Tipsheet: Blame game ramps up as shutdown nears

View in your browser     Blame game ramps up as shutdown nears By Alexander Bolton and Jordain Carney   Lawmakers drifted closer to a shutdown of the federal government late Thursday after the House approved a funding bill on a largely party-line vote, with Democrats in the Senate vowing to defeat the measure. Read the full story here     Listen: Promises and distrust push Washington closer to a budget brink By Alexis Simendinger   As Washington looks to see if Senate negotiators can come up with a deal before 11:59 p.m. Friday and avoid a shutdown, The Hill's AM View talks to American Enterprise Institute’s Norm Ornstein about how tribal thinking in Congress and at the White House complicated events this week. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     What happens if the government shuts down By Timothy Cama and Lydia Wheeler Federal agencies are bracing for a government shutdown, as Congress fights to reach a short-term spending deal before funding runs out at midnight on Friday. Here’s how some federal agencies plan to weather a shutdown. Read the full story here     The Trump Presidency: Year One By The Hill Staff One year ago Saturday, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, kicking off an unpredictable year. It was a year of highs and lows for the president. Here's a look back at Trump's unprecedented first year in office. Read the full story here       Trump faces pivotal decision on tariffs By Timothy Cama President Trump is days away from deciding whether to impose trade tariffs or quotas on imported solar panels. His decision will close a major chapter in a dispute that puts tens of thousands of jobs on the line and has tested longstanding alliances. Read the full story here     Trump scheduled to depart Friday afternoon for Mar-a-Lago By John Bowden  President Trump is scheduled to depart Washington, D.C., on Friday afternoon for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida amid Congress' ongoing negotiations to fund the government past midnight on Friday. Read the full story here     Dem shutdown strategy: Force McConnell to deal By Alexander Bolton  Senate Democrats say they have the votes to block a government funding stopgap measure that is expected to pass the House on Thursday evening, but they’re hoping to avoid a government shutdown that could inflict political damage on their vulnerable incumbents.  Read the full story here     California feels targeted by Trump By Reid Wilson SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In the wake of President Trump’s election, hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out in cities across California to rally against a man they abhorred. Some went so far as to propose ceding from the country altogether.  Read the full story here     Trump appointee Carl Higbie resigns By Brett Samuels Trump administration appointee Carl Higbie resigned Thursday after CNN reported on his past use of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim language on the radio. Read the full story here     Ex-Comey aide grilled by House panel for over seven hours By Katie Bo Williams and Morgan Chalfant  Two House panels on Thursday questioned former FBI Director James Comey’s former chief of staff during a closed-door interview that lasted more than seven hours. Read the full story here     Congress doesn’t need the president’s permission By William O’Keefe OPINION | For too long, an imperial presidency has been tolerated and too many members of Congress spend their time posturing and promoting their own self-interest instead of the nation’s. There could be no better time than now for Congress to reassert its role as a co-equal branch of government. Read the full story here     Bring civility back to politics in 2018 By Carolyn Lukensmeyer OPINION | Let’s make a New Year’s resolution, as a country, to work together to revive civility in our political system. Let’s agree that we will let our political leaders know we expect them to live up to our expectations of civility and respect for our country, their constituents and our institutions, and we will hold them accountable when they do not. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Trump administration accelerating Israeli Embassy move By Felicia Schwartz and Jess Bravin The Trump administration is accelerating efforts to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and has decided to modify an existing property to accommodate the new mission that will open next year, U.S. officials said. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Pence has long pushed for Trump policies on Israel By Ken Thomas and Tom LoBianco Since his days in Congress a decade ago, Pence has played a role in pushing both for the shift in U.S. policy related to the capital and for placing limits on funding for Palestinian causes long criticized by Israel. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Short-term budget would give Trump authority to change intel spending, lawmakers say By Karoun Demirjian and Shane Harris   The budget extension lawmakers must vote on by Friday evening to avoid a government shutdown will, as written, give President Trump greater ability to reshuffle money the administration spends on intelligence priorities for the next month, according to congressional sources raising concerns about the text. Read the full story here     Reuters: China looks to call bluff on Trump trade action By Michael Martina and Kevin Yao    As influential voices within the U.S. business community warn China that U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about tough action over Beijing’s trade practices, there is little sense of a crisis in the Chinese capital, where officials think he is bluffing. Read the full story here     The New York Times: The chaos president vs. his iron-fisted chief of staff By Maggie Haberman and Julie Hirschfeld Davis The one thing sure to make President Trump angry, as anyone who has ever worked closely with him knows, is any suggestion that his staff is managing him. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.