Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is muting expectations for 2020 GDP growth as Wall Street predicts a pathetic 1.8%

“I think our projections have been reduced because of Boeing and other impacts,” he told the Fox Business Network from the White House. “I think we would have hit 3%, but again, Boeing has had a big impact on our exports, being the largest exporter.”

“I think that could be 50 basis points or not more,” he added. ...

Wall Street consensus forecast for 2020 GDP is around 1.8% and the Federal Reserve’s forecast is 2%.

Story.

Annualized rate of economic growth slows from 3.2% in 3Q to 2.6% in 4Q 2017

Imports increased, a drag on GDP.

Expect more of the same if Trump & Co. (yeah, I'm talkin' to you Mnuchin) keep talkin' down the dollar.

DXY was trading above 100 as recently as last April, struggled to achieve 95 in November, and now this morning is trading around 89 after Mnuchin's loose lips at Davos.

It would be nice if this administration got its policy act together, on immigration, trade, the dollar, etc. instead of all these comments which imply they are winging it.

So much winging . . ..

Mnuchin confirmed to Treasury 53-47

Puzder to Labor is next.

24 days in and Democrats still won't let Trump form his government.

Republicans develop a spine, advance nominees Mnuchin and Price without Democrats who are boycotting the process

From the story here:

By unanimous consent, the Republicans gathered in the hearing room agreed to change the committee’s standing rules, which normally require at least one member of each party to be in attendance for committee work to proceed.

“It’s just another way of roughing up the president’s nominees,” said committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). “They have been treated fairly. We have not been treated fairly.”

Republicans made the unusual move after Democrats refused to attend a vote on the nominees for two days running, arguing the pair had made misleading statements to lawmakers that needed to be rectified.