Axios

House Speaker Paul Ryan pledged Wednesday to pass a "strong, bold" Russia sanctions bill, referring to himself as "a Russia hawk," per the AP.

Context: A sanctions bill passed the Senate by a 97-2 vote, but Democrats are accusing House Republicans of stalling, per Reuters. Ryan said a procedural issue is causing the holdup.

Why it matters: Axios' Jonathan Swan reports that the White House is racing to stop Congress from sending the bill to Trump's desk. Legislative Director Marc Short says the bill "greatly hampers the executive branch's diplomatic efforts," and CIA Director Mike Pompeo told Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy the bill would affect his "ability to do his work and his job, a few elements of it."

The Dem stance: Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said delays make it look as though House leaders are "in protective mode" for the White House.

It's rare that lawmakers beg a federal agency to ask for more money, but that's what happened Wednesday in a Senate subcommittee hearing for the Indian Health Service budget. IHS acting director Michael Weahkee avoiding answering many budget-related questions from senators, who expressed outrage after reading a Wall Street Journal series that detailed shoddy care throughout IHS.

President Trump proposed cutting the 2018 IHS budget by about $300 million — $56 million of which came from the appropriations request. Senators expressed concern the cuts would hurt more Native Americans.

Reality check: Lawmakers' outrage over conditions at IHS hospitals is not new. It's been more than six years since former Sen. Byron Dorgan unveiled a scathing report about IHS. But the recent stories published by the WSJ, Buzzfeed, Modern Healthcare and local Native American outlets have put a bigger spotlight on IHS' problems.

Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders debased Rep. Brad Sherman's (D, Calif.) proposed articles of impeachment against President Trump as "utterly and completely ridiculous and a political game at its worst." She similarly dismissed calls for Jared Kushner's security clearance to be revoked, stating the notion is just another example Democrats playing political games. Other highlights from Sanders' off-camera briefing:

• What's with the gaps in Trump's agenda? Sanders said he's been in private meetings discussing national security, cybersecurity, trade, and the economy.
• Has Trump spoken with Don Jr? Sanders wasn't sure about the specifics, but said they've spoken "at least at some point over the past few days."
• Does Trump view Russia as a friend or foe? Sanders dodged for the third day in a row.

President Trump sat down with CBN's Pat Robertson for an interview that'll air on tomorrow's The 700 Club, but the network has released excerpts focused on last week's G20 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the United States' relationship with Russia. One big claim: Trump says Putin would have preferred if Hillary Clinton was president rather than him.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a senior member of House Foreign Relations Committee, introduced articles of impeachment Wednesday against President Trump for obstruction of justice.

• In the articles, Sherman states that Trump "sought to use his authority to hinder and cause the termination of" the Russian investigations, and specifically cites Trump's alleged attempts to pressure FBI Director Comey to drop the agency's investigation into Michael Flynn, as well as the subsequent firing of Comey, as examples of obstruction of justice.
• Why it matters: After House Democratic leaders expressed concern about his calls for impeachment, Sherman assured House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that he wouldn't ask for a floor vote on impeachment without consulting the Democratic caucus. Now he's gone through with it.
• Why it doesn't matter: Trump can't be impeached without Republican support.

The issue:

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) introduced an article of impeachment on Wednesday against President Trump, the day after Donald Trump, Jr. released his email exchange in which he replied "I love it" to an offer of help from the Russian government against Hillary Clinton.

Why it matters:

Any move to impeach or remove Trump from office would require substantial bipartisan support, and most members of Congress — on both sides of the aisle — aren't talking impeachment just yet. But the political ground might be shifting against Trump: John McCain used the word "Watergate" and top House Republicans have demanded to see Comey's memos regarding his presidential interactions in full.

The State Department booked 19 rooms at the Trump International Hotel Tower in Vancouver at a cost of more than $15,000 during the grand opening of the complex in February that was attended by the Trump children, per a FOIA request by The Washington Post.

The reason: The documents obtained showing the expenditure were highly redacted, but State told WaPo that generally "[e]mbassy and consulate personnel work with the Secret Service to provide assistance on security matters as necessary for conditions in the particular host country."

Worth noting: The Trump hotel in Vancouver isn't actually owned by The Trump Organization — it simply got its name and branding via a management and licensing deal, and Trump earns royalties from the arrangement.

Christopher Wray, President Trump's pick to replace James Comey as FBI Director, told the Senate Judiciary Committee during his opening statement at his confirmation hearing that he hopes to "lead an independent Bureau that will make every American proud" — immediately addressing one of the biggest concerns for the position following Comey's firing in the midst of the federal government's Russia probe.

In the media, the focus is on the son. In the West Wing, colleagues are watching the son-in-law.

Some colleagues have started to wonder if he and Ivanka will return to New York for this school year, at least a year ahead of plan. But we're told he has made no moves to do that. Others note a change in his demeanor amid the growing Russia probe: less swagger, more concern.

Why it matters: Kushner is the one figure in the Russia probe who helped run the campaign, the transition and the White House. No one has spent more time with Trump throughout the past year — and has seen or knows more.