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Sean Duffy speaks at news conference after DCA crash

The deadly DCA crash

DCA crash. Hundreds of rescue and emergency personnel responded to the Wednesday night collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, but it doesn’t appear at this time that there were any survivors. Rescue and recovery operations are continuing in the Potomac River under very difficult circumstances.

American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan., was carrying 60 passengers and four flight crew. There were three soldiers aboard the helicopter, which was on a training mission.

American Airlines launched direct service between DCA and Wichita one year ago.

There are multiple media reports that the American Eagle flight was carrying figure skaters, coaches and family members returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kansas GOP Sens. Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran attended a late-night news conference. Another news conference is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump and other top administration officials were briefed on the tragedy.

There are several topics you can expect to hear on Capitol Hill in the wake of the crash.

The airspace around DCA is very busy. It’s just a stone’s throw from the National Mall. Commercial airlines share the space with all sorts of low-flying helicopters, something that’s been a hot topic in the aviation community for years. Plus, DCA is terribly congested, and it’s one of the most challenging commercial airports to land at in the country.

The DNI nom. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) will sit before the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning for the most consequential confirmation hearing to date.

Gabbard, an ex-Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, is Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence. Senate GOP leaders are holding their breath as Gabbard, widely considered Trump’s most endangered Cabinet-level nominee, is certain to face a grilling from both sides.

The hearing will test whether Trump’s takeover of the GOP can extend to someone like Gabbard, whose public record and views would otherwise be considered an affront to Republicans.

What the GOP leadership wants: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said Gabbard’s hearing will be “consequential,” citing questions surrounding her past statements and policy positions.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told us that Gabbard needs to “try to put to rest some of the concerns around some of these issues that have been raised, involvement in Syria, et cetera.”

“I think [Section] 702 especially [of] FISA is something she’s gonna have to be clear on,” Thune added. More on 702 in a bit.

Gabbard doesn’t have any public GOP opponents yet, although there are plenty of skeptics. Gabbard’s team remains hopeful she can pick up a Democrat or two. And the fact that former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is introducing Gabbard today is noteworthy.

Gabbard’s first big hurdle is the Intelligence Committee, where Republicans have a 9-8 majority. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) are the ones to watch. Just one GOP “no” vote would prevent Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) from reporting Gabbard’s nomination to the floor favorably.

There are some ways around this, as we’ve reported. But Thune suggested Gabbard wouldn’t get a floor vote if she doesn’t have the votes in committee:

The lines of questioning at today’s hearing won’t come as a surprise. Gabbard’s previous opposition to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — and her reversal that we scooped — will be a dominant theme. So will her past support for NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whose actions are viewed universally on Capitol Hill as having damaged U.S. national security.

Then there are Gabbard’s secret trips to Syria and Lebanon in 2017, which included a meeting with now-deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Following that trip, Gabbard seemed to doubt reports that Assad used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians during that country’s brutal civil war. She’s also been accused of peddling Russian propaganda, particularly as it relates to the war in Ukraine.

This is news: In his opening statement, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the Intelligence Committee’s top Democrat, will point to all of that to argue that foreign allies may not be able to trust the United States with sensitive intelligence information if Gabbard is confirmed:

We also obtained an excerpt from Gabbard’s opening statement. Gabbard takes direct aim at her critics — and Trump’s.

“What really upsets my political opponents is my consistent record of independence, regardless of political affiliation, and my refusal to be anyone’s puppet,” Gabbard will say.

Gabbard also touches on some Trumpian themes, saying the president has “a clear mandate” to “end the weaponization and politicization of the IC, and begin to restore trust in those who have been charged with the critical task of securing our nation.”

Gabbard isn’t someone who a traditional Republican president would pick for a high-ranking role, especially the one she’s been nominated for.

But Gabbard has important allies here, and that’s what matters. Chief among them is Donald Trump Jr., who recently said any GOP senator who votes against Gabbard should be primaried. Cotton, too, has defended Gabbard and worked hard to get this hearing off the ground in the face of FBI and ethics paperwork delays.

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