https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ye...awmakers-rocky-start-smooth-finish-1513944001WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, who opened their first year in full control of Washington on rocky terms, are closing it with a flush of late legislative achievements: a sweeping tax overhaul, a long-sought repeal of a pillar of the Affordable Care Act and a surprise deal to open up Arctic drilling—all signed into law Friday.
After the high-profile collapse of a health-care bill to replace Obama care, the tax legislation itself is a victory that changes the narrative of the first year, some observers said.
“To be viewed as an effective president, you have to be viewed as winning on Capitol Hill, and this ends the year on an up note for him,” said Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff for Republican President Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Trump and Congress will add their 11th-hour achievements to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and other conservative judges to federal courts and the rollback of Obama-era regulations through the Congressional Review Act, which until now had been frequently cited by supporters of the administration.