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New Speaker in da Hooouse: |
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became Speaker of the House yesterday -- and gained the enormous power to decide whether to impeach President Trump. http://bit.ly/2BYJ466 What it would take for her to launch impeachment proceedings: Pelosi set the bar high and said that any effort to do so would have to be "so clearly bipartisan." Why the impeachment issue could damage Democrats: "[A] hungry crop of younger and more progressive lawmakers is itching to use their newfound power to aggressively go after Trump. More senior lawmakers, meanwhile, worry that premature calls for impeachment could be seen as pure partisan overreach -- and could hurt the party's chances of ousting Trump in the 2020 election." http://bit.ly/2Vxvobl |
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| THIS A.M. -- REACTION FROM TRUMP: |
| "How do you impeach a president who has won perhaps the greatest election of all time, done nothing wrong (no Collusion with Russia, it was the Dems that Colluded), had the most successful first two years of any president, and is the most popular Republican in party history 93%?" |
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Meanwhile -- Oh.: |
| Yesterday, newly sworn-in Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) told a crowd of supporters that she would take on President Trump by impeaching "the mothef---er." http://bit.ly/2GSeAbp Reaction from Pelosi: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told MSNBC, "I probably have a generational reaction to it, but in any event, I'm not in the censorship business." Some Republicans are calling on Pelosi to condemn the remarks. http://bit.ly/2COBDjB |
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| It's already Friday! I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com -- and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook. Did someone forward this to you? Want your own copy? Sign up here to receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox daily: http://bit.ly/2kjMNnn |
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I really wish this letter started like a stereotypical wedding toast
"Merriam Webster defines 'wall' as ___": |
| President Trump just sent a letter to lawmakers demanding a border wall. From the letter: "Walls work. That's why rich, powerful, and successful people build them around their homes. All Americans deserve the same protection." How it will be delivered: The letter is being hand-delivered to all congressional offices. Details: http://bit.ly/2F8ryPT |
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Happening now -- Round two, ding ding: |
| President Trump is currently meeting with top congressional leaders in the White House's Situation Room to discuss reopening the government. It's the second meeting this week with no signs the two sides are any closer to a deal. http://bit.ly/2F6MXdg After the meeting: President Trump is expected to speak in the Rose Garden. |
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Day 14 of the shutdown...
Did you hesitate?! I saw you hesitate!: |
| Via The Hill's Alexander Bolton, "Republican unity on the partial government shutdown is starting to crack in the face a tough election map in 2020 and no end in sight to the standoff that has hobbled key departments and agencies." http://bit.ly/2R98qsb The cracks that are forming: At least three Senate Republicans have called on Congress to reopen the closed agencies. For example: GOP Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.) called for legislation to reopen the government even without border wall funding. |
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| ADVICE FROM TRUMP'S ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF: |
| Via Politico's Nancy Cook, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is advising President Trump to stand firm on border wall funding. https://politi.co/2GUQAES |
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| BTW, SENATORS ARE WARMING TO THE IDEA OF AN IMMIGRATION DEAL: |
| With no signs of reaching an agreement on reopening the government, senators are starting to think about immigration reform as part of the negotiations. http://bit.ly/2LUNuzC |
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Last night -- passing a bill just for funsies: |
| A few hours after Democrats took the majority in the House, the chamber passed legislation yesterday to reopen the government without funding for President Trump's proposed border wall. Why I said this is just for fun: The House bill appears to be dead on arrival in the Senate and with President Trump. Yeah, but: Democrats are hoping this will shift the debate and put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the White House. http://bit.ly/2RBhVjg |
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| ^MCCONNELL CONFIRMS THAT: |
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted the House bill as "a time-wasting act of political posturing." In McConnell's words: "Any viable compromise will need to carry the endorsement of the president before it receives a vote in either House of Congress. Under these conditions ... the package presented by the House's new Democratic leaders yesterday can only be seen as a time-wasting act of political posturing." |
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How does Jan. 29 sound to you?: |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) invited President Trump to deliver the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 29. https://cnn.it/2GVETxt Context from The Hill's Niall Stanage: "State of the Union visuals, with Trump speaking and Pelosi right behind him, are going to be a treat." http://bit.ly/2AoX60T |
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Show me the money: |
| The U.S. economy added a robust 312,000 jobs in December. Why this is important: It shows that the labor market is growing even amid worries about a turbulent stock market. For context: Economists predicted around 182,000 jobs to be added last month. Oh and: The unemployment rate raised from 3.7 percent to 3.9 percent. http://bit.ly/2CPjxOi Chart showing hourly wages increasing to $27.48: http://bit.ly/2CR3M9L |
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| ALL-CAPS REACTION FROM THE PRESIDENT: |
| "GREAT JOBS NUMBERS JUST ANNOUNCED!" http://bit.ly/2R5ex0R |
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Breaking late this morning -- Court sides with Trump on the transgender military ban: |
| "A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a lower court's ruling blocking President Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military from taking effect. The ruling hands Trump a win in a case that has seen several courts block the policy. But the policy still cannot take effect because of those other injunctions, which applied nationwide." http://bit.ly/2s8AInQ |
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*Covers ears* -- Sorry, I can't hear you: |
| Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said during an event this morning that he would not resign if President Trump asked him to. Where Powell said this: At the American Economic Association's annual meeting in Atlanta, where he was joined by his predecessors Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen. https://cnb.cx/2RxQRBw |
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New black market item: |
| Via WAMU's Jacob Fenston, Washington, D.C., officially banned plastic straws on Jan. 1. Yeah, but: Businesses have until July to make the change without fines. Details: http://bit.ly/2Tqxdol |
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Spotted in the Capitol: |
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^You mean Matt Flamhaff from '13 Going On 30'! https://bzfd.it/2C2vEWD ;) |
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Such a good reference: |
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Here's the '30 Rock' clip: http://bit.ly/2R5LQkl |
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| 10 a.m. EST: The Senate met. 11 a.m. EST: The Senate adjourned until 3 p.m. Tuesday. 10:15–11:15 a.m. EST: First and last votes in the House. 11:30 a.m. EST: President Trump met with congressional leadership in the Situation Room. 2 p.m. EST: President Trump receives an intelligence briefing. 3 p.m. EST: President Trump meets with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. March 6: When President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has to surrender for his prison sentence. |
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| 11 a.m. EST: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a press conference about the legislative agenda. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2SAj0Fl Noon -- 1 p.m. EST: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is on Fox News's 'Outnumbered.' http://bit.ly/2FcUS7M |
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| Today is National Spaghetti Day. |
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| And to get your weekend off to the right start, here's a dog who doesn't need any toys to have fun: http://bit.ly/2LSKPWN |
