Camp Hill vs. Gavin Wills, Everett; Hunter O'Connor, Jersey Shore vs. Jared McGill, Chestnut Ridge; Nate Bradley, Athens vs. R.J. Hall, Chartiers-Houston; Dalton Group, Susquenita, bye; Zach Cassidy, Harborcreek vs. Jarred Stoy, Penn Cambria.

182: Zach Zimmerman, Troy, bye; Emmanuel Ahoua, Valley Forge Military Academy vs. Christian Hutzell, Meyersdale; Brendan Calvin, Greenville vs. Jared Mooney, Palmerton; Julian Gorring, Fort LeBoeuf vs. Devin Evans, Susquehanna Township; Dominic Fundy, Beth-Center, bye; Andrew Shedleski, Lewisburg vs. Jahshim Snyder, Eastern York; Luke Funck, Northern Lebanon, bye; Noah Cieleski, Brookville vs. Austin Barber, Greatern Johnstown; Anthony Marra, Burrell vs. Joe Koss, Towanda; Dominic DeLuca, Derry vs. Alec Dragos, Honesdale; Cody Mulligan, Saegertown, bye; Colten Drawbaugh, Trinity vs. Garrett Gabel, Juniata.

195: Gavin Hoffman, Montoursville, bye; Jared Smith, Central Martinsburg vs. Brady Herr, Newport; Jerry Moore, Blairsville vs. Jacob McMaster, Greenville; Exree Loe, Greater Johnstown vs. Xavier Molnar, Brookville; Donny Gelnett, Upper Dauphin, bye; Luke Walter, Mifflinburg vs. Tyler Stine, Summit Academy; Clay Verbanac, Cambridge Springs, bye; Hunter Tremain, North Star vs. Brady Repasky, Delone Catholic; Austin Taylor, Boiling Springs vs. Mike Wilcox, Wyalusing; Noah Fleshman, Bermudian Springs vs. Ivan Balavage, Scranton Prep; Anthony Walters, Bishop McCort, bye; Tyler Brooks, Saegertown vs. Noel Gilgeous, Church Farm School.

220: Cole Nye, Bishop McDevitt, bye; Ryan Mauro, Southmoreland vs. Cole Fuller, Western Wayne; Tler Zebrovious, Lakeview vs. Landon Fisher, Huntingdon; Tyler Cook, Brookville vs. BIshop McCoy, South Side Beaver; Max Mason, Jersey Shore, bye; Nasir Pettus, Bishop McDevitt (District 12) vs. Riley Miller, United; Josiah Jones, Bishop McCort, bye; Derek Skeehan, Reynolds vs. Hunter Wallace, Northern Lebanon; Jarret Walters, Danville vs. Devin Fontanez, Saucon Valley; Hunter Poush, Muncy vs. Jakob Paul, Halifax; Blake Reynolds, Greenville, bye; Noah Wiencek, Derry vs. Ben Nosal, Catasauqua.

285: Cole Rickert, Reynolds, bye; Trey Lober, Chartiers-Houston vs. Ian Minnich, Williams Valley; Josh Dauberman, Hughesville vs. Evan Sweesy, Freedom; Dawson Otis, Wyalusing vs. Nick Winfield, Southern Huntingdon; Dan Scheib, Tri-Valley, bye; Colton McClain, Ridgway vs. Kyle Peterson, Everett; Toby Cahill, Berlin-Brothersvalley, bye; Sam Rishel, Mifflinburg vs. Michael Hubble, Brandywine Heights; Bryce Perkins, Delone Catholic vs. Bobby Gregory, Mercer; Jason Schaffer, Northern Lehigh vs. Jeffrey Kraemer, North East; Garrett Kieffer, Line Mountain, bye; Nate Martin, Central Cambria vs. Deion Adams, Wyomissing.

Read more from the original source:
PIAA Class 2A wrestling pairings - The Morning Call - Allentown Morning Call

Republicans, meanwhile, urged Trump to let the House and Senate intelligence committees do their jobs.

Both parties made clear that Trump's allegation -- which the White House has not offered any evidence to support, and which Obama administration officials emphatically deny -- won't be dropped anytime soon, as even GOP lawmakers who have backed Trump said they'd investigate.

Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his committee would look into whether the federal government was conducting wiretapping of campaign officials as part of the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the US election.

"One of the focus points of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation is the U.S. government's response to actions taken by Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign," Nunes said in a statement Sunday. "As such, the Committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party's campaign officials or surrogates, and we will continue to investigate this issue if the evidence warrants it."

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced Sunday night they planned to ask White House Counsel Donald McGahn to provide the committee with a list of communications between the White House and the Department of Justice regarding probes into Russian interference in the election.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, accused Trump of advancing yet another unfounded conspiracy in an effort to distract from the issues dogging his administration in its early weeks.

"You make up something and then you have the press write about it, and then you say, 'everybody's writing about this charge,'" House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's a tool of an authoritarian, to just have you always be talking about what you want to be talking about."

Their comments come after Trump's aides asked Congress to look into whether the Obama administration abused its investigative powers during the 2016 election.

"Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in the statement, which he also posted on Twitter. "President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.

"Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted," Spicer added. He did not provide any further details on the President's request to Congress.

While Spicer said "reports" prompted the call for a congressional investigation, the White House still has not provided any evidence to back up the President's accusations. There are no publicly known credible reports to back up Trump's claim that Obama ordered Trump's phones be monitored.

Frustrated that the Russia stories have overshadowed a widely praised performance in his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump angrily raised the wiretapping issue unprompted in conversations with friends and acquaintances at Mar-a-Lago, two people who have spoken with him at his Palm Beach resort over the last 24 hours said on Sunday. The President didn't specify what information he was basing his accusations upon, but told them he expected an investigation to prove him right.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy posted a column Sunday saying he spoke with the President twice on Saturday about the wiretap story.

"When I mentioned Obama 'denials' about the wiretaps, he shot back: 'This will be investigated, it will all come out. I will be proven right," Ruddy wrote.

Multiple former senior US officials have dismissed Trump's allegations, however, calling them "nonsense" and "false." Obama, through a spokesman, also rejected the claim that he ordered Trump's phones tapped.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a career intelligence official who had oversight of the US intelligence community in that role, said Sunday that Trump was not wiretapped by intelligence agencies nor did the FBI obtain a court order through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor Trump's phones.

"For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign," Clapper said Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press."

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff called Trump's claims as "destructive as it was baseless," but tied the President's call to the California Democrat's criticism of FBI Director James Comey for not being forthcoming about any investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump administration.

"If the administration truly believes that President Obama illegally eavesdropped on the Trump campaign and wants our committee to investigate the matter, they should join my call on Director Comey to answer any question put to him that is pertinent to the Russia investigation," Schiff said in a statement.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina, said his panel would follow the evidence trail in its investigation of Russian intelligence activities.

"As I've said since the beginning and have repeated since, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will follow the evidence where it leads, and we will continue to be guided by the intelligence and facts as we compile our findings," Burr said.

Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted at Spicer that he looks forward "to seeing your evidence," calling the allegations a "mess."

Himes also mocked Trump's claim in a tweet Sunday.

Rubio pointed out that the Senate Intelligence Committee is already in the process of reviewing Russia's meddling in the US elections last year and will eventually issue a public report.

"But what I think we should do is, everybody needs to take a deep breath and calm down here," the Florida Republican told CNN's Jake Tapper. "And let's go through this as what we are doing. In the Senate Intelligence Committee, we are working in a bipartisan way to collect facts that involve reviewing classified and sometimes unclassified and open-source information."

Sen. Susan Collins, also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday morning that she has "seen no evidence" to back up Trump's wiretapping allegation and called on the White House to turn over any evidence to the committee.

"What we need to deal with is evidence, not statements," the Maine Republican said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he believes Trump is "in trouble" whether there was a court order authorizing surveillance of his phones or "if he falsely spread this kind of misinformation."

"If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It's beneath the dignity of the presidency. It is something that really hurts people's view of government," the New York Democrat said Sunday on "Meet the Press." "On the other hand, if it's true, it's even worse for the President. Because that means that a federal judge, independently elected, has found probable cause that the president, or people on his staff, have probable cause to have broken the law or to have interacted with a foreign agent. Now that's serious stuff."

Schumer said he had no problem with the congressional intelligence committees including Trump's request in their investigation into Russian activity in the 2016 election, but he also used the call as an opportunity to reiterate Democrats' calls for a special prosecutor to investigate connections between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

CNN's Manu Raju, Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

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How Congress responded to Trump's request to investigate the Obama administration - CNN

New York Times

Donald Trump, Mosul, China: Your Morning Briefing New York Times ... President Trump demanded that Congress investigate whether former President Barack Obama abused his power after accusing him of ordering a wiretap of phones at Trump Tower before the election. Mr. Trump has offered no evidence to support the ...

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Donald Trump, Mosul, China: Your Morning Briefing - New York Times