Trump, U.S. House Speaker Ryan meet to discuss policy
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, were meeting on Friday to discuss their policy agenda, a spokeswoman for Ryan said. The spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, gave no details. Officials in Trump's team said the meeting was taking place but did not elaborate. Differences between Ryan and Trump during the presidential campaign have given way to a working relationship as the Republican president-elect prepares to take office on Jan. 20. Ryan, the top House Republican, has said the two men speak almost every day. Trump has been meeting with experts, advisers and candidates for senior positions in his administration since winning the Nov. 8 election. He has nominated a dozen people already. He has yet to fill the position of secretary of state. The long list of possible candidates for that job now includes former Ford Motor Co CEO Alan Mulally, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Friday. A meeting with Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin was rescheduled from Friday to Monday to accommodate work in the Senate on a government funding bill, Manchin's spokesman said. The House passed legislation on Thursday to fund federal agencies until April 28. The bill now rests with the Senate, where Democrats are upset over the temporary, rather than long-term, extension of healthcare benefits for retired coal miners, a key constituency in Manchin's state of West Virginia. Manchin's name has been floated as a potential pick for secretary of state or energy secretary. (Reporting by Melissa Fares in New York and Susan Cornwell in Washington; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Frances Kerry)
