Tipsheet: GOP chairman worried by Trump's stance on Russian interference

View in your browser     GOP chairman worried by Trump's stance on Russian interference By Scott Wong   The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee says he is worried that President Trump has not issued an “outright condemnation” of Russia for meddling in the 2016 election. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who was widely viewed as a contender for Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security, told The Hill in a sit-down interview that he has told the administration the president needs to “more forcefully” stand up to Moscow.  Read the full story here     Republicans at state level fret over GOP tax overhaul By Reid Wilson   While Congress races to pass a massive tax overhaul by the end of the year, Republicans in state capitals across the country find themselves in a bind as they plan their own state budget requirements. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     FCC vote won't end net neutrality fight By Harper Neidig The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote to repeal net neutrality won’t end the fight over the regulation. Read the full story here     Kihuen won't seek reelection amid sexual harassment allegations By Julia Manchester Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.) announced on Saturday that he would not seek reelection amid sexual misconduct allegations against him. Read the full story here       Special counsel has thousands of Trump transition emails By Max Greenwood Special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators is reportedly in possession of tens of thousands of emails from the Trump transition team. Read the full story here     Trump lawyer says Mueller obtained transition emails illegally By John Bowden A lawyer for President Trump's transition team said Saturday that Robert Mueller's special counsel office obtained tens of thousands of emails from the Trump transition organization illegally. Read the full story here     Democrat: Rumor is Trump could fire Mueller before Christmas By Josh Delk Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said Friday that "rumors" on Capitol Hill suggest President Trump could fire special counsel Robert Mueller before Christmas, after Congress leaves Washington for the winter recess. Read the full story here     Words banned at CDC were also banned at other HHS agencies By Brooke Seipel Multiple agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have reportedly been told by the Trump administration that they cannot use certain phrases in official documents.   Read the full story here     Pentagon acknowledges program to investigate UFO encounters By Max Greenwood The Pentagon has acknowledged for the first time the existence of a program charged with investigating unidentified flying objects. Read the full story here     5 stories Omarosa might tell after leaving the White House By Julia Manchester Omarosa Manigault Newman's dramatic departure from the White House this week is fueling speculation about what stories she might share after leaving the administration. Read the full story here     Republican elite — not Trump's base — lost the Alabama race By Frank Cannon OPINION |The rise of Roy Moore — and Donald Trump before him — was not an accident, but rather a predictable consequence of the GOP’s inability to follow through on campaign promises for decades. Read the full story here     Tax reform will allow America to invest in workers and grow the economy By Dan Eberhart OPINION | America’s tax code is overly complicated, confusing, and, at more than 74,000 pages long, a burden on working American taxpayers. For decades, politicians have talked about fixing our broken tax system, but little ever happened. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump is not on the 2018 ballot, but White House plans full-on campaign for GOP candidates By Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer The president’s aides have met with 116 political hopefuls in recent months, senior White House officials said. The president has told advisers he wants to travel extensively and hold rallies. The strategy carries risks for a historically unpopular commander in chief and could help drive angry Democrats to the polls. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: For GOP, tax bill’s most visible win may be averting failure By Alan Fram Despite the sheer size and society-spanning impact of the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, the quickest and most potent political victory that Republicans would savor by pushing the bill through Congress next week may be what it averts: another big GOP legislative crash in the age of Trump. Read the full story here     Reuters: Trump defends tax plan as 'great Christmas gifts' to middle class By Valerie Volcovici President Trump on Saturday defended a Republican tax-cut plan against Democratic charges that it favors the rich, saying it will be “one of the great Christmas gifts” for the middle class with just days to go before Congress votes. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Homeowners have it good. Too good, says the tax bill. By Conor Dougherty    The tax code has long offered rewards for buying rather than renting, an equation that has troubled some economists — and that the Republican bill upends.  Read the full story here     The Arizona Republic: President Donald Trump calls Cindy McCain with 'best wishes' for Sen. John McCain's health By Dan Nowicki   President Donald Trump telephoned Cindy McCain, the wife of ailing Sen. John McCain, to extend "best wishes" and see how her husband was doing, the Associated Press reported Saturday.  Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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