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NEWS: House Republican consider special committee to probe DOJ

August 9, 2022

Presented by AARP

48 million family caregivers give everything to help older loved ones. They give time and energy, too often giving up their jobs and paying over $7,000 a year out of pocket. With a new Congress, it’s time to act on the Credit for Caring tax credit.

PRESENTED BY

BY PUNCHBOWL NEWS STAFF

THE TOP

Happy Tuesday morning.

The FBI’s raid on President Donald Trump’s south Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago has the Justice Department in the middle of a political firestorm – as department officials must’ve known would happen when they sought a search warrant for the former president’s home.

At this point, very little is known officially about the raid. Multiple media reports said it was part of a federal probe into Trump’s continued possession of classified records after leaving the White House.

Justice Department officials haven’t issued a statement about the raid, and neither has the FBI. Based on the uproar Monday night from Capitol Hill, we expect DOJ officials to make some type of public comment soon. Maybe today.

The raid also came on the same day Axios reported on a scoop by the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman that “staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet — and believed the president [Trump] had flushed pieces of paper” that should’ve been preserved as official records. Haberman is scheduled to release a new book on Trump this fall.

The statement from Trump on the raid was, of course, bombastic. But he kept it low key during a virtual rally for former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin, who is running to succeed the late Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska). “Another day in paradise. This is a strange day,” Trump said, as he turned the search into a fundraising opportunity.

A number of GOP lawmakers – joining Trump’s condemnation of the raid as a symbol of Democratic persecution and prosecutorial overreach – warned that they’d retaliate against DOJ officials if they win in November.

Here’s House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a close Trump ally, on Monday night:

We spoke to McCarthy after the raid. McCarthy told us he’s considering creating some sort of special investigative committee to probe the Justice Department and other governmental agencies if he’s speaker come January.

“I gotta talk to my members and see where we go,” McCarthy told us. “We have to follow it wherever it goes.”

A select committee in the House could, of course, exclude Democrats, whereas running a probe of this nature through an existing panel such as the Judiciary Committee or the Committee on Oversight and Reform would require participation from both parties.

One source said House Republicans would consider creating something like the Church Committee, which investigated a broad range of governmental misconduct by intelligence agencies during the mid 1970s. That select Senate panel, chaired by the late Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho), was tasked with looking into “illegal, improper or unethical activities” by any government agency.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee and another Trump ally, demanded during an appearance on Fox News that Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray meet with lawmakers to explain the reasons for the raid. The House will be in session on Friday to vote on the Democrats’ reconciliation bill.

Here’s Jordan:

“Merrick Garland, Chris Wray, come to the House Judiciary Committee this Friday and answer our questions about this action today, which has never happened in American history. What was on the warrant? What were you really doing? What are you looking for? Why not talk to President Trump and have him give you the information you’re after? This is unbelievable.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) suggested President Joe Biden “is playing with fire by using a document dispute to get the @TheJusticeDept to persecute a likely future election opponent.”

“Because one day what goes around is going to come around,” Rubio added.

White House officials said they only found out about the FBI’s action on social media.

This is a good moment to reiterate that, if Republicans take over Congress, investigations will be at the heart of their majority. Everyone and everything will be in the crosshairs: Hunter Biden, Biden’s border policies, DOJ, the Pentagon, Big Tech and any other governmental agency or private institution that Republicans believe has wronged them somehow.

The Coverage

→	CNN: “FBI executes search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in document investigation,” by Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak, Katelyn Polantz, Sara Murray, Evan Perez, Gabby Orr and Dan Berman

→	NBC: “FBI search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home tied to classified material, sources say,” by Marc Caputo and Ryan J. Reilly

→	NYT: “If Trump broke a law on the removal of official records, would he be barred from future office?” by Charlie Savage

– Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan

PRESENTED BY NATIONAL MINORITY QUALITY FORUM

Only 18% of voters of color believe the federal government should negotiate drug prices, while 69% believe reducing the overall cost of healthcare coverage—premiums, deductibles, copays—should be a main focus for Congress. Learn more in our poll with the National Hispanic Council on Aging by Morning Consult.

THE HOUSE

NEW: House Dems punting on police funding as progressives push back

The House is scheduled to return Friday to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, setting up a big win for President Joe Biden and the Democrats.

But Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders are unlikely to move ahead with a series of bills to boost police funding, according to lawmakers and aides.

While vulnerable Frontliners and Democratic moderates are pressing the leadership for a floor vote on these measures, opposition from progressives and the Congressional Black Caucus has derailed this effort.

Progressives and the CBC were concerned about the lack of accountability language in the bills before the House left for the August recess, so a floor vote was delayed. The hope among Democrats at that time was they could work out their differences and take up the measures when the House returned to take up a reconciliation.

But it’s not happening apparently. And it’s not at all clear it can happen in September either, despite Pelosi’s support for the effort.

“Let’s not step on our message of unity and success with something that, honestly, will be very divisive,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told us in an interview on Monday.

“We have communicated to all of leadership exactly where we are. We communicated it last week … that there simply wasn’t the votes. It would be a very, very divisive thing to do. We need to be disciplined as Democrats and not step on our success, not snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Let’s focus on this massive victory for the American people this week.”

A Democratic leadership source also said the CBC wants more time to work on these bills, further signaling that the leadership probably won’t be able to overcome opposition in the brief time the House is expected to be in session this week.

The accountability provisions that progressives and the CBC are seeking would spell out how police departments handle accusations of misconduct or improper behavior by officers. This has been a difficult issue to resolve, with police groups and Republicans balking at changes sought by Democrats in the wake of the George Floyd protests.

For their part, Frontliners and moderates want to rebut GOP claims that Democrats are soft on crime or seeking to “defund the police,” political attacks that were successful for Republicans in 2020. They’ve offered a series of measures to boost funding, especially for smaller police departments.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) has been the primary supporter of the police funding bill, banding together with the likes of Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.). Gottheimer and Jayapal have alternatively worked together and sparred during this Congress, encapsulating the center vs. left battle in Democratic Party.

Also: Biden will hold two high-profile signing ceremonies at the White House today, part of the payoff for the recent Democratic run of success on Capitol Hill.

Biden will sign the CHIPS Plus bill in law at 10 a.m. in the Rose Garden. CEOs attending include Micron’s Sanjay Mehrotra, Intel’s Pat Gelsinger, Lockheed Martin’s Jim Taiclet, HP’s Enrique Lores and AMD’s Dr. Lisa Su.

Labor officials: IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson, UAW President Ray Curry and CWA President Chris Shelton.

Public officials: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

VP Kamala Harris, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimonda, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and OMB Director Shalanda Young will all be in attendance.

At 2 p.m., Biden will sign a resolution on Sweden and Finland joining NATO.

– John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman

FRANKING SEASON

Republicans crush Democrats on franking requests

As House Democrats fight to maintain their slim majority, Republicans are far outpacing Democrats in a crucial measure of constituent communication. Republican House offices have made over 3,000 more franking requests than their Democratic counterparts during the 117th Congress, according to internal House data obtained by Punchbowl News.

Last month, we reported that there were rising fears among top House Democratic aides that members weren’t taking advantage of their franking privileges to boost their public profiles at taxpayers’ expense ahead of the midterms.

Numbers that we got ahold of show that Democrats are right to be worried. House Republicans have made 8,643 franking requests this Congress, while Democrats have made 5,600. These numbers are current to the end of July.

Franking, if you’re not familiar, refers to mail and digital communication paid for by the federal government that incumbents can send to every household in their district. The mail has to be apolitical and approved by House authorities. But it’s a great – and cost free – way for lawmakers to play up their accomplishments to constituents.

New regulations that go into effect this year allow House lawmakers to send mass mailings up to 60 days before the general election. Previous rules started the franking blackout at 90 days before the general election.

Republican aides point to the franking “challenges” the GOP conference has hosted to explain the party’s mass mailing advantage. In 2020, GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) won the conference franking challenge and was awarded a wrestling belt for his exploits. This Congress, the conference held a freshman franking contest that Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) won.

— Max Cohen

PRIMARY DAY IN AMERICA

What to watch for on primary day

It’s Tuesday and that means it’s primary day in America. Here are the key races we’re tracking.

→	Minnesota voters are electing a replacement to fill the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn’s (R-Minn.) seat.

Minnesota’s 1st District is a heavily Republican stronghold that is very likely to stay in GOP hands. Republican Brad Finstad is the favorite in today’s special election. Finstad, who beat out House Freedom Caucus-endorsed Jeremy Munson in a Republican primary earlier this year, is facing off against Democrat Jeff Ettinger.

The winner will likely be sworn into Congress this week. A Finstad victory won’t impact the Democratic advantage in the House due to the tragic death last week of Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.). Democrats will retain their four vote margin.

→	Wisconsin Democrats will pick a candidate to run in a Republican-leaning seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.).

Kind’s retirement disappointed national Democrats who believed he was the only Democrat who could hang on to Wisconsin’s 3rd District. Donald Trump carried the district in 2020 by nearly five points. Kind has endorsed state Sen. Brad Pfaff in the Democratic primary. Pfaff, who has the backing of the New Dem Action Fund, is running against retired CIA officer Deb Baldus McGrath. McGrath went viral in June when she jumped out of a plane for a campaign ad.

Regardless of who advances out of the Democratic primary, Republican Derrick Van Orden is favored to win in November.

→	Trump and Mike Pence are competing with dueling endorsements in Wisconsin’s GOP gubernatorial primary.

Trump is backing Tim Michels while Pence is endorsing former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. The winner will take on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November in this swing state.

Over in the Democratic Senate primary, a previously captivating race turned into a one-man show during the past week when all of Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes’ opponents dropped out to endorse him. Barnes will face Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in the general election. Democrats see Wisconsin as one of their best Senate pickup opportunities this cycle.

→	State Sen. Becca Balint is facing off against Lt. Gov. Molly Gray in Vermont’s at-large Democratic primary.

Balint is the favorite after receiving the endorsement of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC is also backing Balint. Gray is endorsed by former Gov. Howard Dean and the New Dem Action Fund. This House seat is open because Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is running for Sen. Pat Leahy’s (D-Vt.) seat. Leahy is retiring after 48 years in the Senate.

— Max Cohen

PRESENTED BY NATIONAL MINORITY QUALITY FORUM

Minorities’ top healthcare priorities? Healthcare costs, health equity, and boosting R&D for future treatments. More in our poll with the National Hispanic Council on Aging.

THE CAMPAIGN

→	Washington State Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection, has lost her primary.

→	Here’s a new ad from Rep. Tim Ryan’s (D-Ohio) Senate campaign. The ad accuses Republican J.D. Vance of using his non-profit that was supposed to be about helping opioid addicts to launch his political career. The spot is running statewide.

– Jake Sherman

FRONTS

PRESENTED BY NATIONAL MINORITY QUALITY FORUM

More in our poll with National Hispanic Council on Aging.

MOMENTS

9 a.m.: President Joe Biden will get his daily intelligence briefing.

10 a.m.: Biden will sign the CHIPS Plus bill.

2 p.m.: Biden will sign the resolution supporting Sweden and Finland entry into NATO.

2:40 p.m.: Karine Jean-Pierre will brief.

4 p.m.: Speaker Nancy Pelosi will enroll the PACT Act.

CLIP FILE

NYT

→	“The House Jan. 6 panel is scheduled to interview Pompeo and Mastriano on Tuesday,” by Luke Broadwater

→	“U.S. Moves to Stretch Out Monkeypox Vaccine Supply,” by Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland

WaPo

→	“Inside Biden’s hot streak, from the poolside to the Capitol,” by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Tyler Pager

→	“Trump allies resist testifying as Georgia election probe expands,” by Tom Hamburger, Ann E. Marimow and Matthew Brown

WSJ

→	“Russia Says it Won’t Allow U.S. Inspection for Now of Its Nuclear Weapons,” by Michael R. Gordon

Bloomberg

→	“China Seizes on Pelosi Visit to Set ‘New Normal’ for Taiwan,” by Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Iain Marlow, and Cindy Wang

→	“Biden administration says ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy is over”

Chicago Tribune

→	“Pritzker, Lightfoot roll out welcome mat for Indiana businesses in wake of new abortion restrictions in Hoosier State,” by Jeremy Gorner, Robert McCoppin and Alexandra Kukulka

PRESENTED BY NATIONAL MINORITY QUALITY FORUM

This important NMQF and NHCOA poll of voters of color reveals the racial disparities that continue to rage through our healthcare system. Learn more.

Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.

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