Government in Action
Monday, Sept. 3
á
Politico
reported that both documented and undocumented immigrants are dropping out of
the WIC program, a federal nutrition program for pregnant women and children,
after news reports that the White
House may deny legal status to immigrants whoÕve used public benefits. Agencies
in at least 18 states say theyÕve seen drops of up to 20 percent in enrollment.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/03/immigrants-nutrition-food-trump-crackdown-806292?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=630318
Tuesday, Sept. 4
á
The Senate
began its oversight of Bret KavanaughÕs nomination to the Supreme Court with
protests not only by Democrats, who complained that over 50,000 pages of
records relevant to Kavanaugh had only been released the night before, but also
to protests by spectators in the hearing room. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/04/us/politics/kavanaugh-confirmation-hearing-updates.html?action=click&emc=edit_ne_20180904&module=Top+Stories&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=75999791emc%3Dedit_ne_20180904&pgtype=Homepage&te=1
á
The Washington
Post reported on advance excerpts from veteran journalist Bob WoodwardÕs new
book, which paints a picture of President Donald Trump as petulant and
juvenile, ranting at his staff, obsessed with the Mueller probe, and unable to
grasp the basic issues confronting his presidency. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bob-woodwards-new-book-reveals-a-nervous-breakdown-of-trumps-presidency/2018/09/04/b27a389e-ac60-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html?utm_term=.792d6ec9f69c
Wednesday, Sept. 5
á
The New York
Times published an anonymous op-ed by a Òsenior government officialÓ titled, ÒI
Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.Ó The writer depicts
a White House in chaos and a group within the administration actively working
to thwart some of TrumpÕs worst decisions. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html
á
Oral arguments
began in a Texas courtroom in a suit by 20 Republican attorneys general who
asked the judge to put the Affordable Care Act on hold while the suit, which
claims the whole program is unconstitutional, is being litigated. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/texas-lawsuit-threatens-affordable-care-act-n906376
á
In an
interview with the Daily Caller, Trump suggested that the act of protesting
should be illegal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-suggests-protesting-should-be-illegal/2018/09/04/11cfd9be-b0a0-11e8-aed9-001309990777_story.html?utm_term=.9c5d54ea3721&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
Thursday, Sept. 6
á
The
Trump administration took the first official step toward replacing the Flores
agreement, a court settlement that limits the governmentÕs ability to hold
minors in immigration jails, with new regulations that change key portions of
the agreement. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who oversees the Flores
agreement, has already rejected government requests to extend the amount of
time migrant children can be held in immigration jails beyond the 20-day limit.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-circumvent-court-limits-on-detention-of-child-migrants/2018/09/06/181d376c-b1bd-11e8-a810-4d6b627c3d5d_story.html?utm_term=.56e46171b9e4
á
The
Guardian reported that a government
photographer edited official pictures of TrumpÕs inauguration to make the crowd
appear bigger following a personal intervention from the president, according
to newly released documents. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/donald-trump-inauguration-crowd-size-photos-edited?CMP=share_btn_tw
Friday, Sept. 7
á
Special
counsel Robert Mueller told TrumpÕs legal team he would accept written answers
to questions about whether his campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016
presidential election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-tells-trumps-legal-team-that-he-will-accept-written-answers-on-campaign-questions/2018/09/04/63673368-b090-11e8-aed9-001309990777_story.html?utm_term=.b8902910dc71&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
á
The Labor
Department reported the U.S. economy added 201,000 jobs in August, somewhat
above expectations, and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.9 percent, an
18-year low. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/405510-august-jobs-report?userid=280231
á
Former Trump
campaign advisor George Papadopoulos was sentenced to two weeks in federal
prison for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the 2016
presidential election. Papadopoulos is the first Trump campaign official to be
sentenced to jail in the ongoing probe by special prosecutor Robert Mueller. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/405636-papadopoulos-sentenced-in-mueller-probe?userid=280231
Saturday, Sept. 8
á
The Washington
Post reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel and House Speaker Paul
Ryan tried to talk President Trump out of shutting down the government at the
end of this month over his demands for funding for a border wall. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/ryan-mcconnell-try-to-coax-trump-away-from-shutdown--using-props/2018/09/07/a13e2f8c-b2b8-11e8-a20b-5f4f84429666_story.html?utm_term=.172b72a78c10&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
á
Mick
Mulvaney, the federal budget director, and Ronna McDaniel, the Republican
National Committee chair, told party officials and donors at a closed-door
event in New York City that the party is battling serious vulnerabilities in
the midterm elections. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/us/politics/republicans-midterms-ted-cruz.html
Sunday, Sept. 9
á
Vice President
Mike Pence told Fox News there may be grounds to investigate an op-ed in the
New York Times, written by an anonymous senior government official. ÒÉthis individual may have
responsibilities in the area of national security,Ó Pence said. ÒAnd if theyÕve
now published an anonymous editorial that says that they are misrepresenting
themselves—that they are essentiallyÉtrying to frustrate and subvert the
agenda the president was elected to advance.Ó http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/405748-pence-suggests-there-is-legal-basis-for-investigating-identity-of-nyt?rnd=1536499643