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Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Thursday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the up-early co-creators. Find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and CLICK HERE to subscribe!
Following hours of somber speeches delivered in prime time on Wednesday night, the House Judiciary Committee will today consider and likely vote on articles of impeachment charging President Trump with abusing his power and obstructing Congress through his actions tied to Ukraine.
Democrats assert that Trump enlisted a foreign power in “corrupting” the U.S. election process and endangered national security by asking Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden, while withholding U.S. military aid as leverage. Democrats say Trump’s actions benefited Russia over the United States at a time when Ukraine has been battling Russian forces (The Associated Press).
The Democrats maintain the president obstructed Congress by ordering current and former officials to defy House subpoenas for testimony and by blocking access to documents. Trump insists he has done nothing wrong and that his political opponents are worried he will be reelected and are trying to make him the first elected president to be impeached and removed from office.
“When his time has passed, when his grip on our politics is gone, when our country returns, as surely it will, to calmer times and stronger leadership, history will look back on our actions here today,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). “How would you be remembered?”
Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), the ranking member on the panel, said Democrats are impeaching the president because they think they can’t beat him in the 2020 election.
“The American people are seeing through this,” Collins said. “But at the end of the day, my heart breaks for a committee that has trashed this institution.”
The Hill: Parties clash as impeachment articles move closer to a House vote.
Unlike previous hearings that focused on the Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the Ukraine affair, Judiciary Democrats shifted their strategy from laying out evidence that Trump is a lawless president to imploring their Republican colleagues to join them and put country over party.
“The people don’t vote on impeachment, Congress does. So before I close, I want to speak directly to my Republican friends: Wake up,” said Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who heads Democrats’ messaging arm. “Do what you were elected to do.”
But Republicans, who remain unified in opposing impeachment, fought to flip the script, saying it wasn’t Trump who abused his power and obstructed justice, but the Democrats, for orchestrating a process that denied the president a fair defense. They also warned their Democratic colleagues that impeachment will hurt them with voters.
“Go ahead. Vote to impeach President Trump,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) told his Democratic colleagues on Wednesday. “Say goodbye to your majority status, and please join us in January of 2021 when President Donald Trump is inaugurated again.”
The committee will reconvene for the markup at 9 a.m. Judiciary Republicans are expected to introduce a long list of amendments extending the panel’s work deep into the day, culminating in the committee vote.
The Washington Post: Senate Republicans look to hold a quick trial, despite the president’s desire for an aggressive defense.
FiveThirtyEight: 84 percent of Democrats in public opinion surveys currently support impeachment, according to a poll tracker, while majorities of independent voters and Republicans do not.
The Hill: White House budget office asserts in a new legal memo that a delay in U.S. aid to Ukraine was routine.
Politico: Democrats jostle for prized impeachment manager gig.
ABC News: Prosecutors ask for bail to be revoked for Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.
The Hill: Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R), who served as the nation’s first secretary of Homeland Security under former President George W. Bush, said Trump’s request to Ukraine’s president for a “favor” during a July phone call was “abuse of power.”
On the political side, House Democrats who pulled off victories during the 2018 midterms in districts where Trump won in 2016 are feeling an immense amount of pressure as votes on the full House floor are expected next week.
As Cristina Marcos and Scott Wong report, vulnerable Democrats are hearing from constituents of all stripes and have seen their phones ring non-stop recently. Some Democrats, including Rep. Elaine Luria (Va.), have avoided reporters in the Capitol hallways who try to ask whether lawmakers plan to back the two articles of impeachment.
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), whose eastern Pennsylvania district went for Trump by nearly 10 points in 2016, said the GOP has spent nearly half a million dollars over the past two months on local TV ads asking voters to call his office and urge him to oppose impeachment. Cartwright, who has not revealed how he plans to vote, said the ad blitz penetrates.
“$460,000 in northeastern Pennsylvania is a king’s ransom in media,” Cartwright told The Hill.
Rep. Lucy McBath (Ga.), one of the Judiciary Committee’s only Democrats representing a swing district, spoke during Wednesday night’s hearing of losing her only son to gun violence — the cause that sent her to Congress. “This is not why I came to Washington,” she said, but she confirmed she would vote to impeach the president (The New York Times).
Politico: Dem leaders see only a handful of defections on impeachment.
The New York Times: Movie nights, Camp David and cable messaging: A White House impeachment playbook.
LEADING THE DAY
CONGRESS: The Senate Judiciary Committee peppered the Justice Department’s internal watchdog on Wednesday about his conclusion that the government was justified in 2016 in launching an FBI investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
What senators really wanted to understand during five hours of back-and-forth, however, was Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s description of “basic, fundamental and serious errors” committed by the FBI, which he said were not the result of political bias against Trump.
“We are deeply concerned that so many basic and fundamental errors were made by three separate, hand-picked investigative teams, on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations, after the matter had been briefed to the highest levels within the FBI,” Horowitz told lawmakers (The Hill).
The Hill: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.): ”Someone’s got to be fired” at the FBI for errors and omissions in 2016, as detailed in the IG’s report.
The New York Times analysis: Horowitz uncovered “a staggeringly dysfunctional and error-ridden process in how the FBI went about obtaining and renewing court permission under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.”
The Hill: Horowitz will testify to another Senate panel next week about the government’s surveillance procedures, adding to the push to overhaul the FISA law and government procedures.
READ the text of the Horowitz report HERE.
The Hill: Takeaway No. 1: Bad day for the FBI. Plus, Trump’s narrative about irregularities inside the Justice Department gained traction; the inspector general avoided political sparring; reforms may be coming to the FBI; and prominent disagreements divide the Justice Department.
> Defense: The House easily passed the compromise, $738 billion defense policy bill on Wednesday that would grant federal workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave and create a new branch of the military sought by the president that would be dedicated to outer space. The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 377-48 (The Hill). The bill awaits Senate passage and Trump says he will sign it.
> Reeling over dealing: Senate Republicans, who prefer to grumble about Trump in private and follow his lead in public, have a bad case of heartburn after a series of year-end legislative deals forged between the president and House Democrats. Conservative senators — left out of negotiations with House liberals for an amended hemispheric trade pact, paid leave added to the defense spending measure, and provisions of a drug pricing bill — are upset (The Hill).
However, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), during an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday, brushed aside his colleagues’ grousing, arguing that compromise is how important legislation becomes law.
Niall Stanage picks up on that idea in his analysis of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) endorsement this week of the amended version of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Her aim may have been to buoy moderate House Democrats in Trump-friendly, NAFTA-hating districts where the political mantra is about “do-nothing Democrats.” Her progressive colleagues, however, worry Pelosi and the leadership handed Trump a political victory that will bolster his bid for reelection.
> More tax changes? Industry groups are pressing leaders in Congress to include new tax priorities in must-pass legislation moving toward Trump’s desk this year. On that wish list: tax breaks, particularly in the renewable energy sector, and repeal or delay of ObamaCare taxes (The Hill).
> The Senate Ethics Committee prepares for a new chairman: Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) will be the successor to Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) as chairman after Isakson’s retirement for health reasons in a few weeks. It’s a job shunned by many, and even ambitious senators told reporters this month that few wanted a chairmanship devoted to enforcing standards of behavior among their colleagues and staff members and investigating potential violations of federal law and Senate rules (The Hill).
IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES
POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Less than two months to go before the Iowa caucuses, the rivalry between Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg is showing no signs of slowing down as the two candidates continue to battle for supremacy with Democratic primary voters.
As Max Greenwood writes, the pair of top-tier Democratic candidates have been on a collision course since the early fall, with a public battle over transparency escalating and bursting into view in recent weeks. At the heart of their fight: a viable path to win the Democratic nomination, which goes through Iowa for Buttigieg and, likely, New Hampshire for Warren.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls, Buttigieg sits atop the Democratic field in Iowa and second in New Hampshire. On the other side of the coin, Warren sits fourth in both states after her campaign was dinged and battered in recent months after rising precipitously over the summer.
The Washington Post: As Democrats trade barbs on business ties, some worry purity tests are going too far.
The Wall Street Journal: Warren wealth tax would raise nearly 30% less than projected, study finds.
Albert Hunt: New odds on the Democrats.
Tonight at midnight will mark the cut off to qualify for next Thursday’s sixth Democratic debate. Without a wave of new polls and vastly different results, seven candidates are expected to appear in Los Angeles: Biden, Warren, Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer.
Notably absent will be Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who is one poll away from inclusion, though has said that she plans to skip the affair to campaign in early voting states, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
Booker’s absence means no African American candidate will take part after Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) ended her bid for the nomination last week.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also will not be in attendance and is unlikely to take part in any debate as long as the Democratic National Committee continues to use donor benchmarks for inclusion. Bloomberg, who has spent $100 million on his campaign already despite only entering on Nov. 24, has said he will not take campaign donations and will self-fund his operation.
The debate will be held at at Loyola Marymount University and moderated by the “PBS NewsHour” and Politico.
The New York Times: Biden calls for immigration overhaul, acknowledging “pain” from deportations.
Politico: Nevada “demoralized” by all-white Democratic top tier.
> Senate map: Outside groups supporting Democratic Senate candidates are firing off a warning flare at their GOP opponents by dropping millions of dollars on early advertising aimed at softening up Republican incumbents in a push to grow the field of states in play in next year’s elections.
As Reid Wilson reports, Democratic groups have spent more than $9.3 million on television spots in six states in recent months. The amount is nearly three times more than GOP groups have spent to defend Republican incumbents.
The spending is an about-face of sorts for Democrats, who have complained for years that Republicans held a prime advantage on this front. These outside groups, known as dark money organizations, are not legally required to disclose their donors,
“The Democratic Senate candidates that are running are faced with an incredibly toxic socialist agenda, so it’s no surprise that outside groups are dropping significant resources in the off year in order to paper over their shortcomings as candidates,” said Jesse Hunt, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
The Hill: Mark Kelly leads Sen. Martha McSally (R) in Arizona Senate race: poll.
The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@digital-release.thehill.com and aweaver@digital-release.thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!
OPINION
Nancy Pelosi knows she needs to protect the Democratic majority, by former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/34dphvy
Trump’s intervention on military justice system was lawful and proper, by John B. Wells, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2PAaoOJ
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NEW STUDY: Nonpartisan Tax Foundation says more than 21,000 Americans will lose their jobs if Congress doesn’t repeal the medical device tax before Jan 1. Learn more about the looming tax on Americans’ health care.
WHERE AND WHEN
Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features David Sirota, senior adviser and speechwriter for Sanders’s presidential bid; Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), who discusses impeachment; and The Hill’s Gangitano, who discusses reporting behind the annual feature that describes Washington’s “top lobbyists.” Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://digital-release.thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube.
The House meets at 9 a.m. The House Judiciary Committee continues debating articles of impeachment against Trump at 9 a.m. The House Education Committee questions Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about the department’s choppy record on student loan debt forgiveness at 9 a.m. Pelosi will hold her weekly press conference in the Capitol at 10:45 a.m.
The Senate convenes at 10 a.m.
The president speaks about child care and paid family leave at 11:15 a.m. in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Trump and first lady Melania Trump host a Congressional Ball this evening on the State Floor of the White House.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit meets at 9 a.m. for oral arguments in a case brought by Maryland and the District of Columbia alleging that Trump through his business is violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
Law firm Sidley Austin, New York University School of Law, the Reiss Center on Law and Security are holding a half-day conference in Washington about “Constitutional Questions and Political Struggle: Congress’ Role in Oversight and National Security.” Speakers include former Trump White House Counsel Don McGahn; House Intelligence and Oversight and Government Reform committee member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler. Information is HERE.
ELSEWHERE
➔ Lobbying: The Hill’s annual “top lobbyist” report is out! Reporter Alex Gangitano describes 2019’s leading lobbyists and firms during what proved to be a frenetic year on K Street.
➔ U.K. election: Today, British voters will decide which party and leader they prefer to navigate Brexit after three long years. While incumbent conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson is slightly favored to remain in power, the rise of far-left Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has captured the country’s attention (The Hill). On the final day of campaigning, Johnson and Corbyn sought to win over millions of undecided voters who will likely determine the outcome (The Associated Press). A respected YouGov survey showed a neck-and-neck competition in the final days of the race (Bloomberg News).
➔ Federal Reserve: As expected, the nation’s central bank on Wednesday closed out 2019 by leaving interest rates stable following three consecutive rate cuts early this year (The Hill). Fed Chair Jerome Powell, without detailing any provisions, said ratification of the hemispheric trade deal among the United States, Canada and Mexico could “remove some of the trade policy uncertainty and that would be, I believe, a positive for the economy” (The Hill).
➔ Harvey Weinstein settlement: Parties to civil lawsuits alleging offenses ranging from sexual harassment to rape by the Hollywood producer agreed to settle for $25 million paid by insurers, not Weinstein personally. He would not have to admit any wrongdoing and continues to deny any non-consensual sexual activity. He is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom next month on criminal charges. The payout to dozens of accusers would be part of an overall $47 million settlement intended to close out the Weinstein Company’s obligations, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The proposed global legal settlement, which could still unravel, received preliminary approval from all the major parties involved. More than 30 actresses and former Weinstein employees would share in the payout — along with potential claimants who could join in coming months. Eighteen of the alleged victims would split $6.2 million, with no individual getting more than $500,000. The movie producer’s pattern of behavior with women, including at least 18 secret settlements paid to accusers spanning nearly three decades, was devastatingly detailed in reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker that received the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2018.
THE CLOSER
And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by Greta Thunberg as Time’s 2019 Person of the Year, we’re eager for some smart guesses about the history of the annual magazine cover about influencers.
Email your responses to asimendinger@digital-release.thehill.com and/or aweaver@digital-release.thehill.com, and please add “Quiz” to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
Which world leader earned the “Person of the Year” title (previously known as “Man of the Year”), a record three times following Time’s first such coverage in 1927?
- Pope John Paul II
- Ronald Reagan
- Winston Churchill
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Prior to Thunberg, who was the youngest person to capture the Time title?
- Elizabeth II
- Charles Lindbergh
- Jeff Bezos
- Mark Zuckerberg
Which one of these U.S. political, government or military figures did not receive the title?
- Newt Gingrich
- Henry Kissinger
- Nancy Pelosi
- George Marshall
With two exceptions since Time began its cover treatments, every U.S. president captured that annual spotlight. On this list, below, which president was passed over?
- Jimmy Carter
- Harry Truman
- George H.W. Bush
- None of the above
In what year did the magazine change the title from “Man of the Year” (or “Woman of the Year”) to “Person of the Year”?
- 1991
- 1995
- 1999
- 2003
