It’s Tuesday. ABC News’s Allison Pecorin posted one of the most relatable Capitol Hill quotes I’ve heard in a while: “A Senate staffer waiting for their boss at votes: ‘sometimes I feel like watching C-SPAN is like watching your dog at day care. Are they having fun? Are they making friends?’” Here’s what’s happening today:
Democrats may bail out Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and help to avert a shutdown at the end of the week. House Republican leaders set up a vote for this afternoon, so keep an eye on that.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was cornered by a passenger on Amtrak who claimed to be a journalist calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The video from the “quiet car” is pretty tense. Tens of thousands of pro-Israel supporters are expected to gather in Washington, D.C., today for a demonstration.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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It’s crazy enough that it just… may… work: |
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The House is scheduled to vote on a bill today to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week.
When is the final vote?: Around 4:20 p.m. Here’s the full agenda for today
Key details to know: Democrats are open to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) stopgap plan to fund the government. That’s important because some Republicans — including the House Freedom Caucus — vocally oppose the two-step funding approach. What’s in the bill?: It’s pretty no-frills. It doesn’t include funding for Ukraine or Israel — and it doesn’t include spending cuts. The two-tiered bill would fund parts of the government until Jan. 19 and other parts until Feb. 2, eliminating the one big expiration date.
What’s specifically happening today?: House Republican leaders are taking a step to pass the “laddered” funding bill today. The continuing resolution (CR) will be brought up under suspension of the rules, but will need support from two-thirds of the House to pass it. How that works
Where Democrats stand: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday that he is “pleased” that Johnson’s bill did not include spending cuts. House Democratic leaders did not dismiss the proposal either, saying they would “carefully evaluate” it.
Where Republicans stand: At least nine House Republicans have voiced their opposition so far. Hard-line conservatives initially supported Johnson’s “laddered” approach but now oppose it due to the lack of spending cuts. The House Freedom Caucus just officially opposed the plan.
^ This is important: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said he would back Johnson’s plan even though it doesn’t include the Ukraine aid — something that has been a priority for McConnell. Read Emily Brooks’s full explainer on the tricky balance for Johnson. Follow this live blog for updates as the vote unfolds |
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➤ GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS ARE *EXPENSIVE*, LET ME TELL YOU: |
The Hill’s Aris Folley breaks down the expenses, lost productivity and economic impact of a shutdown.
For example — let’s look at the shutdown in 2019: “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2018 was reduced by $3 billion as ‘a result of reduced economic activity,’ when accounting for inflation, with further losses in the subsequent quarter.” More on the expenses associated with the government closing.
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➤ TIDBITS FROM CAPITOL HILL: |
Lol, John has jokes: Semafor’s Kadia Goba posted an interaction she had with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) while waiting for the light to change at a street corner. “Him: I pressed the button. Me: Does that thing work? (Just as street light changes). Him: See, government at work.”
Yikes, this lasts for nearly three minutes: A passenger who claimed to be a journalist hounded Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) on the quiet car of an Amtrak train, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Coons repeatedly told the passenger to back off, but they made quite the scene. “I’m a senator. This is a quiet car. You’re breaking the basic rules of how we operate on Amtrak. Please stop.” Watch the interaction
? We the paparazzi ?: Politico’s Mia Camille McCarthy posted: “to the school group that passed the Capitol Hill press corps and said ‘omg it’s the paparazzi’…….yes.” Op-ed on the budget: The American Enterprise Institute’s Elaine McCusker argues why Speaker Johnson should pass a federal budget. Read |
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? What’s Happening in Gaza |
Communications being shut down: |
The Washington Post reports that “communication links are breaking down amid fierce fighting across the Gaza Strip and around the enclave’s two largest hospitals, al-Shifa and al-Quds.”
“Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the official death toll in the territory cannot be updated, citing extended internet cuts and loss of communication with hospitals in the enclave.”
Civilian buildings seem to be targeted: “Israel claims that Hamas fighters are operating out of facilities designated for humanitarian purposes, while doctors, first responders and the few aid workers still left in the area deny giving cover to militants.” What we know, via The Washington Post. |
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➤ HEADLINES ON THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR:
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‘More Than 400 U.S. Officials Sign Letter Protesting Biden’s Israel Policy’: “The signers, representing some 40 government agencies, reflect growing internal dissent over the administration’s support of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. (The New York Times) ‘Internal State Dept. memo blasts Biden, U.S. policy on Israel-Hamas war’: (Axios) ‘Airlines are feeling the impact of the Israel-Hamas war, with bookings already hit’: (CNBC)
‘The U.N. Is Central to Life in Gaza. Now Its Mission There Is Collapsing.’: “As fighting rages, agency says its functions would ‘start gradually collapsing’ as ambulances, sewage and sanitation systems shut down.” (The Wall Street Journal) |
Happening today in Washington, D.C.: |
Tens of thousands of pro-Israel supporters are expected to gather this afternoon in Washington, D.C., to call for the release of the hostages held by Hamas and protest antisemitism.
Details: The rally is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. EST on the National Mall.
The Hill’s Lauren Sforza has a helpful Q&A on what to expect. |
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About Michael Cohen’s testimony last month…:
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Two House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee are recommending a Justice Department investigation into former President Trump’s ex-attorney Michael Cohen, accusing him of committing perjury for giving contradicting testimony last month in former Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. The two Republicans: House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (Ohio) and committee member Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.)
From the referral letter: “That Mr. Cohen was willing to openly and brazenly state at trial that he lied to Congress on this specific issue is startling. His willingness to make such a statement alone should necessitate an investigation.”
Does this referral letter hold legal weight?: Not really. It’s mostly symbolic. The Justice Department would decide whether to take action.
The Hill’s Ella Lee has a helpful explainer on Cohen’s testimony and the GOP letter. |
Cohen thinks it would be dangerous to throw Trump in jail:
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Cohen said he thinks that that putting the former president behind bars would be “dangerous” for the U.S.
The former Trump attorney told CNN: “He needs to be held accountable … But, because he was president of the United States, and for four years he was debriefed on a daily basis on our national security secrets, I personally as an American citizen would be concerned,” he added, “because Donald is the kind of guy to sell any of that information for a bag of tuna or a book of stamps, and I do really mean that.” What Cohen thinks should happen instead: A very strict house arrest. Cohen’s full reasoning Keep in mind: Cohen had a big falling out with Trump and even testified against the former president in the New York civil fraud case. |
Trump’s use of ‘vermin’ elicits rebuke:
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During a Veterans’ Day speech in New Hampshire, Trump compared his political enemies to “vermin,” prompting bipartisan backlash among some who notice similarities in rhetoric to dictators during World War II. Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa and White House spokesperson Andrew Bates slammed the former president’s comments, equating the language to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. How the Trump campaign is handling the criticism: Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the comments, saying “those who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything.”
How the GOP is handling the criticism: Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel declined to comment. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), an outspoken Trump critic, laid into McDaniel for refusing to condemn Trump channeling “the same Nazi propaganda that mobilized 1930s-40s Germany to evil.”
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➤ TIDBIT FROM THE COURTROOM IN NEW YORK: |
Omg, the camera angles of the courtroom in Trump’s New York civil fraud trial have been killing me. Check out the expressions of Donald Trump Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James. It’s giving 1990s-sitcom-intro. Watch the clip Trump seemed to notice James’s facial expressions. He slammed the attorney general on Truth Social for “smirking all day long.” Read Trump’s full post |
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? Celebrate: Today is National Pickle Day! A TikToker recently noticed that many pickle jars do not actually say the word “pickle” on the label. NBC’s “Today” investigated this observation for us. Read
? ‘Tis the season!: The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived in Manhattan (!) This year’s stats: The tree measures at 80-feet tall, 43-feet in diameter, weighs 12 tons and has more than 50,000 lights, according to WABC. Photo
? Holy cow: Check out the winner of the Royal Meteorological Society’s weather photo competition. The winner: Francisco Negroni’s “landscape photo capturing two rings of lenticular cloud around the snow-covered summit of Chile’s most active volcano, Villarrica.” (h/t to The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore)
? Happy 150th birthday (!!): D.C.’s Eastern Market is celebrating its 150th birthday. The Council of D.C. posted an eclectic list of things Eastern Market is older than, including, “the telephone,” “the other state of Washington,” “indoor hockey games” and “Heinz tomato ketchup.” |
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Inflation dropped a bit! ?:
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“Consumer prices moved little last month as inflation flattened out in October, according to data released Tuesday by the Department of Labor.”
The numbers: “The consumer price index (CPI), a closely watched gauge of inflation, stayed even with its September level last month. Prices were up 3.2 percent over the past year, far lower than September’s annual inflation rate of 3.7 percent.”
Adding some context: “The new inflation figures are a welcome sign of reprieve after three consecutive months of rising or unchanged inflation. Economists expected the annual inflation rate to drop to 3.3 percent in November, according to consensus estimates.” (The Hill) |
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➤ ONE BANK IS PREDICTING DEEP INTEREST RATE CUTS: |
“The Federal Reserve is likely to make significant cuts to interest rates next year beginning as early as March, according to a new estimate from UBS Investment Bank. Slowing inflation could enable a 2.75 percent decrease in the interest rate over the course of the year, nearly halving the current rate of nearly 5.5 percent, UBS said.” But FWIW: Other predictors have a more conservative forecast. (The Hill) |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in San Francisco this afternoon. (all times Eastern) |
This morning: Biden spoke on his administration’s efforts to combat climate change. ? Watch
12:30 p.m.: Senators meet for weekly caucus luncheons. ?️ Today’s agenda
4:20 p.m.: Last House votes. ?️ Today’s agenda
9:45 p.m.: Biden and Harris participate in a campaign reception in San Francisco.
Wednesday: Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco. ? Five things to watch
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