‘You gave us a deadline’ 
“We’re all working in an effort to develop an immigration reform plan that will serve the interests of the American workers,” President Donald J. Trump said yesterday.

The President’s remarks came after he and Vice President Mike Pence sat down with a Republican Senate working group on immigration in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Several quotes after the meeting reveal what 2018 could hold for one of the President’s signature issues:

• Vice President Pence: “We’re going to enforce the laws of this country for the citizens of this country. . . . We’re going to do it with a big heart.”
• Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) to the President: “Immigration issues are very hard, they’re very emotional. But there’s been no deadline . . . You gave us a deadline.”
• President Trump: “If we have support from the Democrats, I think DACA is going to be terrific. . . We need protection. We need the wall. We need all of those things.”

Read how the President thinks bipartisan immigration reform can happen in 2018.

Vice President Pence: ‘Trump will not be silent’ 
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Vice President Pence drew a sharp distinction between how President Trump and former President Barack Obama handled mass Iranian protests against that country’s oppressive regime.

“Where his predecessor stayed silent in 2009,” the Vice President wrote, “Trump swiftly offered the Iranian people America’s unwavering support. He has also committed to provide assistance in the days ahead.”

The Vice President’s closing lines remind us that America is strongest on the world stage when it stands behind its values. “That is the essence of American leadership.”

Read the Vice President’s op-ed in full.

Dow breaks 25,000 for the first time ever 
CNBC and others reported yesterday that the Dow Jones Industrial Average has cleared the 25,000 mark for the first time—“tying the fastest 1,000-point move in its history,” writes Fred Imbert.

A quotable snippet from Imbert’s piece: “While it’s symbolically important, the real story is never just a number. It’s the underlying strength that is pushing markets this high,” said Steve Claussen, vice president of trader strategy at ETRADE.

Learn more about why the markets are soaring.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Vice President Mike Pence and Mrs. Karen Pence host faith leaders for dinner at the Naval Observatory | January 4, 2018 (Official White House Joyce N. Boghosian)

POTUS TODAY

This afternoon, President Trump will depart the White House en route to Camp David, where he will host bi-cameral Congressional Leadership for a small-group discussion of 2018 legislative priorities and the successful passage of tax cuts and reform.

COMING UP

On Monday, President Trump will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to address the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting—the first time since 1992 an American president has spoken at the event.