rollcall--2020-02-05--Five made-for-TV moments from the State of the Union

From a deployed soldier being reunited with his family inside the gallery , to a 13-year-old student being awarded a @ @ @ @ @ to be designed by the internet itself to tug on the emotional heartstrings of viewers @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s address on Tuesday night was brimming with carefully crafted moments that drove @ @ @ @ @ However , the audience watching on TV , or the internet , wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ Lawmakers in the chamber reacted visibly , both in agreement and disapproval .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ the most notable moments from Tuesday ’ s address and the reaction to it .
@ @ @ @ @ minutes .
[ See the State of the Union through the lens of CQ Roll @ @ @

From a deployed soldier being reunited with his family inside the gallery, to a 13-year-old student being awarded a federal scholarship, they seemed to be designed by the internet itself to tug on the emotional heartstrings of viewers at home.
However, the audience watching on TV, or the internet, wasn’t the only one affected. Lawmakers in the chamber reacted visibly, both in agreement and disapproval.
We’ve pulled together five of the most notable moments from Tuesday’s address and the reaction to it. Watch in less than three minutes.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Watch: Romney to vote to convict Trump

Watch: Romney to vote to convict Trump

In an emotional floor speech , Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he would break with his party and vote @ @ @ @ @ vote makes him the first person in U.S. history to vote to convict a member @ @ @ @ @ an impeachment trial of a president .
“ I am profoundly religious .
My faith @ @ @ @ @ who I am , ” Romney said , as he talked about taking an oath @ @ @ @ @ impartial juror .

In an emotional floor speech, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he would break with his party and vote to convict Trump. The vote makes him the first person in U.S. history to vote to convict a member of his own party in an impeachment trial of a president.
“I am profoundly religious. My faith is an essential part of who I am,” Romney said, as he talked about taking an oath before God to be an impartial juror.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Trump touts more than 100 miles of new border wall during State of Union

A section of the border wall stretches through the Rio Grande Valley sector of the Texas border on Aug. 20 , 2019 .
( Jinitzail Hernández/CQ Roll Call ) President Donald Trump boasted during his State of the Union address that his administration has built more than 100 miles of barriers along the southwest border .
The latest government data , however , shows that only one new mile of barrier has been constructed where none previously existed .
During his address Tuesday night to Congress , the president referred to ongoing construction of “ a long , tall and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his 2016 presidential campaign .
“ We have now completed over 100 miles and have over 500 miles fully completed in a very short period of time .
Early next year we will have substantially more than 500 miles completed , ” Trump said .
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection , there are currently 655 miles of primary barriers along the southwest border .
This includes approximately 300 miles of pedestrian fencing and 250 miles of vehicle barriers .
New border wall construction has accounted for a total of 105 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 31 , according to the latest CBP data — and all but one of those miles has gone to replacing dilapidated , existing barriers .
And much of the construction along the border has been possible only because Trump used his executive authority to reallocate funds to free up money for his long-promised border wall .
Last February , following a partial government shutdown , the Trump administration declared a national emergency that allocated up to $ 6.7 billion in previously appropriated funds from military projects and other government departments toward wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only set aside $ 1.375 billion for fiscal 2019 to build border barriers .
Democrats have long made it clear that they do not support building a wall and have fought the administration ’ s every step to receive funding for it .
For fiscal 2020 , the Trump administration received the same funding for the border wall as it did in fiscal 2019 , falling far short of its original $ 5 billion request .
Trump appears to make building a wall along the southwest border another prominent campaign pledge this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s promise to build 500 miles “ in a very short period of time ” is unrealistic .
David J. Bier , an immigration policy analyst at the libertarian think tank Cato Institute , said that much of the area where the administration wants to build new barriers is located on private land .
“ The majority of the progress that ’ s been made has been on property that the Department ( of Homeland Security ) has already obtained , ” he told CQ Roll Call on Wednesday .
“ So the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than he ’ s been able to do on federal land , on privately owned land , just isn ’ t realistic.
” The Trump administration has tried to assert eminent domain to acquire private land from citizens to construct its border barriers , a strategy also used by previous administrations .
Some advocacy groups have said that the Trump administration has resorted to intimidation tactics to coerce landowners into giving up their property .
Bier expressed concern those tactics will worsen as Trump locks his sights on getting reelected .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration from using basically every tool that it can to accomplish this promise , ” he said .
“ I wouldn ’ t be surprised if they cut legal corners or jam through this border wall as fast as possible with minimal review .
”

President Donald Trump boasted during his State of the Union address that his administration has built more than 100 miles of barriers along the southwest border. The latest government data, however, shows that only one new mile of barrier has been constructed where none previously existed.
During his address Tuesday night to Congress, the president referred to ongoing construction of “a long, tall and very powerful wall” that echoed promises from his 2016 presidential campaign.
“We have now completed over 100 miles and have over 500 miles fully completed in a very short period of time. Early next year we will have substantially more than 500 miles completed,” Trump said.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there are currently 655 miles of primary barriers along the southwest border. This includes approximately 300 miles of pedestrian fencing and 250 miles of vehicle barriers.
New border wall construction has accounted for a total of 105 miles under the Trump administration as of Jan. 31, according to the latest CBP data — and all but one of those miles has gone to replacing dilapidated, existing barriers.


rollcall--2020-02-05--‘Taking off the gloves’: Pelosi ripping SOTU draws parties into their corners

Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds up the copy of President Donald Trump ’ s speech that she ripped up at the conclusion of his State of the Union address on Tuesday .
( Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call ) Speaker Nancy Pelosi “ is taking off the gloves.
” The California Democrat “ did what she needed to do , ” and “ she knew exactly what she was doing.
” That ’ s how House Democrats reacted Wednesday to Pelosi ’ s decision the night before to tear up her copy of President Donald Trump ’ s State of the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the move during the weekly Democratic Caucus meeting , telling her members that Trump ’ s speech was a “ manifesto of mistruth ” and that she felt “ liberated ” ripping it up .
“ We gave her a standing ovation , ” Florida Rep. Lois Frankel said , noting that she personally viewed the move as Pelosi “ taking off the gloves.
” Paraphrasing Pelosi ’ s message to the caucus , Frankel said Trump “ basically disgraced us , disgraced the nation , his office because he used the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi seemed most upset about — “ she basically said she had had it ” — was that Trump ’ s speech was full of untruths , Frankel said .
“ He ’ s pretending he ’ s protecting preexisting conditions ?
No .
Or how about lowering the price of drugs ?
No , ” the Florida Democrat said .
“ It ’ s the complete opposite of what he ’ s doing.
” Frankel acknowledged that tearing up the speech was a bit out of character for Pelosi , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office of the presidency despite her personal disagreements with Trump .
Pelosi has also urged her caucus to show respect and maintain decorum in formal settings , like when she shushed Democrats who started cheering during the House impeachment votes .
“ It ’ s very frustrating , let me tell you , because we have to sit there and be polite , ” Frankel said .
“ And so I think Nancy Pelosi ’ s act … when you have to sit there and just take it , to me that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe it ’ s the most she could do sitting there to really show the disgust that we had.
” “ As far as I ’ m concerned , the shredder wasn ’ t available , and so she did what she needed to do , ” the New York Democrat said California Rep. Anna Eshoo , one of Pelosi ’ s closest friends in Congress , said the speaker was composed as she tore up the speech .
“ She knew exactly what she was doing , ” Eshoo said .
Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Eshoo added , characterizing her statement to the public as : “ Those words are not worth keeping.
” Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney tweeted that Pelosi was right not to normalize Trump ’ s behavior .
“ We all have an obligation to find a way to make clear that what the president is saying is false and rooted in lies , ” the New York Democrat said .
“ She found a way to do that.
” Pelosi has shown increasing frustration over the years with Trump ’ s flexibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House chamber Tuesday night , she told reporters that ripping up the speech to “ was the courteous thing to do , considering the alternatives.
” Several House Democrats walked out of the speech in protest , but Pelosi didn ’ t have that option as she sat behind Trump on the dais .
The speaker ’ s office declined to elaborate on her remarks to the Democratic Caucus .
While Democrats applauded Pelosi , Republicans criticized her .
The reactions were unsurprising coming from a polarized Congress that has rarely found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance and his intentions .
Trump pleased his party in not mentioning impeachment during his speech , providing Republicans with the opportunity to describe his speech as inspiring and optimistic .
Pelosi tearing the speech up made it easier for Republicans to draw a contrast they likely would ’ ve made anyway .
“ It was a very moving speech .
I ’ ve been to many States of the Union , as have my colleagues , and this was among the very , very best .
It was a really special speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ In stark contrast to that , Speaker Pelosi had a tantrum .
She disgraced herself , she dishonored the House .
She showed once again that she is an embarrassment , that she is unfit for office , ” the Wyoming Republican added .
“ It wasn ’ t just President Trump ’ s speech , ” the Louisiana Republican said .
“ It was the names of those military servicemen and women .
… The country was watching .
It was unbecoming of a speaker of the House to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to personally address Pelosi ’ s actions , but he spent Wednesday morning retweeting Twitters users who criticized the speaker , many using # PelosiTantrum — one of several Pelosi hashtags that have been trending since the State of the Union .
Kellyanne Conway , counselor to the president , told Fox News on Wednesday that the Senate should either censure Pelosi or adopt some other resolution denouncing her behavior .
Pelosi ’ s tearing up of Trump ’ s speech has become the dominant story out of the State of the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably part of her intention .
But her action effectively also gave her the last word , after Trump appeared to have snubbed her earlier in the night by not shaking her hand before the speech started .
“ She said she didn ’ t care about that , ” Frankel said .
Eshoo also said Pelosi wouldn ’ t have torn up the speech as a form of payback for Trump not shaking her hand .
“ No , she ’ s not small in any way , shape or form — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s small , but not in terms of a human being , ” she said .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Trump and Pelosi ’ s snubs were not the same .
Pelosi tore up an “ official document , ” the California Republican said .
McCarthy defended Trump from any responsibility when asked if he and Pelosi needed to reconcile .
“ If someone needs to sit down and change , it comes to the speaker , ” McCarthy said .
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He can behave like a jackass , but we have to jump all over her back ?
” he told MSNBC on Wednesday .
“ I don ’ t get the double standard.
” House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer put the blame on Trump , calling the president “ the author of animosity … of division.
” But the Maryland Democrat didn ’ t seem to think the State of the Union snubs would change anything in Washington .
“ The president doesn ’ t like Nancy Pelosi , and Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Hoyer said .
“ That could be said of a number of different Congresses , probably , and presidents , but we have a responsibility to work together .
We have done that .
We ’ re prepared to do it .
”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi “is taking off the gloves.” The California Democrat “did what she needed to do,” and “she knew exactly what she was doing.”
That’s how House Democrats reacted Wednesday to Pelosi’s decision the night before to tear up her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on national television.
Pelosi addressed the move during the weekly Democratic Caucus meeting, telling her members that Trump’s speech was a “manifesto of mistruth” and that she felt “liberated” ripping it up.
“We gave her a standing ovation,” Florida Rep. Lois Frankel said, noting that she personally viewed the move as Pelosi “taking off the gloves.”
Paraphrasing Pelosi’s message to the caucus, Frankel said Trump “basically disgraced us, disgraced the nation, his office because he used the event really as a political infomercial.”


rollcall--2020-02-05--Trump scales down once-grand infrastructure ambitions

Infrastructure is among the areas where Trump and congressional Democrats don ’ t see eye-to-eye .
( Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call ) President Donald Trump used 189 words of his 2018 State of the Union address to call for a $ 1.5 trillion investment in U.S. infrastructure .
On Tuesday night , the former real estate mogul signaled how much times have changed .
Trump spent 29 words on the topic .
Instead of calling for a mammoth federal investment , he endorsed a bill approved by a Senate panel in July that would focus largely on roads and bridges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 trillion plan he campaigned on and carries on about all the time ?
” House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter A. DeFazio , D-Ore. , lamented Wednesday on the House floor .
With the 2020 elections looming , his relationship with Democrats in disrepair and a limited legislative calendar , Trump seems inclined to focus on the achievable .
[ Ambitious infrastructure plan hits reality check : How to pay for it ] For him , that ’ s a five-year , $ 287 billion highway bill advanced unanimously by the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
That bill would represent an increase of 27 percent from the prior highway bill and would include GOP priorities of streamlining regulations in order to speed construction .
“ What we can take away is that the President wants Congress to send him bipartisan infrastructure bills he can sign into law — that ’ s the only way infrastructure is going to get done , ” said Justin Harclerode , a spokesman for Rep. Sam Graves , R-Mo.
, the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion , five-year infrastructure framework introduced last week by House Democrats .
That bill would include $ 329 billion for highways as well as money for airports , broadband , drinking water and clean energy .
Democrats have promised to include new funding for school construction and repairs as well .
The administration dismissed that plan in a statement to The Washington Post earlier this week .
“ House Democrats have unveiled a principles document that appears to be an introduction of the Green New Deal 2.0 and is far from bipartisan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House spokesman .
“ In contrast , the White House is encouraged by the bipartisan legislation moving through the Senate and believes it to be a good starting point to tackling this issue for the American people.
” “ They opened the door to electrification and defossilization and climate resilience , ” he said , “ not real wide , but they opened it because ( Sen. Thomas R. ) Carper insisted on it , so we ’ re going quite a bit bigger in those areas but maybe we ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he joked , referring to Trump ’ s long recitation of accomplishments during Tuesday ’ s address , “ he ’ s fixed everything else .
I guess this would be the last thing.
” Rep. Rodney Davis , R-Ill. , a member of the Transportation Committee , said he ’ s still hoping the House will write its own bill .
“ Instead of just taking the Senate bill , why don ’ t we at least try , ” he said in an interview Wednesday .
“ I ’ m still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement.
” In an interview Wednesday , DeFazio said while the House bill is bigger , the Senate bill “ has some decent policy in it.
” Speaking at a hearing of the Committee on Environment and Public Works on Wednesday , Sen. John Barrasso , R-Wyo.
, said the committee is ready to move .
“ The Senate is ready to answer the president ’ s call , ” he said .
But a key hurdle will be paying for the bill .
The EPW bill does not address how to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas tax , which has not been increased since 1993 , has less purchasing power as cars have become more fuel-efficient .

President Donald Trump used 189 words of his 2018 State of the Union address to call for a $1.5 trillion investment in U.S. infrastructure.
On Tuesday night, the former real estate mogul signaled how much times have changed.
Trump spent 29 words on the topic. Instead of calling for a mammoth federal investment, he endorsed a bill approved by a Senate panel in July that would focus largely on roads and bridges.
“What happened to the $2 trillion plan he campaigned on and carries on about all the time?” House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore., lamented Wednesday on the House floor.
With the 2020 elections looming, his relationship with Democrats in disrepair and a limited legislative calendar, Trump seems inclined to focus on the achievable.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Network overhaul shores up House Wi-Fi for State of the Union

A massive revamp of internet infrastructure in the House chamber and press galleries ahead of Tuesday ’ s State of the Union was born out of chaos in preceding years and aimed to facilitate improved media coverage of the speech , spin and surrounding pomp and circumstance .
It seemed to make a difference Tuesday , allowing reporters to fire off tweets and file story updates during the speech from inside the chamber .
That hasn ’ t been the case in previous years and was a pleasant surprise for those in the chamber .
Richard Martins , the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , was on hand in 2019 when the Wi-Fi went in and out during the State of the Union , and he witnessed the frustration of reporters and saw the potential impact on news coverage of the event .
Unlike the Senate , where electronic devices are banned in the chamber , the House allows reporters to use laptops and smartphones to cover events in real time .
But a laptop or cell phone is of little use to reporters without reliable internet .
On Tuesday night , the internet didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the point of uselessness even once .
Lawmakers were even able to tweet out selfies from the floor .
On big news days , the Wi-Fi in the House chamber has been unreliable .
More than 90 reporters inside the chamber and dozens more in the gallery office space trying to file stories , tweet , feed updates and message their editors all at once created bottlenecks .
Lawmakers and their guests trying to shoot off their own tweets and posts all use the same network , creating an oversaturation that resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet .
Reporters in the past have resorted to using their phones as Wi-Fi hot spots or relying on cell service , but that had a side effect of further squeezing bandwidth .
This year , no personal hot spots were allowed during the State of the Union .
Martins led the team that implemented the technology upgrades in the weeks leading up to the State of the Union .
The effort included the addition of 200 hardwired Ethernet connections inside the House chamber for journalists to use and boosted Wi-Fi bandwidth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office space in the press gallery .
A contractor and construction team were brought in to make the additions and run all the new wiring , often starting at 5 a.m. to get the work done without disrupting business in the chamber .
Martins and his team assisted reporters in the chamber before the speech began to connect with the provided Ethernet cables and disconnect from the Wi-Fi .
It served the dual purpose of providing reliable access and also redirected a swath of reporters who would otherwise be clogging the Wi-Fi to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A massive revamp of internet infrastructure in the House chamber and press galleries ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union was born out of chaos in preceding years and aimed to facilitate improved media coverage of the speech, spin and surrounding pomp and circumstance.
It seemed to make a difference Tuesday, allowing reporters to fire off tweets and file story updates during the speech from inside the chamber. That hasn’t been the case in previous years and was a pleasant surprise for those in the chamber.
I’m here in the House chamber tonight for @thedailybeast. The lights are bright, the wifi is surprisingly good and the mingling on the floor is out of control will be posting thru the #SOTU — Sam Brodey (@sambrodey) February 5, 2020
Richard Martins, the director of network engineering and operations for the House, was on hand in 2019 when the Wi-Fi went in and out during the State of the Union and witnessed the frustration of reporters and saw the potential impact on news coverage of the event.
Unlike the Senate, where electronic devices are banned in the chamber, the House allows reporters to use laptops and smartphones to cover events in real time. But a laptop or cell phone is little use to reporters without reliable internet.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Could Trump’s acquittal spell the end of White Houses honoring congressional subpoenas?

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the other Supreme Court justices may ultimately have to decide about the validity of congressional subpoenas .
( Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call ) Congress may have gotten its last successful subpoenas from a president of the opposite party , some senators worry , now that President Donald Trump is acquitted of the House ’ s obstruction of Congress charge .
The argument is that the 47-53 vote Wednesday to reject the second article of impeachment lessened the legislative branch ’ s power to oversee the executive branch and complicate ongoing litigation on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Republicans played down how much the impeachment would affect the legislative branch , Sen. Christopher S. Murphy had a dire prediction .
“ I don ’ t know why a president would ever honor a subpoena after this , ” the Connecticut Democrat told CQ Roll Call .
“ I think what we have signed off on is the future irrelevance of any congressional oversight of the executive branch.
” Other Senate Democrats , including Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Chris Coons of Delaware , agreed .
“ This has really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and the executive branch , essentially saying that the executive can violate , ignore subpoenas with impunity and not be held to account , ” Van Hollen said .
“ This is a very dangerous precedent.
” Since taking over control of the House last year , Democrats have clashed with the Trump administration and the president ’ s pledge to defy every subpoena .
Those time-consuming legal fights include a lawsuit seeking documents from the administration ’ s failed attempt to add a citizenship question , where the Justice Department has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including impeachment , instead of enlisting the courts .
“ It doesn ’ t even seem like Senate Republicans care .
I mean , at least a few of them are going to say that the president did abuse his power , but it wasn ’ t enough to impeach , ” Murphy said .
“ I don ’ t hear any of them creating any fuss over their blanket obstruction , and I just — I think that will come back to haunt us , but we haven ’ t been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time.
” “ There are only a handful of impeachment trials , so whatever happens here does become precedent , ” Murphy added .
Republicans have opted for a different strategy , with Sen. John Cornyn arguing the House decided against flexing its legal muscle to pursue the administration .
Congressional majorities “ are just going to have to enforce it , ” the Texas Republican , a former majority whip , said last week .
“ That ’ s the problem these House managers had .
They dropped the subpoenas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also expressed doubt about the potential success of the Justice Department ’ s efforts to shut congressional disputes out of the courts .
“ That wasn ’ t before us here , and that has yet to be ruled on by a judge , ” Cornyn said .
“ I doubt they ’ ll be successful.
” Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal , a fellow member of the Judiciary Committee , certainly hopes that is the case .
“ The administration has engaged in this really obstructionist use of the courts , claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Blumenthal said .
Normally , Congress ’ subpoena power has existed without hard limits .
Staff negotiations over documents and witnesses have typically been the norm , not court battles , which could go on for months or years , according to several experts .
Both Lightfoot Franklin & White LLC partner Jack Sharman and Sheppard Mullin LLP partner Jonathan Meyer said the courts have shied away from refereeing fights between Congress and the White House .
Sharman , former counsel to the House Financial Services Committee during the Whitewater investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been resisting congressional subpoenas since time immemorial.
” The president ’ s refusal to comply with subpoenas in a general sense may have some effect , Sharman said , as agency officials have the president standing between them and Congress .
“ An agency official that is under the jurisdiction of , say , the House Financial Services Committee is going to be very concerned about a Financial Services Committee subpoena , and I think as a practical matter there can be some effect if the president himself intervenes between an official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sharman said .
Meyer , who served as general counsel in the Department of Homeland Security in the Obama administration and Judiciary Committee counsel before that , argued the courts may eventually rule in the House ’ s favor , but Trump bought himself time .
“ The law seems to be on Congress ’ side here , but what the administration has succeeded in doing is delaying testimony and production of documents until impeachment is over , ” Meyer said .
Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse similarly said he doubted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think this particular impeachment is fraught with politics and influence and pressures that change over time , ” Whitehouse said .
“ Clearly , the shades of [ former Sens .
Jeff ] Flake and [ Bob ] Corker still haunt the chamber as recent examples of what happens to the political careers of people who cross Trump.
” Meyer said the impeachment and other subpoena fights have chiefly bought Trump time , drawing out the conflicts over impeachment and oversight .
Congressional oversight could slow further , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .
“ Congress would use the mere threat of a subpoena as leverage to get an agency to cooperate , ” Meyer said .
“ This administration ’ s willingness to just blanket ignore them has taken away a lot of the power that Congress had.
” The spectacle of impeachment may help the House ’ s case for former White House counsel Don McGahn ’ s testimony and other cases for administration records , Whitehouse said .
That , he explained , is because Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other Supreme Court justices may ultimately decide the validity of congressional subpoenas .
“ If there ’ s any good that has come out of this debauch of a proceeding , it is that Chief Justice Roberts has had to watch these arguments being made , ” Whitehouse said .
“ So that when the case comes to him , I think he may have a better practical sense of how these arguments stand and what they mean .
”

Congress may have issued its last successful subpoenas to a president of the opposite party, some senators worry, now that President Donald Trump is acquitted of the House’s obstruction of Congress charge.
The argument is that the 47-53 vote Wednesday to reject the second article of impeachment lessened the legislative branch’s power to oversee the executive branch and complicates ongoing litigation on the power of a congressional subpoena.
While some Republicans played down how much the impeachment would affect the legislative branch, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy had a dire prediction.
“I don’t know why a president would ever honor a subpoena after this,” the Connecticut Democrat told CQ Roll Call. “I think what we have signed off on is the future irrelevance of any congressional oversight of the executive branch.”


rollcall--2020-02-05--Photos of the day: State of the Union 2020

Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , reads the U.S. Constitution before President Donald Trump 's State of the Union address @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
( Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call ) The State of the Union came and @ @ @ @ @ will soon be overtaken with news of the expected acquittal of President Donald Trump in @ @ @ @ @ Amid some remarkable , and some small moments , CQ Roll Call 's photojournalists were @ @

The State of the Union came and went on Tuesday, and will soon be overtaken with news of the expected acquittal of President Donald Trump in the Senate on Wednesday.
Amid some remarkable, and some small moments, CQ Roll Call’s photojournalists were there.
Here’s the day in photos:
A staffer looks up at a boom camera as Trump delivers his address. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
Trump turns away as Speaker Nancy Pelosi reaches out to shake his hand before his address. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
From left, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Pence and Sen. John Thune, R-S. D., walk through Statuary Hall to the House chamber. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Pence and Pelosi wait for Trump to arrive. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
First lady Melania Trump places the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh during Trump's address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., left, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., right, chant “H.R.3” during Trump's address. The chants were in reference to the House-passed bill requiring the Medicare program to negotiate for lower drug prices. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jamie was killed in the Parkland school shooting, is removed after yelling during Trump's address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Sgt. First Class Townsend Williams greets this wife, Amy, and their children after a surprise entrance in the House chamber. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., left, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., take a selfie. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
McConnell and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., are seen before the address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Impeachment managers from left, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., are seen before the address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Pence claps while Pelosi rips up a copy of Trump's address at the conclusion of his remarks. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)


rollcall--2020-02-05--Obamacare: A big issue voters might be missing

Correction 2:20 p.m. | ANALYSIS — Democrats who say they are determined to keep voters focused on health care this year were hoping that the Supreme Court would hand them a ready-made campaign ad and a potential courtroom win .
Instead , the court recently punted on a major decision over whether to kill the 2010 health care law that expanded coverage to more than 20 million Americans .
Now , Democrats hope that by shifting their attention to high prescription drug prices they might still mobilize voters and help the party maintain its edge on health care , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although Republicans also are focused on drug prices .
But without a high-profile appeals hearing at the Supreme Court about the fate of the 2010 law , it could be harder for Democrats to drive interest in the lawsuit , Texas v. Azar , ahead of Election Day .
The court now plans to meet Feb. 21 to debate whether to take it up .
“ There ’ s a lot of concern and apprehension in what [ overturning the law ] would mean , and yet it ’ s been playing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a new story and it ’ s hard to maintain the same level of urgency , ” said Melinda Buntin , chairwoman of the health policy department at Vanderbilt University .
“ Yet the extreme disruption that would be caused by the repeal of the [ health care law ] is just as real as it ’ s always been.
” The lawsuit brought by Texas and other conservative state attorneys general to overturn the law came after Congress ended its penalty for those without insurance .
The Trump administration backed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall .
But several blue-state officials and the House defended it and requested a quick resolution .
If the high court had expedited the case , Democrats could have pointed to it as an imminent threat .
So far , the lawsuit hasn ’ t appeared to register with voters in the same way congressional GOP efforts to roll back the law did in 2017 , when the Obamacare repeal proposals dominated town hall meetings and led to protests on Capitol Hill .
Democrats leveraged voters ’ fears that they would lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democratic control in 2018 .
“ People thought , women voters in particular thought , we ’ ve sent a clear message ” on health care , said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake .
“ Then [ President Donald ] Trump went at it right away , again .
That really energized voters , because they thought , ‘ Wow , he really didn ’ t hear us.
’ ” Legal experts on both sides of the aisle are skeptical of the case ’ s legal arguments , but the risk to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that is an open question .
But broad concerns over health care do remain top of mind for voters , polls show .
Republicans hope to counter their rivals ’ message by taking advantage of divisions among Democrats over whether to undertake another ambitious overhaul of the health care system .
Liberal presidential candidates , including independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren , would move the nation toward a government-run system , while moderates such as former Vice President Joe Biden say that idea is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-leaning American Action Forum , said Republicans will have an easier time focusing on those proposals without a more immediate threat to the 2010 law .
“ It takes off the table having to talk about comprehensive reforms that would be in lieu of the ACA , and that I think is probably to their benefit , ” Holtz-Eakin said , using the law ’ s acronym .
“ They can instead focus on some issues where they feel they will have some things to say.
” GOP candidates also note that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut drug prices .
While voters overwhelmingly agree that no one in Washington has done enough to lower drug costs , a November Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 22 percent of voters said Trump is “ doing enough , ” while only 17 percent said congressional Democrats are .
Still , Democratic strategists and pollsters say they are confident the party will keep its advantage on health care .
Polls show that even as Democrats debate the future of health care within their party , voters are more likely to distrust Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll found that 53 percent of voters disapprove of Trump ’ s health care agenda , while 38 percent approve .
Voters tell pollsters that lowering drug prices is also a top concern .
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently launched a seven-figure ad campaign criticizing Republicans for not supporting the House ’ s sweeping bill to lower drug prices .
Brad Woodhouse , executive director of Protect Our Care , which defends the health care law , said Democrats may need to work overtime to make voters aware of the lawsuit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ alive , highlighting it if Trump brings up health care in his Feb. 4 State of the Union address and on the 10-year anniversary of the signing of the health care law in March .
“ Without a fight over repeal , it ’ s going to require groups like us doing everything we can to break through every day , ” said Woodhouse .

Correction 2:20 p.m. | ANALYSIS — Democrats who say they are determined to keep voters focused on health care this year were hoping that the Supreme Court would hand them a ready-made campaign ad and a potential courtroom win.
Instead, the court recently punted on a major decision over whether to kill the 2010 health care law that expanded coverage to more than 20 million Americans. Now, Democrats hope that by shifting their attention to high prescription drug prices they might still mobilize voters and help the party maintain its edge on health care, the public’s top domestic concern, although Republicans also are focused on drug prices.
But without a high-profile appeals hearing at the Supreme Court about the fate of the 2010 law, it could be harder for Democrats to drive interest in the lawsuit, Texas v. Azar, ahead of Election Day. The court now plans to meet Feb. 21 to debate whether to take it up.
[Court strikes down individual mandate for Obamacare]
“There’s a lot of concern and apprehension in what [overturning the law] would mean, and yet it’s been playing out for so long, it hardly feels like a new story and it’s hard to maintain the same level of urgency,” said Melinda Buntin, chairwoman of the health policy department at Vanderbilt University. “Yet the extreme disruption that would be caused by the repeal of the [health care law] is just as real as it’s always been.”


rollcall--2020-02-05--Out of the impeachment, into the fallout

The trial ’ s ultimate result was never seriously in doubt , since at least 20 Republicans would have needed to cross Trump and party lines to get the supermajority of 67 votes needed to convict him for abuse of power or obstruction of Congress .
Most of the drama ended with a 49-51 vote last week to reject a motion to subpoena more witnesses and documents .
But the end of the trial feels in many ways less like closing a book and more like turning the page to the next chapter .
House Democrats will continue to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ukraine and more , and are free to pursue more articles of impeachment .
The Supreme Court could by June clear the way for Congress to get Trump ’ s financial and tax records .
Former national security adviser John Bolton ’ s book could be published as soon as next month .
Deadlines in public records lawsuits could pull more information from the Trump administration .
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Ukraine-related activities of Rudy Giuliani and have a case pending against the Trump lawyer ’ s associates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges but has given texts and recordings to House Democrats and the media .
And , because Trump is Trump , Democrats expect him to yet again test the bounds of his power and where Senate Republicans might draw a line in the run-up to his reelection vote in November .
“ If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider witnesses and documents in the trial , what will the president conclude ?
We all know : He ’ ll conclude he can do it again , and Congress can do nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E. Schumer said Friday .
“ He can try to cheat in his election again , something that eats at the roots of our democracy.
” The House impeachment that spun into a political hurricane at the end of last year aired Trump ’ s dealings with Ukraine in dramatic hearings and over three weeks of a trial .
But the storm dissipated in the Senate just as the presidential election season began in earnest , without blowing down Trump ’ s steady approval ratings among Republican voters .
The trial prompted several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions as “ inappropriate ” or wrong but not worthy of removal from office — a rare break from Trump ’ s insistence that he did nothing wrong .
And the trial forced vulnerable Republican senators — such as Cory Gardner of Colorado , Susan Collins of Maine , Thom Tillis of North Carolina , Joni Ernst of Iowa and Martha McSally of Arizona — to go on record with Trump-backing votes that could be used against them in their reelection campaigns through November .
Mitt Romney of Utah was the only defector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the abuse of power charge .
Several polls showed more than 65 percent of voters supported more witnesses and documents in Trump ’ s impeachment trial , and a slim majority of voters supported the president ’ s conviction and removal from office .
Senators who voted to acquit or not hear witnesses such as Bolton will face questions whenever another embarrassing audio recording is leaked , another witness surfaces , when Bolton ’ s book comes out or public records lawsuits bring out documents , former Rep. Rahm Emanuel , D-Ill. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Republican senators will become full-time exonerators , ” Emanuel , a former White House chief of staff , wrote .
Some observers think Trump ’ s acquittal on the obstruction of Congress charge — Trump broadly declined to comply with numerous congressional subpoenas and documents and ordered administration employees to defy congressional subpoenas to testify — will make oversight efforts more difficult .
“ To condone the president ’ s obstruction would strike a death blow to the impeachment clause in the Constitution , ” House manager Hakeem Jeffries of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
“ This will become the new normal with this president and for future generations.
” Many Republican senators argued that the House rushed that article and should have gone to court to fight the Trump administration ’ s refusal to honor subpoenas for witnesses and documents .
Those fights have yet to play out , and the Trump administration has argued that the courts should not decide such political fights .
Former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade tweeted that an acquittal on that article creates “ the playbook of the future — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t prove you committed an offense.
” House Democrats will still press lawsuits that assert some of those key oversight powers .
The outcome of those cases in the next few months could reshape the limits for impeachment and other oversight investigations into a president .
The federal appeals court in Washington is mulling two committee cases related to former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III ’ s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election .
One would decide whether Trump officials have “ absolute immunity ” or if former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the House Judiciary Committee ; the other would give that committee access to Mueller ’ s grand jury materials .
The relative snail ’ s pace of lawsuits about Trump ’ s behavior raises questions about whether the nation ’ s courts are equipped to deal with the speed of modern politics and separation-of-powers fights .
The House filed the McGahn lawsuit in August , and an appeals court held oral arguments Jan. 3 .
A decision could come at any time but will almost certainly head to the Supreme Court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 31 on subpoenas from House committees to accounting firm Mazars USA , Deutsche Bank and Capital One Financial Corporation seeking Trump ’ s financial and tax records .
A decision would be expected before the end of the term at the end of June .
There ’ s an open question about how formative an experience the trial was for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. , who spent dozens of hours presiding over the trial , listening to evidence of Trump ’ s actions and seeing the raw politics of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the liberal wing of the court to hand the Trump administration a defeat in the last term in a challenge to the Commerce Department ’ s decision to put a citizenship question on the 2020 Census — when the administration ’ s true motives were called into question .
Maybe only time will tell if the experience influences how Roberts sees Trump administration cases from now on .
The chief justice , a conservative who has expressed an overriding concern to maintain the legitimacy of the court as nonpartisan , held a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Tuesday ’ s State of the Union address .
The true ramifications of Trump ’ s impeachment on future attempts to remove a president from office likely won ’ t be known for years , but legal experts and House Democrats sounded dire warnings .
Trump ’ s defense team argued that a president should not be convicted by the Senate on articles of impeachment that do not include a criminal violation — a standard that could be resurrected in future impeachments despite wide disagreement from constitutional scholars .
“ I hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not a precedent , ” Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse said of the trial and pending acquittal Tuesday on the Senate floor .
“ Too many things that are right and proper had to be bent or broken to get to the preordained result , and too much of what was said by White House counsel was not only wrong , but disgraceful.
” Republicans countered that the partisan nature of Trump ’ s impeachment in the House — on an abuse of power charge that is too ambiguous , with House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and documents , during an election year — should not become the new normal .
“ The Senate should take no part in endorsing the very dangerous new precedent that this would set for future impeachments , ” Iowa Republican Sen. Charles E. Grassley said Monday on the floor .
“ We need no new normal when it comes to impeaching a president .
We have precedents of the past that should be followed , and they have not been .
”

Former national security adviser John Bolton’s book could be published as soon as next month. Deadlines in public records lawsuits could pull more information from the Trump administration.
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Ukraine-related activities of Rudy Giuliani and have a case pending against the Trump lawyer’s associates. That includes Lev Parnas, who faces charges but has given texts and recordings to House Democrats and the media.
And, because Trump is Trump, Democrats expect him to yet again test the bounds of his power and where Senate Republicans might draw a line in the run-up to his reelection vote in November.
“If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider witnesses and documents in the trial, what will the president conclude? We all know: He’ll conclude he can do it again, and Congress can do nothing about it,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Friday. “He can try to cheat in his election again, something that eats at the roots of our democracy.”


rollcall--2020-02-05--Impeachment news roundup: Feb. 5

Impeachment news roundup: Feb. 5

Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones , considered the most vulnerable Senate incumbent up for reelection this year , announced Wednesday he would vote to convict Trump on both of the articles of impeachment .
( Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call ) A day after President Donald Trump presented what amounted to a summary of how he ’ ll campaign for reelection , the Senate voted down both articles of impeachment against the president .
Both the 48-52 vote regarding abuse of power and 47-53 vote on regarding obstruction of Congress fell well below the 67 vote threshold to convict Trump of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquit Trump on both impeachment charges ] The votes close a formal , bitter four-month fight over whether Trump abused his office and tried to obstruct Congress in its investigation .
Trump didn ’ t bring up the “ I ” word in his address to Congress on Tuesday , but there were plenty of signs that it was the background against which he was speaking , from the House impeachment managers sitting together in a prime spot in the House chamber to Trump refusing to shake Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speech before he delivered it ( and before she tore it up ) .
Senators today took one more opportunity to explain their planned votes and offered their opinion on the president and investigation into his conduct .
See all of Roll Call ’ s impeachment coverage here .
3:55 p.m.| Manchin to convict : All eyes were on Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin III who waited until moments before a vote on articles of impeachment were to take place to announce that he would vote to impeach the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles of impeachment .
I take no pleasure in these votes , and am saddened this is the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren .
I have always wanted this president , and every president to succeed , but I deeply love our country and must do what I think is best for the nation , ” Manchin said in a statement .
2:10 p.m. | Romney voting to convict : In an emotional floor speech , Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he would break with his party and vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment articles .
The vote makes him the first person in U.S. history to vote to convict a president from his own party in a Senate impeachment trial .
“ I am profoundly religious .
My faith is an essential part of who I am , ” Romney said , as he talked about taking an oath before God to be an impartial juror .
He paused for more than five seconds as he attempted to stifle tears .
“ The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it rises to the level of a ‘ high crime and misdemeanor.
’ Yes , he did.
” The president ’ s actions were an “ appalling abuse of public trust .
What he did was not perfect , ” Romney said .
“ It was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights , our national security , and our fundamental values , ” he said .
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas , asked Wednesday if Romney told his GOP colleagues how he would vote before the speech , Cornyn simply said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” before walking into an elevator up to the chamber .
11:26 a.m. | Relevant info : House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the investigating committees , in consultation with leadership , will evaluate whether former national security adviser John Bolton has relevant information to share about Trump “ for their oversight responsibilities , not necessarily for the impeachment process.
” Asked if some members of the Democratic Caucus are ready to move on , Hoyer said in the context of impeachment “ the answer is probably yes.
” 10:55 a.m. | @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement later delivered on the Senate floor that he will vote to convict Trump on both of the articles against him .
Jones , considered the most vulnerable senator up for reelection this year , said he had “ reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
” “ With the eyes of history upon us , I am acutely aware of the precedents this impeachment trial will set for future presidencies and Congresses , ” Jones said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe those precedents are good ones .
I am particularly concerned that we have now set a precedent that a fair trial in the Senate does not include witnesses and documentary evidence , even when those witnesses have first-hand information and the evidence would provide the Senate and the American people with a more complete picture of the truth.
” As to the charge of obstruction of Congress , Jones said “ it was clear from the outset that the President had no intention whatsoever of any accommodation with Congress when he blocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , he engaged in a course of conduct to threaten potential witnesses and smear the reputations of the civil servants who did come forward and provide testimony .
The President ’ s actions demonstrate a belief that he is above the law , that Congress has no power whatsoever in questioning or examining his actions , and that all who do so , do so at their peril .
That belief , unprecedented in the history of this country , simply must not be permitted to stand.
” 10:31 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have proven our case against President Trump with clear and convincing evidence , ” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , one of the seven Democrats prosecuting the case , told reporters .
Jeffries cited GOP Sens .
Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski saying as much , although those moderate Republicans also said they didn ’ t think the charges rise to the level of removing Trump from office .
Jeffries declined to comment on a potential bipartisan acquittal vote , saying the House did its job and now it ’ s the Senate ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to whether the House will subpoena Bolton , Jeffries said , “ That ’ s a question for further discussion.
” 10:15 a.m. | Programming note : White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters at the White House “ I ’ m sure you will hear from the president ” about the Senate ’ s vote .
Conway said that it might come in a statement .
10:05 a.m. | A big deal : National security adviser Robert O ’ Brien said he was looking forward to Trump ’ s acquittal this afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton was a key figure in the impeachment inquiry although he was not forced to testify about Trump pressuring Ukraine to look into business dealings related to the Biden family .
“ I didn ’ t realize when I came on board that Ukraine would be as big a foreign policy issue , or domestic policy issue is maybe a better way to put it , ” O ’ Brien said .
“ But look , we ’ re there to support Ukraine.
” As to the allegations being voted on in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knew of no specific request for an investigation of the Bidens .
He did , however , talk about the importance of making sure that U.S. foreign aid dollars are not going to corrupt governments .
“ We ’ re very supportive of President [ Volodymyr ] Zelenskiy and his efforts to reform and end corruption in Ukraine , ” O ’ Brien said .
“ I think you can count on continued friendship and strong support from the United States in Kyiv.
” 6:50 a.m. | Key vote : Maine Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point was considered a key vote on whether to convict Trump , criticized Trump ’ s behavior in the pressure campaign to force Ukraine to investigate political rivals before saying that she would vote to acquit .
Collins said that it was wrong for Trump “ to ask a foreign country to investigate a political rival , ” but said the charges against the president did not meet the “ very high standard ” of treason , bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors .
In an interview with the “ CBS Evening News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought Trump learned his lesson from the impeachment , despite the White House 's assertion that he had done nothing wrong .
“ He was impeached .
And there has been criticism by both Republican and Democratic senators of his call , ” she said .
“ I believe that he will be much more cautious in the future.
” 6:40 a.m. | Still out there : House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday it is “ a possibility ” the House might subpoena Bolton .
“ I ’ m sure we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will bear any fruit , but we have a continuing responsibility of oversight , ” Hoyer said .
“ Bolton has said he had information that we ought to have .
I frankly think a lot of other information is going to come out along the way .
And I don ’ t think ignoring it is clearly the option.
” Hoyer said he doesn ’ t think the Senate vote to acquit Trump will be bipartisan .
“ I hope not , ” he said , noting Republican senators who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t rise to the level of an impeachable offense “ are wrong .
”

Updated 4 p.m.
A day after President Donald Trump presented what amounted to a summary of how he’ll campaign for reelection, the Senate began voting on whether he should continue his first term.
The 4 p.m. votes, all but assured to acquit Trump, closes a formal, bitter four-month fight over whether Trump abused his office and tried to obstruct Congress in its investigation.
Trump didn’t bring up the “I” word in his address to Congress on Tuesday, but there were plenty of signs that it it was the background against which he was speaking, from the House impeachment managers sitting together in a prime spot in the House chamber to Trump refusing to shake Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hand after presenting her with a copy of the speech before he delivered it (and before she tore it up).
Senators today took one more opportunity to explain their planned votes and offered their opinion on the president and investigation into his conduct.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Soldier reunited with family during State of the Union

Sgt .
1st Class Townsend Williams kisses his wife , Amy Williams , after surprising his family during President Donald @ @ @ @ @ the Union address Tuesday .
( Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call ) President Donald Trump used @ @ @ @ @ s State of the Union address to surprise Amy Williams , a Fort Bragg-based wife @ @ @ @ @ , and her two young children .
While the president highlighted her volunteer work , @ @ @ @ @ Class Townsend Williams down to the gallery to be reunited with his family .
The @ @ @ @ @ ovation in the chamber .

President Donald Trump used part of Tuesday night’s State of the Union address to surprise Amy Williams, a Fort Bragg-based wife of a deployed Army sergeant, and her two young children.
While the president highlighted her volunteer work, he invited Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams down to the gallery to be reunited with his family.
The moment garnered a bipartisan standing ovation in the chamber.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Strong, hateful and inspiring? — Lawmakers react to State of the Union in 3 words

President Donald Trump arrives in the House chamber to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday .
( @ @ @ @ @ How can you distill an hourlong speech into just three words ?
Use a whiteboard @ @ @ @ @ to scribble their reactions to President Donald Trump ’ s 2020 State of the Union @ @ @ @ @ video to see what three words Reps. Kevin Brady , Rosa DeLauro , Denver Riggleman @ @ @ @ @ used to describe Tuesday night ’ s speech .
Get breaking news alerts and more @ @ @ @ @ iPhone .

How can you distill an hourlong speech into just three words? Use a whiteboard. Roll Call asked lawmakers to scribble their reactions to President Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address. Check out the video to see what three words Reps. Kevin Brady, Rosa DeLauro, Denver Riggleman, Marcy Kaptur and more used to describe Tuesday night’s speech.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Trump’s speech rolled out Republicans’ blueprint for general election

President Donald Trump greets lawmakers as he walks into the House chamber on Tuesday to deliver his State of the Union address .
( Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call ) For an hour and a half , President Donald Trump used his third State of the Union speech to remind Republicans why they supported him in the past and why they will stand with him in November .
“ From the instant I took office , I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy — slashing a record number of job killing-regulations , enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he boasted .
“ Our agenda is relentlessly pro-worker , pro-family , pro-growth , and , most of all , pro-American.
” This is the message Republicans want the president to focus on over the next nine months as they cling to their Senate majority and dream of retaking the House .
This is the president vulnerable GOP members and upstart GOP challengers want to appear with on the campaign trail .
But it ’ s also the message Republicans wanted Trump to focus on prior to the 2018 midterm elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about migrant caravans making their way to the Southern border and Democrats took the House majority with a net 40-seat gain .
For the State of the Union , Trump stayed within the confines of tradition and largely stuck to the script .
But on Twitter and at campaign rallies , his economic message is often clouded by name-calling and score-settling .
It ’ s behavior likely to turn off independent voters otherwise turned on by the economy .
For Republicans dreaming that Tuesday was a turning point to a more disciplined leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 73-year-old president is going to change his ways , particularly since he sees his efforts as successful .
Trump entered the House chamber on Tuesday night with a 49 percent job approval rating , the highest in Gallup ’ s polling since he took office .
A deeper look , however , reveals a president that is still polarizing and a country still divided .
In the same survey , conducted Jan. 16-29 , 50 percent of respondents disapproved of the job the president is doing .
Fifty percent said Trump deserves reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And opinion is divided sharply along party lines .
When it comes to the president ’ s job rating , 94 percent of Republicans approved while 92 percent of Democrats disapproved .
The 87-point gap is the largest Gallup has measured in any poll to date .
The president ’ s job rating on the economy continues to be distinctly better .
It was 63 percent approve/35 percent disapprove , according to the January poll .
That presents Democrats with one of their biggest challenges of the 2020 elections .
They must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of touch by downplaying a humming economy .
On Tuesday night , vulnerable Democratic members such as Max Rose of New York and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan were found applauding at times ( contrary to a majority of their Democratic colleagues ) , and sitting ( contrary to all of their Republican colleagues ) .
By focusing exclusively on the economy , Trump could put political pressure on the 30 House Democrats who currently represent districts he carried in 2016 .
But the three dozen vulnerable Democrats facing competitive races , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t felt much heat thus far , considering the vast majority of them voted to impeach the president .
Democrats have also been emboldened by relentless fundraising and the lack of strong GOP challengers .
The president ’ s speech also laid out Republicans ’ blueprint for the general election .
In the face of a precarious presidential referendum , the GOP wants to present Americans with a choice .
“ If forcing American taxpayers to provide unlimited free health care to illegal aliens sounds fair to you , then stand with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But if you believe that we should defend American patients and American seniors , then stand with me and pass legislation to prohibit free government health care for illegal aliens.
” “ But as we work to improve Americans ’ health care , there are those who want to take away your health care , take away your doctor and abolish private insurance entirely , ” Trump said , setting up another choice .
“ One hundred thirty-two lawmakers in this room have endorsed legislation to impose a socialist takeover of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private health insurance plans of 180 million Americans .
To those watching at home tonight , I want you to know : We will never let socialism destroy American health care.
” The frame of the election is one of the fundamental fights of 2020 , and virtually any other election .
The president ’ s exchange with Democrats on the prescription drug issue is a good example of future fights .
Trump called for bipartisan work , while Democrats stood and shouted “ HR 3 , ” highlighting their own bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is stalled in the Senate .
It ’ s an example of an issue Democrats will highlight as work getting done while Republicans total up the hours , days , weeks , and months spent on impeachment .
There were moments when the president stepped back from the heated rhetoric designed to trigger Democrats .
His talk about the bipartisan U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and a law to provide new parents in the federal workforce paid family leave stand out as issues that Republican and Democratic members , candidates and voters can get behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced by a partisan attack .
Awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to one of the most conservative and polarizing figures in recent history and highlighting the large number of federal judges confirmed by the Mitch McConnell-led Senate was a good way to poison the well with Democrats .

For an hour and a half, President Donald Trump used his third State of the Union speech to remind Republicans why they supported him in the past and why they will stand with him in November.
“From the instant I took office, I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy — slashing a record number of job killing-regulations, enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts, and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements,” he boasted. “Our agenda is relentlessly pro-worker, pro-family, pro-growth, and, most of all, pro-American.”
This is the message Republicans want the president to focus on over the next nine months as they cling to their Senate majority and dream of retaking the House. This is the president vulnerable GOP members and upstart GOP challengers want to appear with on the campaign trail.
But it’s also the message Republicans wanted Trump to focus on prior to the 2018 midterm elections. He too often veered into talk about migrant caravans making their way to the Southern border and Democrats took the House majority with a net 40-seat gain.


rollcall--2020-02-04--After Iowa, a boost for Buttigieg and concerns for Biden and Warren

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg talks with attendees at a campaign event in Fairfield , Iowa , on Aug. 15 .
( Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call ) ANALYSIS — One state down , and many states to go .
In one respect , Pete Buttigieg “ won ” the Iowa caucuses Monday evening regardless whether he finishes first in delegates or in the popular vote .
One year ago , Buttigieg was a mere asterisk in the Democratic contest .
Then 37 years old and the gay mayor of South Bend , Indiana , Buttigieg seemed unlikely to raise the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were likely to gravitate to better-known officeholders like former Vice President Joe Biden , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
Even former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke , fresh off an unsuccessful but enthusiasm-generating Senate campaign , seemed like a potentially more significant hopeful in the Democratic field .
Veteran pollster Gary Langer described Buttigieg ’ s performance in the Iowa caucuses entrance poll as showing a “ broad-based appeal , ” while candidates like Sanders and Biden demonstrated much more narrow appeal .
Sanders did extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among seniors .
Biden was strong with seniors but weak among younger voters .
Sanders did well among the most liberal voters , while Biden was strong among so-called moderates .
Iowa was not kind to Biden .
His fourth-place showing was unimpressive , and while it is fair to note that the state is not necessarily ideal for him , his weak showing doesn ’ t necessarily inspire confidence in his ability to win the nomination .
As I noted months ago , he too often seems to lack agility and sharpness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy continues to be surviving until South Carolina at the end of February , when African American voters will carry him to victory in the Democratic primary .
But if he finishes behind Buttigieg in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday and underperforms in the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22 , will the air completely come out of Biden ’ s balloon ?
Biden isn ’ t the only hopeful who leaves Iowa with huge question marks .
Warren seems to have finished third in the caucuses , which gives her one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
That ’ s a solid finish , but remember : Warren was often credited with having the top ground game in Iowa .
More important , Warren is in a mini-race against Sanders , and the Vermont senator beat her in Iowa and appears to be running ahead of her in the Granite State ( where both Sanders and Warren are neighbors ) , as well as in national polls .
If Warren repeatedly finishes behind Sanders , she will at some point need to explain how she can win her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Klobuchar has reason to be happy with her relatively strong fifth-place showing ( based on popular votes and delegates ) in Iowa .
She clearly gained strength in the final weeks before the caucuses , and her message of pragmatism and electability certainly seems to resonate with some Democrats .
But Klobuchar is competing with both Biden and Buttigieg for that Democratic “ lane , ” and her showing no doubt had something to do with the fact that Minnesota is an Iowa neighbor .
She won ’ t be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire , Nevada or South Carolina , so even if Biden stumbles more , it ’ s unclear whether she can overtake Buttigieg in the pragmatic lane .
Buttigieg has both assets and liabilities as a candidate — including questions about his appeal to minority voters — but he is one of the few candidates who can appeal to a broad spectrum of Democrats .
That is , he seems acceptable to Democrats of various stripes , in part because he is relatively new to politics and is not burdened by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions .
Finally , Biden ’ s showing had to make supporters of Mike Bloomberg feel good .
The pragmatic lane remains fractured , and the former New York mayor ’ s money means he can run a first-rate media campaign in Super Tuesday states on March 3 .
One caucus does not equal the Democratic nomination .
But Buttigieg benefits most from Monday ’ s results .
Now he has to take advantage of that showing .

ANALYSIS | One state down, and many states to go. In one respect, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg “won” the Iowa caucuses Monday evening regardless whether he finishes first in delegates or in the popular vote.
One year ago, Buttigieg was a mere asterisk in the Democratic contest. Then 37 years old and the gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Buttigieg seemed unlikely to raise the necessary money or to excite Democratic voters, who were likely to gravitate to better known officeholders like former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Even former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, fresh off an unsuccessful but enthusiasm-generating Senate campaign in Texas, seemed like a potentially more significant hopeful in the Democratic field.
Veteran pollster Gary Langer described Buttigieg’s performance in the Iowa caucuses entrance poll as showing a “broad-based appeal,” while candidates like Sanders and Biden demonstrated much more narrow appeal.
Sanders did extremely well among young voters, but poorly among seniors.
Biden was strong with seniors but weak among younger voters.


rollcall--2020-02-06--Infrastructure plan could point to sea change for schools

The nation ’ s roads and bridges may be falling down , but its schools aren ’ t far behind .
So education proponents paid attention last week when , unveiling a $ 760 billion legislative infrastructure framework , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that any infrastructure package would ultimately include federal dollars for school construction .
“ We tell children that education is important , they should study , it 's important to their own self‑fulfillment and to that of our country , and yet we send some of them to schools that are so substandard that it sends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day after rolling out the infrastructure plan .
A bigger federal role in school construction would amount to a sea change for public education in the U.S. , where state and local governments have traditionally paid for building and renovation .
While the federal government has demanded school districts educate all children equally , it hasn ’ t demanded that the school buildings themselves be equal .
High-profile incidents in Baltimore , where schools lacked heat , and in Philadelphia , where schools were contaminated with asbestos , have drawn attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its latest report card on infrastructure , the American Society of Civil Engineers gave schools a D-plus .
Democrats may be looking to change that .
Pelosi has signaled her willingness to include in the infrastructure plan a bill that would create a $ 70 billion grant program and a $ 30 billion tax credit bond program for high-poverty schools .
That bill , introduced by House Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. Scott , D-Va. , won his committee 's approval last February .
A Scott aide said the office ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Schools Act … will be incorporated into the final infrastructure package before it heads to the floor.
” Both bills , however , face grim prospects in the GOP-led Senate and are believed to be part of the Democrats ’ strategy to show their priorities during an election year .
Still , Pelosi insists , “ these are not message bills.
” While local property taxes have largely paid for school construction nationwide , there is some precedent for using federal dollars to pay for such projects , said Mary Filardo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School Fund .
Most of the nation ’ s schools are more than 50 years old , she noted .
During the Great Depression , the Works Progress Administration financed 4,383 new schools and renovated thousands of others between 1935 and 1940 .
President Bill Clinton signed a bill authorizing $ 1.2 billion in emergency school repairs in 2001 .
And the 2009 infrastructure and stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama authorized a $ 54 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund , requiring states to spend at least 81.8 percent on schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal dollars , Filardo said , “ didn ’ t destroy local control , or constitute a federal takeover of school capital programs — and no doubt did real good where they were spent.
” Still , the federal government has resisted playing a consistent role , an anathema to conservatives worried about the reach of federal authority .
Overall , she said , “ they have not wanted to get involved in it , and they have not gotten involved in it.
” Susan Hann , assistant superintendent for facility services at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school authorities there aren ’ t just dealing with mold and aging HVAC systems .
In her state , the demand for security has become acute in the aftermath of the Parkland shootings , creating an additional facilities need that could be helped by federal dollars .
Florida ’ s heat is also a problem .
Many of the school buildings in the state were built before air conditioning .
School districts , turning off the A/C during the weekends to save money , would come back Monday morning to see mold covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tiles pop because of the humidity .
“ If you don ’ t have basic air conditioning in Florida , a lot of stuff gets ruined , ” Hann said .
She said while schools desperately need dollars for infrastructure , “ it ’ d be a different paradigm for us all to try to work through ” federal contracting requirements .
“ It would be a seismic change , ” she said .
But “ we ’ d make it work .
We make state legislative mandates work all the time.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Teachers ’ director of environmental health and safety , said the current funding model gives an advantage to schools in wealthier areas .
But “ federal funding is compromised … by the notion that schools are not federally controlled ” and are instead the bailiwick of states and localities .
In his city , asbestos has forced the closure of six schools since the beginning of the school year .
One teacher has been diagnosed with mesothelioma .
In the absence of dollars , school districts often defer maintenance , which ultimately leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts , including Philadelphia , have been sued by taxpayers hoping to force building improvements .
But the idea that school construction should be the responsibility of the federal government is a tough concept to accept for David Ditch , a research associate at the conservative Heritage Foundation .
He said schools are historically local projects and should continue to be .
Who better than parents in a school district , he asks , to determine the needs of that district ?
At the local level , he said , “ you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard , and local-level officials have much more ability to see a problem and take action.
” Ditch said taxpayers in one state shouldn ’ t be obligated to spend their dollars on schools in another state .
“ We currently have a $ 23 trillion deficit , ” he said .
“ Do we need to be micromanaging the expectation of how nice every school is in every rural area and every urban area ?
Should taxpayers in Nevada be paying for asbestos removal in Philadelphia ?
” Sending a child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ I ’ m not valuable and that this activity isn ’ t valuable , ” she said .
“ A building is not by itself going to carry a child into college , ” she said .
“ But what we know is school buildings in very poor condition are actual barriers to getting a good education .
”

The nation’s roads and bridges may be falling down, but its schools aren’t far behind.
So education proponents paid attention last week when, unveiling a $760 billion legislative infrastructure framework, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that any infrastructure package would ultimately include federal dollars for school construction.
“We tell children that education is important, they should study, it’s important to their own self‑fulfillment and to that of our country, and yet we send some of them to schools that are so substandard that it sends a different message,” Pelosi said the day after rolling out the infrastructure plan.
A bigger federal role in school construction would amount to a sea change for public education in the U.S., where state and local governments have traditionally paid for building and renovation. While the federal government has demanded school districts educate all children equally, it hasn’t demanded that the school buildings themselves be equal.
[Trump scales down once-grand infrastructure ambitions]


rollcall--2020-02-06--Senators try to punt their way out of trouble and Trump’s line of fire

Sen. Susan Collins suggested impeachment itself was enough to scare Donald Trump into walking the straight and narrow from now on .
Has she ever met the president ?
Curtis asks .
( Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call ) OPINION — Don ’ t you just hate it when someone uses a sports metaphor to teach a life lesson ?
So do I , usually .
But with the Super Bowl not a week in the rearview mirror , it would be impossible to ignore the concept of the punt — getting out of a tough situation by moving the ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s end zone .
If you ’ re playing against a Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs , you ’ re merely buying some time before the inevitable score .
But senators using that tactic in an impeached President Donald Trump ’ s trial are no doubt hoping any payback comes late , or not at all .
For them , it ’ s a way to satisfy both their consciences and a Trump-supporting voting base .
It ’ s a safe play for Republicans such as Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions — his asking a foreign government to investigate a political rival before a presidential election , and holding up congressionally approved , much-needed military aid as well as a possible White House visit as leverage .
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has said the White House ’ s Office of Management and Budget , at the president ’ s direction , violated the law when it withheld military assistance .
Transcripts of the president ’ s call to Ukraine has Trump asking for a favor — acting White House Chief of Staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president himself asked Ukraine and China for more of the same .
And that is just a hint of the case laid out by House impeachment managers to the Senate .
Murkowski has never described the Ukraine call , as the president has , as “ perfect.
” She called his behavior “ shameful and wrong , ” adding that he did not always act “ with the respect and dignity that the office demands.
” But then , after her “ no ” vote on witnesses , she said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump from office .
Sen. Lamar Alexander , on his way out , came to a similar conclusion .
“ I think he shouldn ’ t have done it .
I think it was wrong .
Inappropriate was the way I ’ d say , improper , crossing the line , ” the Tennessee Republican told NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” He said he didn ’ t need more witnesses because he ’ s pretty much convinced that the Democrats have already proved Trump did everything he ’ s accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving it up to the voters , though the Constitution gives that job to the Senate .
That would make a little bit of sense if there were some guarantee that the president would be chastened enough to cease and desist his efforts to game the 2020 election by any means he deems necessary .
( Though his lawyer Alan Dershowitz floated the monarchical theory that cheating on his own behalf would leave Trump in the clear . )
Yet that ’ s the route Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins ran when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scare Trump into walking the straight and narrow from now on .
“ I believe that he will be much more cautious in the future , ” Collins , who is up for reelection this year , told CBS News .
Has she ever met this president ?
Even he reportedly brushed away that rationale .
Trump is nothing if not brazen .
World G-7 leaders would be planning to meet in June at Trump National Doral in Miami if not for howls from members of both parties about the obvious conflicts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Though dudes named Lev and Igor are otherwise occupied , he can count on personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , looking after his own interests and the interests of clients not named Trump in his globe-trotting schemes .
In an NPR interview , Giuliani said he has no intention of halting his quest to dig up dirt in Ukraine or anywhere else , and said ( wink , wink ) the president has not held him back .
Also expect Trump-style retribution trained on Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , the 2012 Republican standard-bearer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear from witnesses and to convict the president on abuse of power , calling his actions “ an appalling abuse of public trust.
” On the Democratic side , Alabama Sen. Doug Jones , facing an uphill reelection battle in a Trump-loving state , said Wednesday , “ After many sleepless nights , I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
” No game-playing there , in a decision that will probably cost him power but may help him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by bad dreams .
You have to give it to Trump .
He is a high-risk , high-reward player , going for it all on fourth down , even when yardage and the odds are long .
But he can depend on a compliant GOP Congress blocking for him and occasionally shoving an opponent or making a late tackle , no matter the evidence that is sure to continue to surface .
To hear Trump tell it , as in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night , he wins every time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t notice how he takes credit for the recovery that began under President Barack Obama ; how he highlights more black people in the audience than he has appointed to the judiciary or his Cabinet ; and how he praises the military whose members he calls “ dopes and babies ” behind closed doors , according to revelations in the book “ A Very Stable Genius.
” When the president who trashes the Affordable Care Act in words and in court promises to protect those with preexisting conditions , when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a hold on a stamp honoring her , you get the feeling he actually believes his own hype and forgets what he said or did the day before .
The president flaunts his power , which he believes is unlimited , and that is more than you can say for timid senators , tasked with maintaining a balance of power between the legislative and executive co-equal branches of government — and failing .
Faced with an admittedly tough choice , but one that their oath compels them to make , so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other way .
They have punted that responsibility to hold the president to account to the American people , who may be too exhausted to care .
In February , it ’ s working , especially considering Trump is riding pretty high in the latest polls and Democratic 2020 contenders look as confused as , well , Democrats .
And it may be a winning strategy .
But then , the 49ers looked like champions after the third quarter .

OPINION — Don’t you just hate it when someone uses a sports metaphor to teach a life lesson? So do I, usually. But with the Super Bowl not a week in the rearview mirror, it would be impossible to ignore the concept of the punt — getting out of a tough situation by moving the ball as far as possible toward the opponent’s end zone.
If you’re playing against a Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs, you’re merely buying some time before the inevitable score. But senators using that tactic in an impeached President Donald Trump’s trial are no doubt hoping any payback comes late, or not at all.
For them, it’s a way to satisfy both their consciences and a Trump-supporting voting base.
Playing it safe
It’s a safe play for Republicans such as Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, clear in her disapproval of Trump’s actions — his asking a foreign government to investigate a political rival before a presidential election, and holding up congressionally approved, much-needed military aid as well as a possible White House visit as leverage.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has said the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, at the president’s direction, violated the law when it withheld military assistance. Transcripts of the president’s call to Ukraine has Trump asking for a favor — acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney belligerently confirmed the attempted transaction and the president himself asked Ukraine and China for more of the same. And that is just a hint of the case laid out by House impeachment managers to the Senate.


rollcall--2020-02-06--And the Oscar goes to ... Barack and Michelle Obama?

“ This is unusual for so many reasons , ” says author Mark K. Updegrove , who has chronicled the “ second acts ” of presidents from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton in a book by that name .
Maybe the fact that a historical presidency is yielding such a distinctive post-presidency shouldn ’ t be surprising , but that hasn ’ t stopped observers from marveling at how the Obamas have “ gone multiplatform , ” as Joe Pompeo put it in Vanity Fair , under the headline “ Meet the Obamoguls .
” That they ’ ve done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only adds to the mystique .
“ American Factory ” tells the story of the rebirth of a truck-making facility as a Chinese glass manufacturer in the heart of the Rust Belt .
It ’ s the first offering from Barack and Michelle Obama ’ s company , Higher Ground Productions , and snagged a nomination out of the gate for best documentary feature at the 92nd Academy Awards .
A win at Sunday night ’ s Oscars could cement Barack Obama ’ s path as a cultural tastemaker and Hollywood heavyweight — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Obama left the White House , Updegrove predicted he would embark on an active post-presidency along the lines of Jimmy Carter .
He was young and had international cachet .
An ex-president traditionally keeps a low profile for a year or two until his successor gets used to the job .
Then he unleashes his memoir and breaks ground on a presidential library , considered a “ coming out party , ” Updegrove says .
But Obama has done none of these things .
There ’ s still no release date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal the Obamas signed with Penguin Random House in 2017 that ’ s reportedly worth $ 65 million .
For his part , Updegrove believes Obama is dragging his feet “ so he stays out of the limelight until the election passes , and that is wholly unprecedented.
” Updegrove attributes the reserve to one person : President Donald Trump , who told reporters last year that instead of investigating his administration , Democrats should “ look into ” the Obamas ’ book deal .
“ He ’ s continued to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence , ” Updegrove says .
“ That very , very rarely happens.
” Incoming presidents typically “ don ’ t attack their predecessors and continue to make them scapegoats as they might have during the campaign , ” he adds .
Trump may or may not be the one keeping Obama from hitting the traditional public circuit , but that ’ s something the former president doesn ’ t really have to do .
Obama can let the art — namely , the movies , TV shows and podcasts — speak for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company has several projects in the works : three movies and four TV series .
The projects include a children ’ s show and a film adapted from David W. Blight ’ s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning Frederick Douglass biography , “ Prophet of Freedom.
” “ Touching on issues of race and class , democracy and civil rights , and much more , we believe each of these productions won ’ t just entertain , but will educate , connect and inspire us all , ” the former commander in chief said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educate and inspire — but rarely was it cool .
Of course , it ’ s also lucrative .
Numbers haven ’ t been released , but Netflix hasn ’ t been stingy when it comes to landing high-profile talent .
For instance , “ Grey ’ s Anatomy ” creator Shonda Rhimes signed a nine-figure deal with the online streamer .
Meanwhile , Michelle Obama ’ s 2018 memoir “ Becoming ” racked up a Grammy Award for best spoken word album and has sold more than 10 million copies .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the modern understanding of the ex-presidency as a cash cow .
Updegrove credits the 38th president , Gerald R. Ford , with creating the business model of giving speeches and sitting on corporate boards .
Before that , some even went back into public service .
John Quincy Adams became a congressman and fierce opponent of slavery , while William Howard Taft became chief justice of the United States .
Perhaps it ’ s not a coincidence they served only one term in the White House .
If Obama gets a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have most in common with was never ( quite ) a president .
Fellow Nobel Prize winner Al Gore took home an Oscar for best documentary in 2007 for his climate change film “ An Inconvenient Truth.
” Regardless of the fate of “ American Factory , ” which is directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar , the 44th president will be just fine , Updegrove says .
A stamp of approval from the Hollywood establishment “ would add to the luster of his post-presidency , but it certainly is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Updegrove says .
Plus , with so many projects in the works , this probably won ’ t be his last chance .

A win at Sunday night’s Oscars could cement Barack Obama’s path as a cultural tastemaker and Hollywood heavyweight — a new one for a former president.
“American Factory” tells the story of the rebirth of a truck-making facility as a Chinese glass manufacturer in the heart of the Rust Belt. It’s the first offering from Barack and Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground Productions, and snagged a nomination out of the gate for best documentary feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Maybe the fact that a historical presidency is yielding such a distinctive post-presidency shouldn’t be surprising, but that hasn’t stopped observers from marveling at how the Obamas have “gone multiplatform,” as Joe Pompeo put it in Vanity Fair, under the headline “Meet the Obamoguls.” That they’ve done so while saying very little in public only adds to the mystique.
“This is unusual for so many reasons,” says author Mark K. Updegrove, who has chronicled the “second acts” of presidents from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton in a book by that name.


rollcall--2020-02-05--Auction off Pelosi’s ripped speech? Only he would think of it

Rep. Billy Long , R-Mo.
, shakes hands with President Donald Trump after 2019 the State of the Union address .
( Doug Mills/The New York Times file photo ) Rep. Billy Long , the proud owner of verified Twitter handle “ auctnr1 , ” reminded us again this week why his colleagues call him Congress ’ “ auctioneer in residence.
” As President Donald Trump finished his third State of the Union speech Tuesday night and Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore her copy in half , Long was stationed in the center-right aisle of the chamber to get the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to auction off the tie for charity , so Long was already in an auctioneering state of mind .
In fact , you could say that state of mind is ever-present for the Missouri congressman , who opened his own auction company in 1983 , was voted “ Best Auctioneer in the Ozarks ” multiple times , and landed a spot in the National Auctioneers ’ Association Hall of Fame .
It was with those credentials that Long approached the speaker of the House .
“ I went up to [ Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ripped up speech to the gallery and I said you should auction that off for charity .
She said no I ’ m keeping it for prosperity , ” the Republican tweeted , sharing his account of the challenge he issued .
( The speaker ’ s office didn ’ t respond to Heard on the Hill ’ s request for comment . )
Coming from anyone else , the challenge might have seemed oddly specific — but this was the same member of Congress who went viral in 2018 when he pretended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protester who interrupted a hearing .
“ We ’ re selling the cellphone there , four and a quarter , four and a half ... five and a quarter , five and a half , I yield back , ” he said as security led her out of the Energy and Commerce hearing , which featured Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey .
[ See the State of the Union through the lens of CQ Roll Call photographers ] And then there was the time he tried to auction off the national debt on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to honor auctioneers .
“ Auctions are the last stronghold of the competitive free market enterprise system and continue to be the most effective means of establishing a fair market value , ” he said in 2011 .
Most recently , he showcased his auctioneering skills at a Rose Garden celebration for the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues .
When the president invited him up to the front to jokingly auction off the Stanley Cup , Long used the opportunity to ask the commander in chief to sign the tie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had at the 2019 State of the Union and would again this year .
The necktie signed after last year ’ s speech fetched $ 15,000 at auction for St. Jude Children ’ s Research Hospital , a spokesperson for Long said .
Long isn ’ t the only member of Congress with a background in professional auctioneering , even if he is the most likely to use it in his current career .
GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina also once wielded the gavel .

Rep. Billy Long, the proud owner of verified Twitter handle “auctnr1,” reminded us again this week why his colleagues call him Congress’ “auctioneer in residence.”
As President Donald Trump finished his third State of the Union speech Tuesday night and Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore her copy in half, Long was stationed in the center-right aisle of the chamber to get the president to sign his tie.
The idea was to auction off the tie for charity, so Long was already in an auctioneering state of mind.
In fact, you could say that state of mind is ever-present for the Missouri congressman, who opened his own auction company in 1983, was voted “Best Auctioneer in the Ozarks” multiple times, and landed a spot in the National Auctioneers’ Association Hall of Fame.
It was with those credentials that Long approached the speaker of the House. “I went up to [Pelosi] as she was showing off her ripped up speech to the gallery and I said you should auction that off for charity. She said no I’m keeping it for prosperity,” the Republican tweeted, sharing his account of the challenge he issued. (The speaker’s office didn’t respond to Heard on the Hill’s request for comment.)


Unchecked power

CQ on Congress host Shawn Zeller builds a case of how the acquittal of President Donald Trump is yet another @ @ @ @ @ s move toward an imperial presidency leaving a sagging Congress and judiciary that will have @ @ @ @ @ and policy making .

CQ on Congress host Shawn Zeller builds a case of how the acquittal of President Donald Trump is yet another notch in this administration’s move toward an imperial presidency leaving a sagging Congress and judiciary that will have implications for 21st century policies and policy making.