Monday, Dec. 11
á Nebraska Republican National Committeewoman Joyce Simmons resigned Monday in protest of the committeeÕs financial support for Roy Moore, candidate for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became Attorney General. Moore had been accused of predatory sexual behavior by several women. http://politi.co/2iPUgZt
á A woman who last
year accused President Donald Trump of ogling her and her fellow Miss USA
contestants in their private dressing room said Monday that the recent tidal
wave of sexual assault allegations and repercussions against powerful men has
opened a window for her and other women who have accused Trump of sexual
misconduct to try again to seek accountability from the president. http://politi.co/2iPaUsm
á A former
business associate of Michael Flynn, Thomas Cochran, told lawmakers that phone
records, which he produced, contradict an anonymous whistleblowerÕs allegation
that the ex-national security adviser sent an Inauguration Day text declaring a
controversial Middle East nuclear energy deal Ògood to go.Ó http://politi.co/2kX7M1H
á Three months after
President Trump announced that transgender troops wonÕt be allowed to serve in
the military, a federal judge blocked enforcement of TrumpÕs directive and kept
in place an order requiring the military to begin accepting transgender recruits
starting Jan. 1. The administration requested an
emergency stay within hours.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/judge-denies-pentagon-bid-to-delay-jan-1-deadline-to-accept-transgender-recruits/2017/12/11/820d6d4e-dc58-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.acc6dd5a5dfc&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
Tuesday, Dec. 12
á Trump sought to
discredit both the news media and some of the women who have accused him of
sexual harassment, calling the allegations against him Òfabricated storiesÓ and
Òfake news.Ó
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/12/12/trump-seeks-to-dismiss-sexual-harassment-allegations-as-fake-news/?utm_term=.85f5368965f0&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
á Democrat Doug
Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in AlabamaÕs U.S. Senate special election.
Moore refused to concede defeat.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/voters-head-to-the-polls-in-contentious-senate-race-in-alabama/2017/12/11/26e36b56-deb7-11e7-8679-a9728984779c_story.html?utm_term=.e369c5cfada4&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
á U. S. District
Judge Thomas Durkin ordered that Dennis Hastert never be left alone with anyone
under 18 unless another adult is present who is aware of the former U.S. House
speakerÕs conviction in a hush-money case that revealed he had sexually abused
several high school students. The order came three months into HastertÕs
two-year period of supervised release from prison. http://bit.ly/2CcjPwu
Wednesday, Dec. 13
á The conference
committee to reconcile the GOPÕs two tax bills held its first and only meeting,
just as news broke of a Republican compromise that would lower the corporate tax rate to
21 percent beginning in 2018. The agreement would also lower the top tax rate
for families and individuals from 39.6 percent to at least 37 percent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/republicans-reach-compromise-tax-plan-expanding-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy/2017/12/13/4f9ca66c-e028-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.f82c40a3ef15&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
á Minnesota Gov.
Mark Dayton confirmed that heÕs chosen Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to replace resigning
Sen. Al Franken in the U.S. Senate. Smith said she intends to run for election
next year to keep the seat. http://bit.ly/2nYPi1R
Thursday, Dec. 14
á Rep. Blake
Farenthold (R-Tex.) announced he will not seek reelection in 2018, amid allegations
that he sexually harassed female staff and created a hostile work environment.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/farenthold-wont-seek-reelection-amid-allegations-of-sexual-harassment/2017/12/14/7217a402-e0dd-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.b4971a3dcfce&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
á The Federal
Communications Commission voted Thursday to allow Internet providers to speed
up service for websites they favor — and block or slow down others
— in a decision repealing Obama-era regulations overseeing broadband
companies such as AT&T and Verizon. The vote was 3-2 along party lines.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/14/the-fcc-is-expected-to-repeal-its-net-neutrality-rules-today-in-a-sweeping-act-of-deregulation/?utm_term=.791d8a15514d&wpisrc=al_news__alert-economy--alert-national&wpmk=1
á Politico
reported that Paul Ryan is considering retirement after
2018. http://politi.co/2jUUgbB
á Vice President Mike Pence delayed a planned trip to the Middle East to
preside over the tax vote in the Senate.
Friday, Dec. 15
á The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Rep. Ruben
Kihuen (D-Nev.), who was previously accused of sexual harassment by an aide
during his 2016 campaign. He has denied the allegations. http://politi.co/2kwk6lX
á Kansas Democrat Andrea Ramsey, accused of sexual harassment, has decided
to drop out of a race for the House of Representatives. The accusations
were contained in a 2005 lawsuit. http://bit.ly/2Bfk5L6
á Republicans finalized
their tax plan, bridging differences between the House and Senate
bills and appear to have secured the votes they need to pass the measure
through both houses.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/15/the-final-gop-tax-bill-is-complete-heres-what-is-in-it/?utm_term=.ccd435088eaf&wpisrc=al_news__alert-economy--alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
á The White House
said it is standing by the nomination of Matthew Petersen, a nominee for the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, despite a clip from his
confirmation hearing posted on Twitter in which Petersen was
unable to answer questions about legal and courtroom terms posed by
a Republican senator.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-push-to-fill-courts-with-conservative-judges-hits-first-speed-bump/2017/12/15/46afc8c0-e1b5-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.892f12853019&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Saturday, Dec. 16
á The Trump
administration is prohibiting officials at the Centers for Disease Control from
using a list of seven words or phrases in official documents being prepared for
next yearÕs budget. The forbidden terms are Òvulnerable,Ó Òentitlement,Ó
Òdiversity,Ó Òtransgender,Ó Òfetus,Ó Òevidence-basedÓ and Òscience-based.Ó
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html?utm_term=.6e8196299d1a&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
á Rep. Ruben
Kihuen (D-Nev.) announced he will not seek reelection next year amid
allegations that he sexually harassed women, making him the seventh
— and youngest — member of Congress to resign or decline to seek
reelection since October.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/16/rep-ruben-kihuen-wont-seek-reelection-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations/?utm_term=.e9563f40f4fa&wpisrc=al_politics__alert-politics&wpmk=1
Sunday, Dec. 17
á A new NBC/WSJ
poll on whom voters prefer to control Congress said 50 percent prefer
Democrats, while only 39 percent prefer Republicans. This is the first time
since Sept. 2008 that Democrats have hit 50 on this question in the poll. http://nbcnews.to/2ziMrEX
á A Republican on
the House judiciary committee said heÕs gotten a commitment from committee
chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) to subpoena top officials at the FBI and Justice
Department in House RepublicansÕ ongoing inquiry into claims of bias against
President Donald Trump at the FBI. http://politi.co/2yMinOn