Top Stories

  • Pennsylvania state Rep. Fred Keller (R), a former factory manager who hasn’t gone to college, easily defeated Democrat Marc Friedenberg in a special election in the state’s 12th District. The safe Republican district — where President Donald Trump campaigned Monday — became vacant earlier this year after Republican Rep. Tom Marino resigned. (Roll Call)
  • Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, won a closely contested Democratic primary to take on Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in the fall. The two have been sparring partners since they were elected to statewide office in 2015, with Beshear suing over some of Bevin’s executive orders and a Republican-backed pension overhaul bill in 2018. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
  • A confidential Internal Revenue Service legal memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless the president asserts executive privilege, contradicting the Trump administration’s justification for denying lawmakers’ request for the president’s tax returns. The previously undisclosed memo says the disclosure of tax returns to the committee “is mandatory, requiring the Secretary to disclose returns, and return information, requested by the tax-writing Chairs.” (The Washington Post)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

05/22/2019
CAP Ideas Conference 9:00 am
House Budget Committee holds hearing on single-payer health care system 10:00 am
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin testifies to House Financial Services Committee 10:00 am
House Foreign Affairs Committee holds hearing on Trump’s Syria strategy 10:00 am
House Oversight and Reform Committee holds hearing on U.S. election security 2:00 pm
05/23/2019
Pete Buttigieg participates in Washington Post event 9:00 am
Rep. Cicilline hosts event on deregulation 10:00 am
Cory Booker participates in MSNBC town hall 8:00 pm
05/28/2019
Kamala Harris participates in MSNBC town hall 9:30 pm
View full calendar

Morning Consult’s Governor Approval Rankings

The definitive ranking of every governor’s approval in America, based on over 470,000 survey interviews.

Morning Consult is also tracking every senator’s approval, as well as the 2020 Democratic primary and Donald Trump’s approval. See more.

General

White House, Hill leaders unable to reach spending deal Tuesday
Jennifer Shutt and Paul M. Krawzak, Roll Call

Negotiators were unable to reach an agreement on spending caps and the debt limit Tuesday, hours after a two-year deal seemed possible. “Deals like this take time,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said after leaving an afternoon meeting between congressional leaders and administration officials.

US companies face retaliation in China as trade war deepens
Don Weinland, Financial Times

US companies in China are facing a backlash from the intensifying trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, with almost half the members of a US business lobby group in the country reporting they have been hit with retaliatory measures. Roughly 47 per cent of the members of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and a similar group based in Shanghai said that on top of recently imposed tariffs, they faced retaliation such as slower customs clearance, more inspections and delayed approvals for licences, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

How ‘The View’ Became the Most Important Political TV Show in America
Amanda Fitzsimons, The New York Times

On a weekday in March, less than two months before his three-year sentence in federal prison was set to begin, Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal lawyer, decided to spend one of his final afternoons of freedom having lunch with Joy Behar, the veteran co-host of ABC’s “The View.” The show had approached Cohen about giving her an exclusive TV interview before going to prison, and Cohen had suggested that they meet at Freds, the tony restaurant on the top floor of Barneys, where some of Manhattan’s wealthiest wives have standing reservations.

White House & Administration

Trump Tells Democrats to Pass New Nafta Before Infrastructure
John Harney and Mark Niquette, Bloomberg

President Donald Trump told Democratic congressional leaders on the eve of a White House meeting to discuss restoring the nation’s infrastructure that he first wanted them to pass his replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement. “Before we get to infrastructure, it is my strong view that Congress should first pass the important and popular USMCA trade deal,” Trump wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday.

U.S. Officials Work to Convince Divided Congress of Iran Threat
Julian E. Barnes et al., The New York Times

Top American national security officials sought to convince a divided Congress on Tuesday about the seriousness of new threats from Iran as they defended intelligence that has prompted military deployments aimed at deterring attacks by Tehran. Democrats emerged from the classified briefings on Capitol Hill with sharp questions about whose actions ultimately led to the recent escalation: Tehran’s or the Trump administration’s.

U.S. Intel to Congress: No Evidence al-Qaeda Is Helping Iran
Betsy Woodruff, The Daily Beast

The American intelligence community has no evidence that al-Qaeda has cooperated with the Iranian government in its recent aggressive moves in the Persian Gulf region, a senior U.S. government official told members of Congress on Tuesday. That finding, which was relayed to The Daily Beast by three sources familiar with the matter, could undercut a potential legal case for going to war with Iran if tensions between Washington and Tehran keep escalating.

Trump Picks Barbara Barrett, Former Aerospace Executive, to Be Next Air Force Secretary
Mihir Zaveri, The New York Times

President Trump said Tuesday that he would nominate Barbara Barrett, a former diplomat and aerospace research executive, to be the next Air Force secretary, a move that came as Mr. Trump ratchets up plans to increase the military’s focus on threats in space. Mr. Trump announced his plans on Twitter, more than two months after the current Air Force secretary, Heather A. Wilson, said she would resign.

Trump aides DeStefano, Knight to depart White House
Josh Dawsey and Felicia Sonmez, The Washington Post

Two of President Trump’s senior political advisers said they were leaving the White House on Tuesday, marking a further thinning of the ranks in the West Wing ahead of a 2020 reelection bid. Johnny DeStefano, one of Trump’s top advisers, and legislative affairs director Shahira Knight are leaving the White House, according to statements from the president and senior administration officials.

Trump appeals ruling clearing House to receive his financial records
Josh Gerstein, Politico

President Donald Trump’s lawyers wasted no time in filing an appeal of a judge’s ruling that could lead to Congress receiving years of the president’s tax and financial records. Trump’s attorneys on Tuesday filed a brief notice appealing Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s Monday decision rejecting the president’s demand for a preliminary injunction that would block his longtime accounting firm Mazars USA from handing over records subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Senate

Senate chairman says bipartisan health care package coming Thursday
Peter Sullivan, The Hill

Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says he plans to release a draft of a bipartisan package of bills to lower health care costs on Thursday. Alexander has been working on the package with Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the panel’s top Democrat, as the pair try to find areas of agreement where both parties can take action on health care.

House

House Intel postpones enforcement action after DOJ offer to share some Mueller files
Morgan Chalfant, The Hill

The House Intelligence Committee is postponing taking action to enforce a subpoena for Attorney General William Barr to turn over materials generated in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation after the Justice Department agreed to begin producing some of the foreign intelligence and counterintelligence files sought by the committee. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a statement that a committee business meeting Monday to vote on what he has described as an “enforcement action” has been canceled and that the Justice Department has agreed to begin producing the documents by the end of the week.

Pelosi preaches caution on impeachment as pressure builds
John Bresnahan and Heather Caygle, Politico

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to hold the line — no impeachment. At least not yet. It’s a familiar message for Pelosi, who will deliver it once again at a closed-door meeting of House Democrats on Wednesday morning.

Despite national security concerns, GOP leader McCarthy blocked bipartisan bid to limit China’s role in U.S. transit
Damian Paletta and Erica Werner, The Washington Post

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blocked a bipartisan attempt to limit Chinese companies from contracting with U.S. transit systems, a move that benefited a Chinese government-backed manufacturer with a plant in his district, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. His behind-the-scenes intervention came as Congress was trying this year to craft a spending compromise to avert another government shutdown.

Rex Tillerson Secretly Meets With House Foreign Affairs Committee to Talk Trump
Erin Banco, The Daily Beast

Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was spotted entering a congressional office building on Tuesday morning for what a committee aide told The Daily Beast was a meeting with the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs committee and relevant staff about his time working in the Trump administration. Tillerson’s appearance took place as virtually every other Trumpworld luminary has been stonewalling congressional oversight efforts.

House Judiciary Committee subpoenas Hope Hicks, Annie Donaldson
Kyle Cheney, Politico

House Democrats on Tuesday issued subpoenas for Hope Hicks, the president’s former adviser and confidant, as well as former White House deputy counsel Annie Donaldson. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenas request documents from Hicks and Donaldson by June 4, and they request that Hicks testify on June 19 and Donaldson on June 24.

Kevin McCarthy’s Chief of Staff to Join Private-Equity Firm
Kristina Peterson, The Wall Street Journal

Barrett Karr, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s chief of staff, will leave Capitol Hill in two weeks to join private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners. Ms. Karr, who had served as the California Republican’s top aide since January 2017, will be succeeded on an interim basis by longtime McCarthy aide James Min.

2020

Trump campaign and Senate GOP clash over president’s pollster
Alex Isenstadt, Politico

A top strategist on President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has withdrawn from an effort to unseat North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in 2020 — an arrangement that sparked tensions at the highest levels of the Republican Party. Pollster John McLaughlin’s work for a Tillis primary challenger had angered leading Senate Republican campaign officials, who said the president’s team should be unified in the effort to reelect both Trump and incumbent Republican senators.

Legal Fees Mount for Republican Party, Trump Campaign
Julie Bykowicz, The Wall Street Journal

The Republican National Committee spent about $2.2 million last month on legal fees, new financial filings show, boosting the overall tab for lawyers paid by the party, the Trump campaign and a legal defense fund to about $17 million since President Trump took office. The legal bills are far higher than they were for former President Obama and the Democratic National Committee, as well as for previous years at the RNC, Federal Election Commission records show.

As Biden Rakes In Big Money, Will There Be a Political Cost?
Shane Goldmacher and Katie Glueck, The New York Times

A couple of days before Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced his campaign for president, he spent 45 minutes on the phone with John Morgan, a major Florida political donor. As they chatted, Mr. Morgan suggested that the former vice president would be jealous to know that he was lounging poolside, a cigar in hand, with his two German shepherds by his side.

Why Bernie Sanders is crashing Walmart’s annual shareholders’ meeting
Erica Pandey, Axios

Over the years, Walmart’s bosses have invited dozens of A-listers, including Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx and Carly Rae Jepsen, to its annual shareholders’ meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas. This year, workers, who are attending the meeting to lobby for higher pay and better benefits, invited their own guest: Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Liz Cheney’s Choice: House Or Senate?
Susan Davis, NPR News

Rep. Liz Cheney does not mince words, but when it comes to her own political ambitions, the Wyoming Republican has nothing to say right now. “I don’t have any announcements to make about that,” a tight-lipped Cheney told reporters at a recent press conference dominated by questions about her political future.

Amash won’t rule out Libertarian challenge to Trump
Jonathan Easley, The Hill

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) on Tuesday said he would not rule out a third-party challenge to President Trump in 2020. The Hill asked Amash if he is thinking about leaving the Republican Party to run for president as the Libertarian Party candidate.

States

New York lawmakers pass bill aimed at weakening Trump’s pardon power
Allan Smith, NBC News

New York state lawmakers passed a measure Tuesday that would allow prosecutors to pursue state charges against certain individuals even if they have received a presidential pardon, a move seen as a direct shot at President Donald Trump. New York’s state Assembly passed the measure — which creates a narrow exception in the state’s double-jeopardy law — by a 90-52 vote.

Trump Supported Changing New York G.O.P. Leader
Maggie Haberman and Jesse McKinley, The New York Times

For months, President Trump’s political advisers have been working to remake state Republican parties to cement their control ahead of the 2020 election. But Mr. Trump had a vested interest in helping dictate the leadership and direction of one state party in particular.

Democratic states, counties, sue Trump admin over religious protections rule
Nathaniel Wiexel, The Hill

A coalition of 23 Democrat-led states, counties and municipalities is suing the Trump administration for a final rule that protects health care providers who refuse to provide care on the basis of their religious beliefs. The lawsuit, announced Tuesday, is led by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and seeks to have the rule declared unconstitutional, as well as a court order to prevent it from going into effect.

Emails Show How Much Pull Political Bosses Had Over State Tax Breaks
Nancy Solomon and Jeff Pillets, ProPublica and WNYC

A law firm linked to New Jersey political boss George E. Norcross III enjoyed extraordinary influence over the state’s tax break program, crafting new rules and regulations in hundreds of calls, meetings and messages with top officials in Trenton, newly released emails reveal. The emails, obtained by WNYC and ProPublica through a public information request, provide a rare look at how the Norcross family machine leveraged its access to top state officials to advance the interests of clients and friends allied with the political leader.

Advocacy

House Dems Rake In Cash From Gun Lobbyist
Lachlan Markay, The Daily Beast

The Democratic Party’s House campaign arm raised money from one of Washington’s premier defense-industry lobbyists just months after he signed two new clients: a leading firearms manufacturer and the government of the United Arab Emirates. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee received $26,250 in “bundled” contributions last month from Michael Herson, the chief executive and co-owner of American Defense International, according to a Federal Election Commission filing on Monday.

A conservative activist’s behind-the-scenes campaign to remake the nation’s court
Robert O’Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg, The Washington Post

Leonard Leo stepped onto the stage in a darkened Florida ballroom, looked out at a gathering of some of the nation’s most powerful conservative activists and told them they were on the cusp of fulfilling a long-sought dream. For two decades, Leo has been on a mission to turn back the clock to a time before the U.S. Supreme Court routinely expanded the government’s authority and endorsed new rights such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

No Need to Panic – Songwriters Just Want Fairness
Paul Williams, Morning Consult

Remember the classic children’s fable about Chicken Little who claims the sky is falling after an acorn hits his head? The Department of Justice is in the middle of a lengthy review of various outdated consent decrees.

Research Reports and Polling

Americans’ View of Job Market Hits New High
Lydia Saad, Gallup

Americans’ confidence in the U.S. job market is the highest in Gallup’s trend originating in 2001, with 71% in May saying now is a good time to find a quality job. This represents a significant improvement from March and April, when 65% each month rated the job market favorably. Today’s level is similar to February’s 69% reading.

Morning Consult