Tipsheet: 2020 Dems pose a big dilemma for Schumer

View in your browser     2020 Dems pose a big dilemma for Schumer By Alexander Bolton and Amie Parnes   Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer’s (N.Y.) efforts to unify Democrats and prevent a shutdown are complicated by lawmakers with presidential hopes who are pushing for a hard-line stance against any short-term spending measure that doesn’t protect certain young immigrants from deportation. Read the full story here     Listen: Lawmakers say shutdown fears are real By Alexis Simendinger   A solution in Congress that might end brinksmanship over immigration and federal spending ahead of a Friday night government funding deadline hinges on politics and trust. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     GOP leaders pitch children's health funding in plan to avert shutdown By Scott Wong, Peter Sullivan and Melanie Zanona House GOP leaders on Tuesday night pitched a new strategy to avert a looming government shutdown that includes children's health funding and the delay of ObamaCare taxes. Read the full story here     Lawmakers see shutdown’s odds rising By Scott Wong and Melanie Zanona Lawmakers warned Tuesday that the chances for a government shutdown are greater than at any other time since a 16-day closure in October 2013. Read the full story here       The Memo: Trump’s volatility scrambles prospects of a deal on DACA By Niall Stanage The search for a deal on spending and immigration has been pitched into chaos by the controversy over President Trump’s reported use of a vulgarity to describe other nations. Read the full story here     'Total free-for-all' as Bannon clashes with Intel members By Katie Bo Williams and Olivia Beavers Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon on Tuesday rocketed to the center of the public controversy surrounding the Trump campaign and Russia. Read the full story here     Intel Dem decries White House 'gag order' after Bannon testimony By Katie Bo Williams The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday night slammed what he described as a "gag order by the White House" following testimony from President Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon before the panel amid its Russia probe. Read the full story here     DHS chief takes heat over Trump furor By Jonathan Easley Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen faced heated questions from Democratic lawmakers Tuesday over her recollections of a White House meeting in which President Trump questioned why the United States would take additional immigrants from “shithole countries.” Read the full story here     Lawmakers weigh measure to fight high drug prices By Peter Sullivan Lawmakers are considering adding a measure aimed at fighting high drug prices to an upcoming spending deal, in what would be a rare defeat for the powerful pharmaceutical industry. Read the full story here     Perfect storm builds against Republicans in California By Reid Wilson If Democrats are to reclaim the majority in the House of Representatives this year, they will almost certainly do so with the help of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s home state, where multiple favorable waves are building. Read the full story here     2018 will be a year of consequences By Michael Hayden OPINION | In terms of foreign and security policy, 2017 could fairly be called a year of disruption for the Trump administration. Now, 2018 promises to be a year of consequences. Read the full story here     Only Putin wins in Trump’s war on the press By Samantha Vinograd and Asha Rangappa OPINION | Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) plans to give a speech this week comparing President Trump’s characterization of the press as “the enemy of the people” to former dictator Joseph Stalin. The comparison is apropos — Stalin stifled the press and other freedoms within the Soviet Union — and timely. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump administration to ask Supreme Court to clear way to dismantle ‘dreamers’ program By Maria Sacchetti The federal government will take the “rare step” of asking the Supreme Court to intervene directly on the Obama-era program that protects from deportation the 690,000 undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States since they were children. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: White House doctor calls Trump’s health ‘excellent,’ urges better diet By Louise Radnofsky The president is overweight according to U.S. guidelines; physician says cognitive test was perfect. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Mueller team would hardly be first lawyers to question Trump By Eric Tucker   Donald Trump was in a roomful of lawyers, venting about unfair treatment in the media that he said had understated his net worth and damaged his brand. It was December 2007, a decade before Trump would become president and routinely excoriate reporters for “fake news.” This time, the businessman was facing a daylong deposition in his lawsuit against a journalist he’d accused of downplaying his wealth. Read the full story here     Reuters: 21 states sue to keep net neutrality as Senate Democrats reach 50 votes By David Shepardson   A group of 21 U.S. state attorneys general filed suit to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to do away with net neutrality on Tuesday while Democrats said they needed just one more vote in the Senate to repeal the FCC ruling. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Former CIA officer arrested on suspicion of helping Chinese By Adam Goldman A former C.I.A. officer suspected of helping China dismantle U.S. spying operations and identify informants has been arrested, the Justice Department said. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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News Alert: GOP leaders pitch children's health funding in plan to avert shutdown

View in your browser     GOP leaders pitch children's health funding in plan to avert shutdown House GOP leaders on Tuesday night pitched a new strategy to avert a looming government shutdown that includes children's health funding and the delay of ObamaCare taxes. Lawmakers need to pass a short-term stopgap bill by midnight Friday, when money for the federal government runs out. The latest GOP plan would keep the government’s lights on through Feb. 16, and be coupled with a six-year extension of funding for the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Read the full story here         SPONSORED CONTENT   Healthcare Leadership Council    Seniors Need the Senate to Finish the Job. Urge Your Senator to Repeal the IPAB Today.   Protectmedicarenow.org             Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for News Alerts     Forward News Alerts       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.

Overnight Defense: GOP chair blames Dems for defense budget holdup | FDA, Pentagon to speed approval of battlefield drugs | Mattis calls North Korea situation 'sobering'

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) on Tuesday blamed Democrat lawmakers for failing to pass a defense budget in favor of "political games." Thornberry insinuated Democrats are not interesting in crafting a replacement for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Instead, he said, they are looking to use a potential DACA deal and the threat of a government shutdown as leverage. "I am increasingly concerned, for example, on the DACA deal, that some people may not want to resolve the issue," Thornberry told reporters in Washington. "They may rather have the issue out there because they think it's to their political advantage ... they still say expressly they're not going to vote for military funding until DACA is resolved, but they may not want to resolve DACA because they're getting political benefit out of it." Thornberry's comments follow those of President Trump, who said Sunday on Twitter that DACA is "probably dead because the Democrats don't really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military." Read more here.    MATTIS: NORTH KOREA SITUATION 'SOBERING': Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday called the current tensions with North Korea "sobering," but said that a meeting of nations in Vancouver, Canada, would continue to press for a diplomatic solution to denuclearize the nation. "The situation we face, I would call it sobering," Mattis told reporters en route to Vancouver for the United Nations Command Sending States, an event co-hosted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland. "But this meeting is designed to still make progress diplomatically such as you've seen with three unanimous [U.N.] Security Counsel resolutions over these last months," he said. Mattis noted, however, that diplomats "are backed up by our military options." "Obviously the whole point is to reinforce the diplomatic option to show that there are military options should there be a DPRK attack," he said, referring to North Korea's official name.  More on his comments here.   PENTAGON, FDA TO SPEED UP APPROVAL OF BATTLEFIELD MEDICAL PRODUCTS: The Defense Department and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday announced new steps aimed at expediting the approval of medical devices and drugs for use on the battlefield. The plan is being carried out in line with a law passed last year after a controversy over whether the Pentagon should be allowed to approve products for battlefield use. "We recognize that there are essential and in some cases unmet health-care needs of those protecting our nation and that we at the FDA need to do our part to better protect them," Anna Abram, the FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, planning, legislation and analysis, said in a conference call with reporters. "Although we have had successful collaborations with [the Department of Defense] on some fronts, some pressing areas have clearly not received the attention from the FDA that they have needed." Right now, the Pentagon is focusing on getting approval for freeze-dried plasma, cold-stored platelets and cryopreserved platelets, which the military hopes will help save troops from bleeding out on the battlefield. The Pentagon and its advocates in Congress have been frustrated by what they describe as the FDA's slow approval of certain treatments they say could save lives on the battlefield. In particular, there has been a decade-long impasse between the Pentagon and the FDA over freeze-dried plasma. The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has the rest here.   TOP NAVY SURFACE WARFARE OFFICER EXPECTED TO RESIGN EARLY AFTER COLLISIONS: The Navy's top surface warfare officer is expected to resign this week ahead of his previously planned retirement following a series of deadly collisions this past summer, Defense News reported Tuesday. Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, commander of Naval Surface Forces, will send a letter of resignation this week after an independent investigation into the deadly collisions recommended he be relieved, according to the news outlet, which cited unnamed sources. This past summer, 17 sailors died in separate collisions involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain in the western Pacific. Last year also saw nonfatal Navy crashes in the same region. Several officers have been relieved since the fatal collisions, including the commander of the 7th Fleet and the commanders and executive officers of the Fitzgerald and the McCain. Read more on that here.    ON TAP TOMORROW: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will speak about the 2018 national security landscape at the American Enterprise Institute at 8:30 a.m. The House Oversight Committee's national security subcommittee will hold a hearing on battlefield successes and challenges in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria at 10 a.m. at Rayburn House Office Building 2154.  The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the "State of the VA" at 2 p.m. at Russell Senate Office Building 418.  The House Foreign Affairs Committee will have joint subcommittee hearing on North Korea's chemical, biological and conventional weapons with testimony from outside experts at 2 p.m. at Rayburn 2172.    ICYMI: -- The Hill: NSA spying program overcomes key Senate hurdle -- The Hill: North Korea tensions ease ahead of Winter Olympics -- The Hill: Afghanistan moves reignite war authorization debate -- The Hill: Pentagon planning two new nuclear weapons: report  -- The Hill: Trump administration withholds $65 million from UN agency for Palestinians  -- The Hill: Just days after Hawaii incident, Japan issues false missile alert  -- The Hill: Opinion: Olympic diplomacy and elusive peace amid North Korea reality  -- The Hill: Opinion: Congress should take the lead on reworking a successful Iran deal -- Reuters: Iran says planned U.S.-backed force inside Syria would fan war -- Defense News: National Military Strategy update in the works -- most of which will again be classified     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       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.

Overnight Tech: States sue FCC over net neutrality repeal | Senate Dems reach 50 votes on measure to override repeal | Dems press Apple on phone slowdowns, kids' health | New Android malware found

View in your browser     STATES SUE FCC OVER NET NEUTRALITY REPEAL: Twenty-two state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the agency's repeal of its net neutrality rules. "An open internet -- and the free exchange of ideas it allows -- is critical to our democratic process," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) said in a statement. "The repeal of net neutrality would turn internet service providers into gatekeepers -- allowing them to put profits over consumers while controlling what we see, what we do, and what we say online." The lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. The FCC voted last month to scrap the Obama-era rules governing how internet service providers handle web traffic, sparking intense backlash. The state officials were joined by the web company Mozilla and consumer groups including Public Knowledge in petitioning the court. They argued the FCC's move was "arbitrary and capricious" and violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The Obama-era rules prohibited internet service providers from blocking or throttling legitimate traffic or creating fast lanes for websites to buy. Republicans like FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argue the rules were heavy-handed and unnecessary and that antitrust and consumer protection laws already on the books are sufficient to prevent broadband companies from abusing their power. But net neutrality supporters say the rules are essential to maintaining a level playing field on the internet. "Internet access is a utility -- just like water and electricity," Xavier Becerra, California's Democratic attorney general, said in a statement. "And every consumer has a right to access online content without interference or manipulation by their internet service provider." Read more here.   Please send your tips, comments and compliments to Ali Breland (abreland@thehill.com) and Harper Neidig (hneidig@thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland and @hneidig. We're also on Signal and WhatsApp. Email or DM us for our numbers.   DEMS NEED ONE MORE VOTE FOR NET NEUTRALITY BILL: Senate Democrats have put together 50 votes for a measure meant to block the Federal Communications Commission's December decision to end net neutrality rules put in place by the Obama administration. Democrats are just one GOP vote shy of the 51-vote threshold for a Senate resolution of disapproval, which would strike down the FCC's December rules change. "With full caucus support," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, "it's clear that Democrats are committed to fighting to keep the internet from becoming the Wild West where ISPs are free to offer premium service to only the wealthiest customers while average consumers are left with far inferior options." The Democrats' effort won the support of its first Republican backer, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), last Tuesday. The measure, if it passes the Senate, faces a murky future as it would have to pass the GOP-held House and get President Trump's signature to go into effect. Lawmakers have a window of 60 days from the FCC's December 14 decision to repeal the new regulations under the Congressional Review Act. Read more here.   DEMS PUSH APPLE FOR ANSWERS ON PHONE SLOWDOWNS, KIDS' HEALTH: A group of Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) are pushing Apple to provide more answers on how its products can negatively affect consumers. In a letter, Kelly, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, asked Apple to provide more insight into smartphone addiction among children who use its products. The letter also asked for information about actions the company is taking to curb the Spectre and Meltdown chip vulnerabilities and how Apple slowed down its phones without letting consumers know. House Energy and Commerce Committee members Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), as well as Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas), signed the letter. The group's letter addresses issues that have created public relations headaches for Apple in recent weeks. Read more here.   POLL: MOST AMERICANS UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT SHARING ROADS WITH DRIVERLESS CARS: A recent poll found that a majority of Americans are worried about operating cars on the same roads as driverless vehicles. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they are concerned about sharing the streets with driverless vehicles, according to a poll from Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety. Thirty-four percent of Americans surveyed said they were not concerned, while 2 percent of those polled said they did not know. Results of the survey come after the House last year passed the bipartisan Self Drive Act, meant to speed up the development of driverless vehicles and provide a set of federal laws for the technology. Read more here.   LAWMAKERS REPORTEDLY PUSHING AT&T TO ABANDON HUAWEI: Lawmakers are pushing AT&T to sever its ties with Chinese phone company Huawei and to reject telecommunications company China Mobile Ltd.'s plans to break into the U.S. market, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The move, which congressional aides said is motivated by national security concerns, comes amid mounting pressure from the government to curb Chinese firms' entry into U.S. markets. Earlier in January, AT&T scrapped a plan to offer Huawei phones following pressure from lawmakers. The government also recently blocked several attempted Chinese acquisitions of U.S. companies. Read more here.   RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY ANDROID MALWARE: Kaspersky Lab on Tuesday sounded the alarm about the discovery of highly advanced surveillance software that it said can infiltrate Android mobile devices and gather "targeted" information without users' consent. Researchers at the Moscow-based cybersecurity firm described the spyware, named Skygofree, as a sophisticated mobile implant "designed for targeted cyber-surveillance" that can be potentially used as an "offensive security" product. "Skygofree is a sophisticated, multi-stage spyware that gives attackers full remote control of an infected device," the company said in a Tuesday press release. Skygofree, which has been active since 2014, could allow hackers to listen in on conversations if mobile phones are in certain locations. Read more here.   ON TAP: The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing about terrorist content on social media featuring testimony from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at 10:00 a.m. The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hold a hearing on NASA commercial systems crew development at 10:00 a.m. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will continue its webinar series on broadband connectivity at 2:00 p.m. The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on federal cybersecurity at 2:00 p.m.   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Net neutrality advocates look to states after FCC repeal FCC chairman: False Hawaii missile alert 'absolutely unacceptable' Media industry braces for Facebook changes Bloomberg: Apple supplier workers describe noxious hazards at China factory Wired: Free speech, tech turmoil, and the new censorship Gizmodo: Google's fact checking widget         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Technology Newsletters     Forward Technology Newsletters       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.