A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: SENATE PANEL TO TAKE UP BILL PROTECTING MUELLER: The Senate Judiciary Committee is punting a bill limiting President Trump's ability to fire special counsel Robert Mueller into next week, instead of considering it on Thursday. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee chairman, had "agreed to not take action this week but instead place the bill on the committee's markup calendar next week." "I'm worried about an amendment we haven't been able to review that could undermine the investigation," she said. Asked what amendment Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, was referring to, her spokesman pointed toward a recent New York Times article. GOP committee aides told the Times that Grassley wants to offer an amendment that would require the Justice Department to give a report to Congress when there is a change in the scope of a special counsel investigation or if the special counsel is fired. Pushing the legislation into next week is a delay from Grassley's request to put it under the committee's agenda for a business meeting on Thursday. Grassley aides noted earlier Wednesday that the GOP senator needed Feinstein to sign off on changing Thursday's agenda because it was within 72 hours of the meeting. The legislation, from Sens. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), would let Mueller, or any other special counsel, receive an "expedited judicial review" within 10 days of being fired to determine if it was for a "good cause." If it wasn't, the special counsel would be reinstated. The measure would also codify existing regulations that only a senior Justice Department official can fire a special counsel and that they must provide the reason in writing. To read more from our piece, click here. A FEW NOMINATIONS IN FOCUS: This slipped under our radar yesterday amid all the news: The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced the nomination of Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone to serve as the next director of the National Security Agency and the chief of U.S. Cyber Command. The Senate Armed Services Committee, which also has jurisdiction over the nomination, approved him last month. Now, his nomination will be considered by the full Senate. If confirmed, Nakasone will replace outgoing NSA Director Adm. Mike Rogers. And tomorrow, CIA Director Mike Pompeo is slated to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing to serve as President Trump's secretary of state. Expect him to face questions on Russian interference in the election, his positions on North Korea and Iran, and former secretary of State Rex Tillerson's plans to reorganize the department. A LIGHTER CLICK: Cryptocurrency for kids? (Motherboard) WHAT'S IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CYBER COMMAND: A top Department of Defense official on Wednesday said the law enforcement agency expects to have a national cyber posture approach by the time the White House rolls out their cyber strategy in August. "It should be forthcoming in the near future. We are looking to then enhance our cyber posture approach, which we will be providing by August to sync with that national strategy," said Kenneth Rapuano, who oversees the DOD's Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security. Tom Bossert, who resigned as the White House Homeland Security Adviser on Tuesday, had played a key role in the efforts to develop a national cybersecurity strategy while serving in the Trump administration. The White House national approach is expected to focus on boosting the security of federal government computer networks, coming up with a framework that establishes what is good or bad behavior in cyberspace, and directing more federal resources towards improving critical infrastructure. Rapuano testified alongside Adm. Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, before the House Armed Services Committee about the status of the government's cyber strategy. In what could be his last congressional testimony before he retires, Rogers emphasized there is room to grow in cyber but there are improvements already being made. He highlighted how the government has made a handful of accomplishments this year in addition to touting that the CYBERCOM teams are expected to have full operating capability ahead of schedule. The NSA chief also highlighted how Joint Task Force Ares, a Cyber Command unit, has a grown in its ability to disrupt ISIS and other extremists groups from using the internet for their means as well as broader military campaigns through cyber. Rogers identified Russia and China as some of the country's biggest rivals in cyberspace, while expressing concern that "rogue nations" like Iran and North Korea have "growing capabilities and are using these aggressive methods for cyber. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web. Paul Ryan is retiring as speaker in January. (The Hill) Reddit identifies nearly 1,000 accounts linked to Russian troll farm. (The Hill) Cambridge Analytica acting CEO steps down. (The Hill) An ousted NSC staffer is joining the Department of Justice. (The Hill) OP-ED: It's not just Facebook's problem. (The Hill) The Election Assistance Commission is hosting a public forum on election security in Miami next week. (EAC) States are participating in Homeland Security's 'Cyber Storm' exercise this week. (CyberStorm) If you'd like to receive our newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here. |
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