Deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders subbed for Sean Spicer at Tuesday's daily press briefing.

Sanders's surprise appearance came as Spicer, who was scheduled to lead the briefing, was on Capitol Hill with other White House officials trying to salvage the Senate GOP's healthcare plan.

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Energy Secretary Rick Perry kicked off the briefing with remarks on the Trump administration's energy and environmental agenda.

Tuesday's briefing is the first on-camera Q&A session with the White House press corps in a week, and only the sixth this month, a shift that has caused friction with news organizations.