Monday, Feb. 5
á
The House Intelligence Committee voted
unanimously to make public a classified Democratic memorandum rebutting
Republican claims that the F.B.I. and the Justice Department abused their
powers to wiretap a former Trump campaign official. The vote gives President
Trump five days to decide whether to approve the release. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/democratic-memo-adam-schiff-trump.html?emc=edit_ne_20180205&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á The
Supreme Court denied the request of Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania to put
off redrawing the stateÕs congressional map until after the 2018 midterm
elections. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in January that the stateÕs
congressional map was gerrymandered to give Republicans a political advantage. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering_us_5a74bf28e4b06ee97af274d4?3x9
Tuesday, Feb. 6
á The
House approved a stopgap spending bill that would increase military spending
through September while keeping funds flowing to the rest of the government for
six weeks. The House measure is considered unlikely to pass the Senate, where
Democrats insist that an increase in military funds be matched with additional
domestic spending. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/us/politics/government-shutdown-trump-immigration.html?emc=edit_ne_20180206&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á The
Pentagon is making plans for a large-scale military parade in Washington at
TrumpÕs direction, although a White House official described the current plans
as Òbrainstorming.Ó https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-marching-orders-to-the-pentagon-plan-a-grand-military-parade/2018/02/06/9e19ca88-0b55-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html?utm_term=.901beddde41d&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
á Treasury
Secretary Steve Mnuchin brushed off recent stock market volatility and said the
Trump administration can still claim credit for the fact that the market is up
over 30 percent since the election. http://politi.co/2BeH8r9
Wednesday, Feb. 7
á Senate
leaders reached bi-partisan agreement on a budget that would add hundreds of
billions of dollars to military and domestic programs over a two-year period
and raise the federal debt limit and spending caps imposed in 2011. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/us/politics/budget-deal-trump.html?emc=edit_ne_20180207&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á House
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi — intent on protesting CongressÕs decision
not to address the condition of young, undocumented immigrants known as
Dreamers — conducted what amounted to a one-woman Òfilibuster,Ó in the
House, speaking for eight hours and seven minutes, and setting a record for the
longest continuous speech on the floor of the House, at least back to 1909. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/us/politics/pelosi-dreamers-budget-deal.html?emc=edit_ne_20180207&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
Thursday, Feb. 8
á White
House officials said they regretted the way they handled accusations against
Rob Porter, the staff secretary who resigned Wednesday. Two former wives
accused him of abusing them. Porter unexpectedly left the White House one day
after chief of staff John Kelly and other senior officials issued statements in
his defense. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/08/us/politics/rob-porter-abuse-white-house.html?emc=edit_ne_20180208&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á Federal
agencies were urged by budget spokesperson John Czwartacki to prepare for a
government shutdown that began at midnight. It was the second shutdown in three
weeks. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-leaders-scramble-to-win-support-for-budget-deal-ahead-of-midnight-deadline/2018/02/08/4812e996-0cd9-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html?utm_term=.e7199dd2d091&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpm
Friday, Feb. 9
á Trump
signed into law a budget deal that will increase spending by hundreds of
billions of dollars, permitting the federal government to continue after a
brief shutdown. The bill had passed the Senate on Thursday and the House
earlier Friday, both on bi-partisan votes. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/08/us/politics/congress-budget-deal-vote.html?emc=edit_ne_20180209&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791&te=1
á John
Kelly, the White House chief of staff, said he was willing to step down over
his mishandling of accusations of spousal abuse against Rob Porter, the staff
secretary who resigned earlier in the week over the accusations, according to
two officials aware of the discussions. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/09/here-are-democrats-36-senators-and-73-house-who-voted-just-against-dreamers
á David
Sorensen, a White House speechwriter, resigned after his former wife alleged he
was violent and emotionally abusive. He was the second White House staffer to
resign this week over such allegations. http://wapo.st/2H5XS4m
á Trump said he will not immediately agree to
release a Democratic memo rebutting Republican allegations about the FBIÕs FISA
warrant on Carter Page, but directed the Justice Department to work with House
lawmakers to redact certain classified portions, a step he did not take with
the earlier Devin Nunes memo. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/gop-mulling-ban-on-the-use-of-politically-funded-information-in-surveillance-requests/2018/02/09/6830ad5c-0dcf-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html?utm_term=.4cc6c12076da&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-nationa
Saturday, Feb. 10
á In an
early-morning tweet, Trump wrote about domestic abuse allegations: ÒPeoples
lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and
some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone
falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any
longer as Due Process?Ó https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-decries-lack-of-due-process-for-men-accused-of-sexual-harassment-abuse/2018/02/10/fb6f7e08-0e89-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.bd4bf56fd37b&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
á Heath Hall, a top official charged with
overseeing the safety of the nationÕs railroads, resigned Òeffective
immediately,Ó the Department of Transportation said after questions were raised
about whether he was simultaneously working as a public relations consultant in
Mississippi. The Federal Railroad Administration hasnÕt had a permanent leader
for more than a year, all while it investigates a string of fatal train
crashes. http://politi.co/2BmvlqV
Sunday, Feb. 11
á The
Trump administration defended the handling of domestic abuse allegations
against former staffer Rob Porter, and mounted a defense of Chief Of Staff John
Kelly. Trump is reported to have been upset by the way in which Kelly handled
the Porter affair and has even suggested that he might replace Kelly. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/373339-trump-officials-do-damage-control-after-staff-turmoil?userid=280231