Daily Update | January 23, 2018
The House and Senate passed a three-week-long spending bill, clearing a path to end the shutdown of the federal government. House Republicans have introduced a bill that would reduce the number of legal immigrants by 38%, to the largest restriction since the 1920s. Vice President Mike Pence announced that the new embassy in Jerusalem would open in 2019.
IMMIGRATION
House Republicans have introduced a bill that would reduce the number of legal immigrants by 38%, to the largest restriction since the 1920s (Cato).
Hispanics forgo health services to avoid officials’ attention (WaPo).
Undocumented immigrants are the canaries in the coal mine for restrictions of civil rights, argues Wendy E. Parmet at Health Affairs.
The immigration debate may affect elder care, as immigrants play a big and growing part of caring for the elderly, writes Gerald F. Seib at WSJ.
President Trump’s proposed border wall is best used as a bargaining chip, writes Jonah Goldberg at L.A. Times.
- Reforming the diversity visa could pay for President Trump’s proposed border wall, writes Alex Nowrasteh at Cato.
DEMOCRACY
President Trump’s voter fraud commission explicitly asked Texas to provide records that identified all voters with Hispanic surnames (WaPo).
Governments have rights too, not just powers, argues Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ordered all 18 Republican-drawn districts to be redrawn, following a finding that they violate the Constitution (WaPo).
- The decision is not as helpful for Democrats as one might suspect, writes Nate Cohn at NYT.
JUSTICE & SAFETY
Congress should stop calling its collection of Americans’ communications “incidental”, writes Allyson Scher at Just Security.
Vice President Mike Pence announced that the new embassy in Jerusalem would open in 2019 (WSJ).
The Trump administration has imposed new tariffs on solar panels and washing machines, designed to protect domestic production from Chinese competition (WSJ, LA Times).
REGULATION
The House and Senate passed a three-week-long spending bill, clearing a path to end the shutdown of the federal government (WaPo, WSJ, NYT).
- The Washington Post examines the winners and losers.
- Democrats caved and they’re admitting it, writes Aaron Blake at WaPo.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was wise to back down, writes Carter Eskew at WaPo.
- The bill includes more tax cuts (NYT).
- Politico reports that some liberals are livid.
The NSA deleted surveillance data that it pledged to preserve (Politico).
RULE OF LAW
Common Cause, a non-profit watchdog group, has filed a complaint alleging that the settlement paid to Stormy Daniels by President Trump amounted to an unreported in-kind contribution to President Trump’s campaign (WaPo).
Charlie Kushner, Jared Kushner’s father, has said that he is unconcerned about the investigation into his company (WaPo).
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
Don’t expect President Trump to testify soon, argues Harry Litman at Lawfare.
The FBI is reportedly exploring whether a Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign (TPM).
Analysts say Russian Twitter accounts promoted Republican talking points during the government shutdown (L.A. Times).
The FBI did not save texts from an official involved in the investigation into Hillary Clinton and President Trump (WaPo).
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced an investigation into the missing texts (WaPo).
Tags:
Immigration Rule of Law Regulation Democracy Justice & Safety Russian Interference