| | | | DC preps for blockbuster committee hearing | | With questions swirling about whether President Donald Trump's campaign had ties to Russia and his unsubstantiated allegation that former President Barack Obama wiretapped him, the House Intelligence Committee is set to hold a public hearing Monday with FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers.
Ahead of the hearing, lawmakers differed strongly on the Russia question, while they unanimously said there was no evidence to back Trump's wiretapping claim. Here's my roundup of their comments.
Whether it's Russia, wiretapping or just the presence of Comey in a public hearing, the event is all but sure to capture a ton of attention.
But it's not the only major hearing in town. Trump's pick to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, Judge Neil Gorsuch, will head to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he is likely to face questions about hot-button issues, such as abortion and gay rights, but also less-commonly discussed concerns, such as physicians prescribing drugs to help the terminally ill end their lives, which Grouch has written extensively against. The relatively young, conservative Colorado judge stands to make a major impact on the currently split court, and as the confirmation process begins, it will stand as another example of what Democratic opposition actually looks like. | | "I've called bucket three the suckers' bucket." -- Sen. Ted Cruz, blasting the GOP's "three bucket" health care strategy | | | | CNN's Ryan Nobles was at the scene after a White House bomb scare, which came only hours after a man jumped a bicycle rack outside the residence in what law enforcement said was an apparent intrusion attempt. The incidents, as well as another would-be intrusion just over a week ago in which a trespasser carrying Mace and a letter for the President roamed the grounds for more than 15 minutes before being arrested, have caused the Secret Service a lot of headaches. | | Republicans seek elusive 'sweet spot' on health care | | Discussing proposed changes to the House GOP health care bill, HHS Secretary Tom Price said it was "a fine needle that needs to be thread." That might be a bit of an understatement.
Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as well as Rep. Mark Meadows, the House Freedom Caucus chairman, made the trip to Mar-a-Lago this weekend to push for wholesale conservative revamping of the American Health Care Act, the bill backed by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Without significant conservative add-ons, such as requiring able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work, the bill might not make it out of the House. But here's where it gets harder to thread that needle: A bill that's too conservative could push away more moderate Senate Republicans.
On CNN's "State of the Union," Price offered a sunny view of the bill and its prospects, while conservatives like Cruz and Sen. Tom Cotton rained on that parade.
The bill is due for a vote in the House on Thursday -- wait and see what happens. | | | CNN's Jake Tapper draws out the full story between President Donald Trump and Snoop Dogg. | | 5 things you might have missed | | Rock pioneer dies at age 90: As John Lennon once said, "If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." A man who helped forge what became the dominant artistic movement of the 20th century died this weekend, prompting a tweet of tribute and a statement from former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Rolling Stone's David Browne has more.
NSA not backing WH and Fox News: An NSA official told BBC that allegations White House press secretary Sean Spicer elevated claiming a British spy agency wiretapped President Donald Trump were "arrant nonsense" and that such action would be "epically stupid." CNN's Eugene Scott has more.
Trump team obfuscates golf game: Before he became President, Trump often slammed President Barack Obama for playing golf, and said on the campaign trail that he'd be too busy working to enjoy a game. Nevertheless, he's played a number of times in his first two months in office, and his aides haven't always been upfront about it. CNN's Dan Merica has more.
Press-averse senator changes ways: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whether in her home state of Massachusetts or at her place of work in the nation's capital, has long gone out of her way to avoid reporters, but it looks like that could be changing. Politico's Lauren Dezenski catalogs Warren's new approach.
Billionaire set to meet billionaire: Bill Gates is scheduled to meet with Trump. What could the impossibly wealthy tech icon and philanthropist have on his mind? Quartz's Aimee Groth has a preview. | | | The Senate Intelligence Committee asks Roger Stone to preserve his records. ... The G-20 drops a pledge on free trade. ... Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. | | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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