PHILADELPHIA – Republicans came here during the first week of the Trump administration to organize and set a legislative agenda. But a deluge of executive actions and flurry of headlines emanating from the White House have swamped the message and forced lawmakers to keep focused.

Wednesday, it was the relitigation of whether waterboarding is an effective interrogation method or illegal torture, and whether the president should pursue an investigation into voter fraud, coupled with executive actions on immigration and border security. Thursday, the main distraction was the cancellation of the president’s scheduled meeting with the Mexican president over disagreements about the border wall, and questions about how Congress will fund the wall until Trump negotiates a way to fulfill his campaign promise to make Mexico pay for it.

The first days of the lawmakers’ retreat foreshadowed the difficulties they face as they prepare a legislative blitz, including long hours and significant policy deadlines. As they adjusted to the new reality of non-stop action, Trump, who has no legislative experience and an impulse to tweet, launched an aggressive series of executive actions.

“I’ll tell you what, this is really a new day in Washington,” said Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho. “I’ve never seen the amount of work getting done that’s getting done. This thing is moving at a dizzying speed."

That swiftness has surprised some rank-and-file members – they expressed concern with the distracting messages about torture, voter fraud and the rehashing of the presidential campaign – and were eager for a more consistent message from the White House.

Others, however, said such “distractions” weren’t a problem for the White House or lawmakers. Republicans are attempting a major health care overhaul with the replacement of Obamacare, but Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, pointed out there was an almost-exclusive focus on Social Security reform shortly after President George W. Bush was re-elected, but the effort failed anyway. He said he wasn’t bothered by competing messages.

“This is the start of a presidency. There’s a lot of work that has to be done,” Nunes said. “As long as he’s willing to work every day like he seems to be, early morning late into the night, thank God he’s doing it. Because a lot of work has to be done."

As they batted around questions surrounding Trump’s myriad statements, lawmakers plowed ahead with setting their own priorities this year. They didn’t answer all the questions they came to Philadelphia to address – most notably, details of their repeal and replacement for the ACA – but they did set out a timeline for much of the action. They hope to announce the ACA replacement plan in the spring, in time to address the 2018 budget, which will help them prepare for tax reform over the summer, hoping to wrap it all up by the August recess.

Some Republicans acknowledged that timeline could be optimistic.

“In a typical year, you’ve got one or two, maybe three [deadlines],” said Rep. Jim Jordan, former chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus. “This year you’ve got seven. Those are seven big moments and we want to get after those as quick as we can, but we also have to think about that in the context of a $20 trillion debt and offsetting and if there’s going to be additional spending. All those things are in play, which will point to an exciting year."

Jordan listed a few obstacles in front of those GOP goals. Republicans are scheduled to finish their Obamacare replacement close to the same time government funding runs out and near when the United States is expected to hit the debt ceiling. They’re planning their major tax reform push at the same time most of the appropriations bills should hit the floor – though both chambers have consistently struggled in recent years to pass any of those appropriations bills.

And the Senate will have to begin legislating while dealing with a Supreme Court nomination likely coming next week – at the same time they try to confirm Trump’s Cabinet and fill out the administration. Many expect Democrats to oppose the agenda, further disrupting the plans, potentially inflaming tensions between the House and Senate.

“I don’t want them to slip. I’m just saying that’s what’s coming,” Jordan said of the tough deadlines. “When you step back and look at what’s coming, and in the sequence that’s likely to develop, it’s big things. So let’s get after it.”

Concern about Trump’s executive actions has been minimal, for now, and that benefits lawmakers. Most consider his orders simply an unraveling of President Obama’s executive orders, within the authority of the executive.

“If you want to keep the first branch of government happy, you can do it real easily by consulting with them,” Risch said. “And this president is showing signs of that right now that I’m happy with.”

Republicans will return to Washington next week to begin implementing their agenda, holding the first hearings on ACA replacements and working to unwind some Obama regulations. The “dizzying” pace isn’t likely to slow up anytime soon, but Republicans appeared willing to adjust their expectations of how much work can be pushed through Capitol Hill.

“We have ambitious goals and ambitious timelines. Our goal is to get these laws done in 2017,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday.

Trump put it more bluntly when he visited with lawmakers for the first time in the afternoon: “This Congress is going to be the busiest Congress we've had in decades,” he said. “Maybe ever.”