TB&P Daily: Rep. Womack on lame duck session, Trump cabinet picks

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, expects the lame duck session of Congress to extend temporary spending until the first of April and he lauded two House colleagues that have been asked to join the Donald Trump administration.

The full interview with Womack, whose partial comments appear in Wednesday’s Talk Business & Politics Daily, will air Sunday statewide. In the extended interview, Womack discusses the Clean Line energy project, Trump’s handling of potential business conflicts, and an infrastructure public works plan that is expected to be taken up in the next session of Congress.

Womack said he expects the current Congressional session to put in place a temporary budget to get through the Trump inaugural.

“We have between now and the 9th of December to pass a funding bill that carries us further into the fiscal year,” he said. “Sometime between now and then we’ll have to come up with a spending bill that carries us past the inauguration, and my guess, would take us perhaps until the end of March so that the new administration can come on board. And then we can kind of synchronize our plans to begin the process of doing what was promised during the campaign and then what House Republicans are eager to get underway.”

On Trump’s announcements so far for his administration, Womack urged patience, but he singled out two House colleagues who look to be considered for appointments: Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, and Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia.

Pompeo, a classmate of Womack’s from West Point, has been nominated for CIA director. Womack describes him as a “competent” and “accomplished guy” who graduated first in his class at the fabled military academy.

Price, a physician who has championed major changes to Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid, could bring about serious discussion on the topic of federal health policy.

“He’s got some strong ideas about how we reshape the health care agenda,” Womack said.

Watch today’s Talk Business & Politics Daily, which also includes our top stories and a look at Startup news, in the video below.