The
government in action
Monday, Feb. 12
á The
Senate began an unrestricted debate on immigration—a unusual step that
permits senators to try to build a bill on the Senate floor. Meanwhile the fate
of hundreds of thousands of so-called ÒdreamersÓ hung in the balance. The
debate was expected to continue for a week with no guarantee that any proposal
would attract the required 60 votes for passage. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/us/politics/senate-immigration-debate.html?emc=edit_ne_20180212&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á President
Trump sent a $4.4 trillion budget proposal to Congress proposing steep cuts to
Medicare and other social programs, and significant increases in military
spending. TrumpÕs budget would balloon the federal deficit. The proposal has
little chance of enactment, but it did show how far Republicans have moved from
their advocacy of balanced budgets. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/us/politics/white-house-budget-congress.html?emc=edit_ne_20180212&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
Tuesday, Feb. 13
á Top
intelligence officials warned that Russia is already attempting to influence
the upcoming midterm elections. They said MoscowÕs digital strategy was aimed
at deepening the nationÕs social and political divisions. ÒWe expect Russia to
continue using propaganda, social media, false-flag personas, sympathetic
spokespeople and other means of influence to try to exacerbate social and
political fissures in the United States,Ó said Dan Coats, the director of
national intelligence at a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/us/politics/russia-sees-midterm-elections-as-chance-to-sow-fresh-discord-intelligence-chiefs-warn.html?emc=edit_ne_20180213&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á The
White House changed its story about Rob Porter, the disgraced staff secretary
who resigned last week over allegations of spousal abuse. A White House
spokesperson conceded that the F.B.I. told the White House last summer about
complications in PorterÕs security background check but claimed that the
F.B.I.Õs warning never reached TrumpÕs inner circle. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/us/politics/rob-porter-fbi-background-check.html?emc=edit_ne_20180213&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
Wednesday, Feb. 14
á President
TrumpÕs personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, said he paid $130,000 of his own
money to pornography star Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, who
claimed to have had an affair with Trump. ÒNeither the Trump Organization nor
the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and
neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly,Ó Cohen
said in a statement to The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/us/politics/stormy-daniels-michael-cohen-trump.html?emc=edit_nn_20180214&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=81621366&te=1
á Scott
Pruitt, the EPA administrator, is now approved to fly first class for all
travel, an EPA spokesman said. ÒDue to security reasons, he has a blanket
waiver to buy business or first class,Ó said Jahan Wilcox. He declined to
identify who signed off on the unusual permission, or when, or how it was
determined that flying coach poses a security risk. http://politico.pro/2stXTMy
Thursday, Feb. 15
á The
Senate blocked three immigration bills — including one supported by
President Trump — leaving hundreds of thousands of undocumented
ÒdreamersÓ in continued uncertainty about their ability to remain in the United
States. The Senate voted 60 to 39 against the White House-backed bill, which
would have offered 1.8 million ÒdreamersÓ a path to citizenship, in exchange
for a $25 billion commitment to build a border wall with Mexico, substantially
limit legal immigration, and end the diversity visa lottery. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/us/politics/immigration-senate-dreamers.html?emc=edit_ne_20180215&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
Friday, Feb. 16
á
The Justice Department charged three
companies and 13 Russian nationals in an indictment that exposed a complex
network designed to subvert the 2016 election and to support the Trump
campaign. According to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, the Russians were
also in contact with Òunwitting individuals associated with the Trump
campaign.Ó https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russians-indicted-mueller-election-interference.html?emc=edit_ne_20180216&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á The
White House will limit access by some employees with interim security
clearances to top-secret information, according to White House Chief of Staff
John F. Kelly. The move could threaten the position of Jared Kushner, President
TrumpÕs son-in-law. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/overhaul-of-white-house-security-clearance-process-could-threaten-kushners-access/2018/02/16/09f2dc9e-11b5-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.1026ee2c2923&wpisr
á New
claims surfaced in the New Yorker about an alleged nine-month relationship that
President Trump had with former Playboy ÒPlaymate of the YearÓ Karen McDougal.
She was reportedly paid $150,000 by a tabloid publisher, a close friend of
TrumpÕs, who never published her story. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/salacious-new-claims-surface-about-a-trump-affair-and-alleged-coverup/2018/02/16/6bbf5cec-1357-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.468193a3cab0&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
á Attorney
General Jeff Sessions ordered an examination of the F.B.I. and Justice
DepartmentÕs procedures because the F.B.I. failed to act on a tip about the
teenager who shot his classmates in a deadly school shooting in Florida. ÒIt is
now clear that the warning signs were there and tips to the F.B.I. were missed.
We see the tragic consequences of those failures,Ó Sessions said in a
statement. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/374275-sessions-orders-doj-review-over-fbis-florida-shooting-tip
Saturday, Feb. 17
á Bloomberg
reported that an un-named source said Special Counsel Robert Mueller is still
investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the
2016 presidential election. The investigation is expected to continue for
months and also look at potential obstruction of justice charges against the
president, the source said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-16/mueller-is-said-to-still-be-investigating-collusion-with-russia
Sunday, Feb. 18
á In a
remarkable series late night tweets, President Trump vented against the ongoing
probe of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. He declared, Òthey are
laughing their asses off in Moscow.Ó Trump blamed the Obama administration for
not deterring Russia. and said he never denied that Russia meddled in the U.S.
elections. The tweet storm undercut his national security adviser, Lt. General
H.R. McMaster, who said the day before that Russian interference is now Òbeyond
dispute.Ó : http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/374444-trumps-anger-boils-over-with-russia-probe?userid=280231