Jan 30, 2019

1. Republicans name members of House Intelligence Committee

Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

GOP leadership has officially named the Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee, four weeks after the new Democratic-controlled Congress took office.

Why it matters: The panel was the final House committee to be filled by Republicans, with the delay hampering the ability of the Democratic majority to start conducting business and issuing subpoenas related to the Trump-Russia investigation. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the new chair of the committee, has pledged to reopen the Russia probe in light of the indictments of several Trump associates, and said his first order of business would be to hand over all witness transcripts to the Mueller investigation.

Republicans:

  • Rep. Devin Nunes (Ranking member)
  • Rep. Mike Conaway
  • Rep. Mike Turner
  • Rep. Brad Wenstrup
  • Rep. Chris Stewart
  • Rep. Rick Crawford
  • Rep. Elise Stefanik
  • Rep. Will Hurd
  • Rep. John Ratcliffe

Democrats:

  • Rep. Adam Schiff (Chairman)
  • Rep. Jim Himes
  • Rep. Terri Sewell
  • Rep. André Carson
  • Rep. Jackie Speier
  • Rep. Mike Quigley
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro
  • Rep. Denny Heck
  • Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney
  • Rep. Val Demings
  • Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
  • Rep. Peter Welch

Go deeper: Democrats load "subpoena cannon" with 85+ Trump targets

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Axios
Updated 9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 a.m. ET: 19,571,989 — Total deaths: 726,781 — Total recoveries — 11,939,109 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1 a.m. ET: 4,997,929 — Total deaths: 162,423 — Total recoveries: 1,643,118 — Total tests: 61,080,587 — Map.
  3. Politics: Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid — Democrats, and some Republicans, criticize the move
  4. Public health: Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective — 1 in 3 Americans would decline COVID-19 vaccine.
  5. Science: Indoor air is the next coronavirus frontline.
  6. Schools: How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on — Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Howard to hold fall classes online.
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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Republicans and Democrats react to Trump's coronavirus aid action

President Trump speaks to workers at a manufacturing facility in Clyde, Ohio, on Thursday. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing President Trump Saturday night for taking executive action on coronavirus aid, with Democratic leaders demanding the GOP return to negotiations after stimulus package talks broke down a day earlier.

Why it matters: Trump could face legal challenges on his ability to act without congressional approval, where the power lies on federal spending. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was the most vocal Republican critic, saying in a statement: "The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop."

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Jacob Knutson
8 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid

President Trump speaking during a press conference on Aug. 8. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Saturday signed four executive actions to provide relief from economic damage sustained during the coronavirus pandemic after talks between the White House and Democratic leadership collapsed Friday afternoon.

Why it matters: Because the Constitution gives Congress the power to appropriate federal spending, Trump has limited authority to act unilaterally — and risks a legal challenge if congressional Democrats believe he has overstepped.

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