Top Stories

  • President Donald Trump said he had “no deadline” to reach a trade deal with China, injecting uncertainty into talks between Washington and Beijing over a “phase one” agreement and suggesting the trade dispute could drag on until after the 2020 election. Speaking in London at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting, Trump also criticized France as his administration proposed tariffs of up to 100 percent on $2.4 billion of French imports. (The Wall Street Journal)
  • Attorney General William Barr has privately expressed disagreement with a finding in his department’s forthcoming inspector general report that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had enough information in July 2016 to justify its investigation into members of Trump’s campaign, according to sources. It is unclear how Barr plans to make his objections publicly known as Michael Horo­witz, the DOJ’s inspector general, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week. (The Wall Street Journal)
  • The Trump administration released $105 million in U.S. military assistance to Lebanon just before Thanksgiving, according to two congressional sources and an administration official. Despite congressional approval, the money had remained in limbo at the Office of Management and Budget since September, and the White House has not offered an explanation for the delay, drawing some lawmakers to draw comparisons with the delay of U.S. assistance to Ukraine at the center of the House impeachment inquiry. (The Associated Press)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

12/04/2019
Politico hosts event on the environment and 2020 7:00 am
House Judiciary Committee holds hearing on impeachment 10:00 am
12/05/2019
Rep. Scott participates in Axios event 8:00 am
House Armed Services Committee chairman participates in AEI event on civil-military relations 8:30 am
CSIS hosts event on U.S.-Russia relations 5:00 pm
Reps. Brooks, Davids, Miller and Underwood participates in New York Times event 6:30 pm
Speaker Pelosi to participate in CNN town hall 9:00 pm
12/06/2019
Brookings hosts event on free markets 2:30 pm
12/07/2019
Democratic presidential candidates participate in forum on worker issues
View full calendar

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General

Road ahead: impeachment progress, judicial nominations and a Christmas tree
Niels Lesniewski and Lindsey McPherson, Roll Call

In a sign of the season, the next open House impeachment hearing is scheduled to take place the same day as the lighting of the Capitol Christmas tree. The impeachment inquiry remains front and center as Congress returns this week, with the Senate continuing to methodically confirm the judicial nominations of President Donald Trump.

Ukraine Knew of Aid Freeze in July, Says Ex-Top Official in Kyiv
Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times

As deputy foreign minister, it was Olena Zerkal’s job to read incoming diplomatic cables from embassies around the world. One from Washington caught her eye back in July, she recalled: It said the Trump administration had frozen military aid for Ukraine.

Here Are The Latest Secret Memos From Mueller’s Report
Jason Leopold et al., BuzzFeed News

The report from former special counsel Robert Mueller, detailing Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and the Trump administration’s efforts to obstruct the inquiry, was the most hotly anticipated prosecutorial document in a generation. But at 448 pages, it reflected only a tiny fraction of the primary-source documents that the government amassed over the course of its two-year investigation.

New charges likely in case against Giuliani associates
Erin Durkin, Politico

New charges are likely to be brought against two associates of Rudy Giuliani who were indicted for campaign finance crimes, prosecutors said Monday. The two men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, are already charged in a scheme to skirt campaign finance laws as part of a plot to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Supreme Court appears unlikely to hand victory to gun rights backers in 2nd Amendment case
Pete Williams, NBC News

The Supreme Court seemed unlikely Monday to be heading for a major ruling on Second Amendment rights after hearing courtroom arguments in a dispute over a New York City gun restriction — a law no longer on the books. Because New York repealed the law after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, the city argued that the case should be dismissed as moot because there’s nothing left to fight over.

White House & Administration

Judge denies DOJ request for stay on Don McGahn testimony
Darren Samuelsohn and Josh Gerstein, Politico

House Democrats on Monday notched another legal victory in their pursuit of critical testimony tied to their impeachment efforts, though the ruling may be short-lived because the case is already on temporary hold while it works its way toward an appeal. U.S. District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a 17-page opinion, rejected the Justice Department’s request to put a long-term stay on her earlier opinion requiring Don McGahn, the former Trump White House counsel, to appear before the House Judiciary Committee.

Leader’s Resignation in Iraq Presents Narrow Opening for U.S.
Michael R. Gordon, The Wall Street Journal

The resignation of Iraq’s prime minister presents the U.S. with an opportunity for a fresh start with an essential—if often frustrating—partner, but the Trump administration faces Baghdad’s unpredictable succession process, entrenched political interests and competition from Iran, U.S. officials and independent experts said. During his year in office, Adil Abdul-Mahdi was widely seen in Washington as a weak leader incapable of asserting his will over a fragmented government.

Senate

IRS whistleblower declines to appear for transcribed interview
Lauren Fox and Paul LeBlanc, CNN

An IRS employee who is raising concerns about potential political interference in the presidential audit program is declining to voluntarily appear for a transcribed interview with the Senate Finance Committee, according to a source familiar with discussions. After raising concerns over the summer, the whistleblower met in November with Republican and Democratic staffers on the committee but has declined an invitation to appear for a follow-up, according to the person familiar.

Senate panel look into Ukraine interference comes up short
Natasha Bertrand, Politico

With the impeachment inquiry charging forward, President Donald Trump’s allies have defended his demand for political investigations from Ukraine by claiming that the government in Kyiv tried to sabotage his candidacy and boost Hillary Clinton in 2016. “Russia was very aggressive and they’re much more sophisticated, but the fact that Russia was so aggressive does not exclude the fact that President Poroshenko actively worked for Secretary Clinton,” Republican Sen. John Kennedy claimed on Sunday in an interview with NBC, referring to the former Ukrainian president.

Trump conquers Republicans on trade
Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine, Politico

President Donald Trump is winning at least one trade war: The one with his own party. Free-trading Republicans have feuded with the president for years now, and his decision on Monday to reimpose tariffs on Brazil and Argentina brought new criticism from GOP senators — right as he needs them to fend off the impeachment inquiry that threatens his presidency.

Senate Confirms Former Lobbyist Dan Brouillette as Energy Secretary
Timothy Puko, The Wall Street Journal

The Senate confirmed Dan Brouillette as energy secretary, putting another former advocate for business interests in charge of the Trump administration’s energy policy. Mr. Brouillette was confirmed Monday by a vote of 70-15, with many Democrats supporting Republican President Trump’s nominee in contrast to the extreme partisanship that has characterized several other cabinet-nominee approvals.

In rebuke to Trump, Senate Republicans move closer to sanctioning Turkey
Emma Dumain and Michael Wilner, McClatchy DC

Senate Republicans are following through on a long-held threat to pursue legislative action against Turkey after its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, doubled down in recent days on a Russian-made missile defense system that has complicated Ankara’s strategic alliance with the United States. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider legislation next week to formally sanction the NATO ally over its purchase and recent testing of the S-400 system, the panel’s GOP chairman, Jim Risch of Idaho, told McClatchy on Monday evening.

House

Democrats quietly debate expanding impeachment articles beyond Ukraine
Rachael Bade, The Washington Post

House Democrats are debating whether to expand articles of impeachment to include charges beyond abuse of power in the Ukraine controversy, setting up a potential internal clash as the party races to impeach President Trump by Christmastime. Members of the House Judiciary Committee and other more liberal-minded lawmakers and congressional aides have been privately discussing the possibility of drafting articles that include obstruction of justice or other “high crimes” they believe are clearly outlined in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report — or allegations that Trump has used his office to benefit his bottom line.

House Republicans defend Trump’s actions in new report responding to impeachment inquiry
Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju, CNN

Republicans have given a full-throated defense of President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine in a report published Monday that rejects the Democratic allegations that the President abused his office or committed any other impeachable offense. House Republicans prepared the 123-report defending the President ahead of the release of a Democratic committee report that’s expected to lay out charges likely to form the basis for potential articles of impeachment.

House Judiciary announces impeachment witnesses
Cristina Marcos, The Hill

The House Judiciary Committee on Monday unveiled a witness panel of four constitutional scholars for its first impeachment hearing this week. Titled “The Impeachment Inquiry into President Donald J. Trump: Constitutional Grounds for Presidential Impeachment,” Wednesday’s hearing will feature testimony from four law professors: Noah Feldman, a professor at Harvard Law School and director of the Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law; Pamela Karlan, a professor of public interest law at Stanford Law School; Michael Gerhardt, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law; and Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University Law School.

2020

New congressional maps in North Carolina will stand for 2020, court rules
Brian Murphy and Will Doran, The News & Observer

A three-judge panel ruled Monday that new congressional maps passed by state lawmakers last month can stand for the 2020 election. The court also opened filing for U.S. House candidates. 

Inside the GOP impeachment spin machine
Alayna Treene and Jonathan Swan, Axios

The Republican base is fired up by impeachment: It’s driving fundraising to pro-Trump groups, which pump that money back into ads to get the base even more fired up. The cycle keeps spinning, generating more and more heat. 

Biden says he doesn’t need Obama’s endorsement
Natasha Korecki, Politico

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday said he didn’t need Barack Obama’s endorsement in the Democratic primary, even if the field were down to three people. He also scoffed at the notion that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is building enthusiasm and accused Mayor Pete Buttigieg of stealing his plans.

‘Incapable of being gracious’: De Blasio fumes over Bloomberg bid
Dana Rubinstein and Sally Goldberg, Politico

By all appearances, Bill de Blasio is having a fit. The New York City mayor has decried Mike Bloomberg’s hubris for pursuing the presidency, castigated Bloomberg’s apology for his race-based policing policies and excoriated his immediate predecessor’s “damning” record on homelessness.

Trump Bars Bloomberg News Journalists From Campaign Events
Michael M. Grynbaum, The New York Times

President Trump’s re-election campaign said on Monday that it would bar Bloomberg News journalists from attending its rallies and political events, an attempt to retaliate against the news organization’s decision to cease investigating Democratic candidates in the wake of its billionaire owner’s entry into the 2020 presidential race. The Trump campaign broke from years of precedent in 2016 by revoking the press credentials of journalists from outlets like The Washington Post, Politico and BuzzFeed News, an early sign of the efforts to demonize the news media that have become a hallmark of the Trump presidency.

Kelly Loeffler to have powerful ally after she’s tapped to Senate in Georgia
Greg Bluestein, The Atlanta Journal Constitution 

When Gov. Brian Kemp announces on Wednesday that he’s picked Kelly Loeffler for an open U.S. Senate seat, she’ll have some powerful backup to help defend her new post. The National Republican Senatorial Committee will support Loeffler, giving her a key political ally as she faces a potential GOP challenge, according to two people with direct knowledge of the decision.

States

Murphy looks to avoid Christie model as he becomes DGA chairman
Ryan Hutchins, Politico

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, set to take over this week as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, may ignore one of the traditional roles of the post: hitting the road to support fellow gubernatorial candidates. Murphy, in a phone interview Monday, said he plans to stick to fundraising and strategy.

Trump gave states the power to ban refugees. Conservative Utah wants more of them.
Griff Witte, The Washington Post

Apiel Kuot had survived war, sexual assault and life — first as an orphan, then as a single mother — in an east African refugee camp. But Utah terrified her. She would never be welcome there, others in the camp had told her when she learned she would be resettled 9,000 miles away in a place where her black skin could mark her as an unwanted outsider.

Advocacy

State lawmakers acknowledge lobbyists helped craft their op-eds attacking Medicare-for-all
Jeff Stein, The Washington Post

Lobbyists either helped draft or made extensive revisions to opinion columns published by three state lawmakers in a way that warned against the dangers of Medicare-for-all and other government involvement in health care, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post. Montana state Rep. Kathy Kelker (D) and Sen. Jen Gross (D) acknowledged in interviews that editorials they published separately about the single-payer health proposal included language provided by John MacDonald, a lobbyist and consultant in the state who disclosed in private emails that he worked for an unnamed client.

Wealthy Mercer family spent millions on conservative causes in 2018 as they distanced themselves from Trump
Brian Schwartz, CNBC

Republican megadonors Robert and Rebekah Mercer donated over $12 million to a variety of conservative causes last year despite distancing themselves from being associated with President Donald Trump. In 2018, the Mercers signaled to their allies that they were not looking to directly support Trump’s presidency after spending millions to get him elected in 2016.

North Dakota company that Trump touted gets $400 million border wall contract
Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post

A company that President Trump urged military officials to hire for border wall construction has been awarded a $400 million contract to build a span of new barrier across an Arizona wildlife refuge, according to a Department of Defense announcement Monday. North Dakota-based Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. won the contract to build in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Yuma County, Ariz., the Defense Department said, with a target completion date of Dec. 30, 2020.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

F-35 Is Poster Child for Flawed Government Contracting
Brian McNicoll, Morning Consult

One day, when the F-35 program is dead – largely of its own hand – its tombstone will read: “If only this had been tested properly.” The fighter jet – begun as a project to promote interoperability both among the various branches of our services and between our armed forces and those of our allies – never has reached its potential because it was rushed into production without sufficient testing.

House ratings changes: A dozen races shift toward Democrats
Nathan L. Gonzales, Roll Call

Most Republicans believe their party has weathered the 2018 storm and brighter days are ahead in 2020. But that perspective doesn’t mean the GOP’s chances of retaking the House are particularly good.

Regarding Brian Kemp and Kelly Loeffler
Erick Erickson, The Resurgent

Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia intends to appoint Kelly Loeffler to the United States Senate. Mrs. Loeffler has the ability to self-fund and those close to Governor Kemp tell me that she follows a well established pattern by this governor of appointing people outside the box.

A Republican Proposal to Feed the Country to the Swamp
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., The Wall Street Journal

Progressives dream of making the District of Columbia into a state, but now a pair of Republican senators have the same vision reflected through a funhouse mirror. The Helping Infrastructure Restore the Economy Act would effectively transform 10 states into D.C. by moving at least 90% of jobs from 10 executive departments out of Washington and into “economically distressed regions” across the country.

Research Reports and Polling

Most Americans say climate change impacts their community, but effects vary by region
Meg Hefferon, Pew Research Center

Roughly six-in-ten U.S. adults (62%) say climate change is currently affecting their local community either a great deal or some, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This finding is consistent with a 2018 Center survey, in which 59% of Americans said global climate change was affecting their local community at least some.

Morning Consult