Earlier today President Trump signed an Executive Order: “President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide”—the PREVENTS Initiative.

The President delivered remarks during the signing ceremony for the initiative:

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[White House] The Executive Order establishes a task force that includes the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. The task force will develop a comprehensive public health roadmap for helping veterans pursue an improved quality of life and ending the national tragedy of veteran suicide.

• The roadmap will include a national research strategy for engaging with public- and-private sector stakeholders to better understand the underlying factors of suicide, and to lead to earlier identification and intervention.
• The roadmap will also include a proposal for equipping State and local governments with the resources and tools they need to empower veteran communities and provide needed services.

* To prevent suicide, the Federal Government must work side-by-side with partners across all levels of government and with the private and non-profit sectors.

* The Administration’s roadmap will help create a national and local ecosystem that cultivates active engagement with each veteran, rather than a passive system wherein the onus for engagement is placed on veterans.

A NATIONAL TRAGEDY: Veteran suicide is a national tragedy that has taken too many of our Nation’s heroes.

* Despite significant efforts and billions of dollars invested, suicide rates among veterans rose 26 percent from 2005 to 2016.

* In 2016, the suicide rate was one and a half times greater for veterans than for non-veteran adults.

* Each day, an average of 20 service members and veterans die by suicide, nearly 70 percent of whom are not engaged with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for their healthcare.

* Veterans often endure traumatic experiences—either emotional or physical—which make them susceptible to mental health issues.

STRENGTHENING VETERAN SUPPORT: This Executive Order will amplify the existing efforts of the Trump Administration to improve quality of care for our veterans.

* President Trump previously signed an Executive Order directing his Administration to improve access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources for veterans.

* President Trump secured a record $73.1 billion in funding for the VA to provide quality medical care for our veterans.

• This included $8.6 billion for mental health services and $206 million for suicide prevention.

* The President revolutionized the VA healthcare system by signing the VA MISSION Act.

* The President has expanded access to telehealth services to help reach more veterans, including through his “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA healthcare initiative.

[LINK]

U.S. Trade Rep Robert Lighthizer’s work on the U.S-China trade negotiations is easily the most technically challenging and legally complex trade deal in the history of U.S. Commerce. Lighthizer is not focused on selling more U.S. product, he is focused on bigger issues and enforcement therein.

Think about it.  This is a deal between a U.S. open market economy and a communist controlled closed market economy in China.  No nation has a comprehensive trade deal with China on anything except individual business sectors.

Despite China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, no nation has ever achieved anything close to an aggregate FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with China.  This deal would be the first comprehensive deal, and as such Lighthizer is essentially mapping out an agreement that all other nations could follow….  This is big-league.

The protection of intellectual property; cyber security; patent protections and trade secrets; the removal of non-tariff trade barriers; protection for U.S. ownership of companies doing business in China; the confrontation of currency manipulation; and the sector-by-sector enforcement provisions are the primary objectives of Ambassador Robert Lighthizer.

The Chinese trade delegation wanted a relatively light framework for the MOU (Memo of Understanding); basically a six page outline. However, Bob Lighthizer and President Trump demanded heavy contractual terms that can be directly transferred from the initial agreement (MOU) into the final legally binding deal; a very ‘heavy’ MOU.

If there is to be a trade summit between President Trump and Chairman Xi Jinping, this is the contract they would be committing themselves to.

In this video interview below CEA Chairman Kevin Hassett is cautious to stay in his lane, but he hints that Lighthizer and Trump’s contract framework, the agreement in principle, is already “north of 100 pages” and still being worked hard.

[Video at 25:00 prompted, just hit play]

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And now….  for something, completely different. Enjoy:

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Earlier today President Donald Trump hosted an annual gathering for the National Association of Attorneys General.  Video and Transcript)

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[Transcript] – State Dining Room, 4:30 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Please. Thank you very much. I’m very honored to welcome our State Attorneys General back to the White House.

We were together last year, and I said, “I’m inviting you back.” And a lot things have been done, a lot of progress has been made. And, Vice President, thank you very much for being here. You were here last year and we’re here again, Mike.

Let me begin by saying our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating storms in Alabama, Georgia, and the surrounding states, and especially to the families of those who have tragically lost their lives.

I’ve spoken with Governor Ivey, and we’re working closely with officials throughout the region to get our communities back on their feet. Attorney General Marshall and Attorney General Carr, when you get home, please tell the people of the great states of Alabama and Georgia that America has their backs. We have a call in to Brian Kemp, and we let them know and — the Governor and everybody — that we’re with you 100 percent. Thank you very much. One hundred percent, we’ll be there. Thank you.

I want to thank your National Association President, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry — a friend of mine. We’re also grateful to be joined by our fantastic new Attorney General, Bill Barr. Bill, thank you.

Today, we join together to reaffirm and strengthen the vital partnership among state, local, and federal law enforcement. Only by working together can we ensure security for every community and deliver justice for every citizen.

I want to take a moment to send a message this afternoon, on behalf of everyone in this room, to all law enforcement personnel across America: You are loved, you are cherished and respected by the American people more than you will ever know. So true. More than you will ever know.

When I took office two years ago, one of my highest priorities was to reduce violent crime. In the two years before my inauguration, violent crime was up substantially — very substantially — and murders had increased by more than 20 percent.

For this reason, my administration resurrected Project Safe Neighborhoods — bringing together citizens groups, sheriffs, and police departments to put dangerous offenders behind bars, while supporting crime prevention and reentry programs.

Part of the reason we’re doing well is that people are getting jobs because the economy may be the strongest it’s ever been. I mean, all of your states are doing very well. I think we have the strongest economy, perhaps, ever. The lowest unemployment rate we’ve ever had — you could say “51 years” or you could say “ever.” But groups — if you look at African American, Asian American, Hispanic American — the lowest unemployment rate, historically, ever. So that helps a lot with what you do.

We deployed 200 new violent crime prosecutors. We charged a record number of firearms offenders. And last year, we prosecuted the most violent criminals ever. The most ever in our history, also.

With your help and leadership, violent crime is now going down for the first time in a long time. Murders in America’s largest cities dropped by 7 percent between 2016 and 2017.

Last year, we passed historic legislation to combat the devastating opioid and drug crisis. And I’m dealing with China right now on a very big trade deal, as you probably have read, heard. Some of you are a little bit involved.

But I can tell you, I said to President Xi that we cannot let fentanyl into our country. Almost 100 percent comes from China. It’s devastating. As you know, better than I do, it’s devastating. And he has promised to — and they’re in the process of doing — so when I take him for his word — make it a criminal act at the highest level, which, in China, means the death penalty. That should have a massive impact on fentanyl coming into our country from China.

This legislation expands lifesaving treatment and authorizes funding for local law enforcement to help those badly addicted get the treatment they need.

Our State Attorneys General are launching bold initiatives to fight this epidemic. In Arkansas, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge — thank you. Where is Leslie? Thank you. Thank you, Leslie, very much. Great job you’re doing too. Has taken on the drug companies, launched a groundbreaking education program and trained local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the opioid epidemic. So, Leslie, I want to thank you very much. Everyone is talking about it. Great job.

But to defeat this deadly epidemic, America’s southern border must be urgently and very strongly secured. We fight wars 6,000 miles away, we spend billions and billions of dollars, but we don’t control our own border.

Drug trafficking and human traffickers exploit our porous border to finance their ruthless operations across our hemisphere. One in three migrant women is sexually assaulted on the very dangerous journey north. Criminal cartels terrorize innocent people on both sides of the border. Thousands of our citizens are killed by lethal narcotics — 88,000 people, just with certain types of drugs — most of which come through the southern border. Eighty-eight thousand people die and that’s just a small portion of it. Hardworking people of every background pay the price for a lack of border control and security.

In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of approximately 100,000 assaults — and these are new numbers, hard to believe — 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 murders.

Every day, our brave ICE officers are on the front lines protecting our communities. We must always support the heroes of law enforcement, and we all support law enforcement in every way.

Sanctuary cities that release known criminal aliens put all Americans at risk. I urge everyone here today to make sure that your states and cities are fully cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security in their lifesaving mission.

We all share the same righteous goal: to build a future where every American — both immigrant and U.S.-born — can thrive in safety, dignity, harmony, and peace.

Before Christmas, I was proud to sign historic, bipartisan criminal justice reform into law. And I want to thank the National Association of Attorneys General for everything you did to help pass this FIRST STEP Act. And a special thanks to Attorney General Karl Racine. Where’s Karl? Karl? Karl? Karl? Hi, Karl. Great job. Thank you very much. You were very helpful. Everybody said “Karl.” I feel like you’re — like I know you. (Laughter.) That’s pretty good.

STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACINE: I feel like I know you as well, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Karl is — really was fantastic, from the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Josh Stein. Josh, thank you very much. Thank you, Josh. Josh, Josh. Stand up, Josh. Go ahead. Come on. That’s great. From a great place — from North Carolina.

And Attorney General, my friend Ken Paxton, from Texas. Thanks, Ken. Thanks. Great. Great job.

Together, we’re making our communities safer, our future brighter, and our people more prosperous than ever before. This is what our state and federal partnership is all about: putting the American Dream within reach of all of our citizens. And that’s happening more and more, and we’re very proud of it.

Thank you all for your friendship and your partnership and leadership. Extraordinary leadership, really. Thank you all for the incredible service to your states, your citizens, and your nation. You are very special people and doing a very special and important job. And everybody very much appreciates it, and I want to lead that list. Great job. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.)

END 4:39 P.M. EST