Nicandro Iannacci  //  10/10/19  //  Daily Update

President Trump declared a complete refusal to comply with the House impeachment inquiry unless the full House expressly votes to authorize the inquiry and adopts certain procedures. The White House advised U.S. diplomats to downplay the eventual release of aid funds to Ukraine. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his support for the president’s impeachment. Former congressman Trey Gowdy joined President Trump’s legal team as an outside adviser. President Trump criticized Turkey’s military offensive in Syria but remained dismissive of Kurdish fighters and reiterated opposition to extended wars. President Trump issued two new executive orders on administrative law related to guidance documents and enforcement actions.

IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

President Trump declared a complete refusal to comply with the House impeachment inquiry unless the full House expressly votes to authorize the inquiry and adopts certain procedures (WSJ).

• The House is not constitutionally required to officially authorize an impeachment inquiry, writes Keith Whittington at Lawfare.
• Vox asked 13 legal experts if the White House’s refusal to cooperate was legal and if it means we are in a constitutional crisis. (Vox)
• Yes, we are in a constitutional crisis, writes Noah Feldman at The New York Times.
• The White House’s letter, announcing its refusal to cooperate, distorts the purpose of impeachment and the subject matter of the inquiry, writes Tess Bridgeman at Just Security.
• It also distorts the law and history of impeachment, writes Frank O. Bowman III at Just Security.
• The categorical refusal to cooperate is clearly an impeachable offense, writes Gene Healy at Cato at Liberty.
• The letter seeks to reshape the political debate because impeachment is a political fight, writes Molly Reynolds at The New York Times.
• By refusing to cooperate, the president has placed himself above the law, writes Renato Mariotti at POLITICO Magazine.

The White House advised U.S. diplomats to downplay the eventual release of aid funds to Ukraine (NYT).

• Diplomats are also under fire for using personal phones and encrypted messenger apps to conduct U.S. policy on Ukraine. (WaPo)

Former congressman Trey Gowdy joined President Trump’s legal team as an outside adviser (NYT, WSJ, POLITICO).

Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, is expected to testify on Friday as part of the House’s impeachment inquiry (WaPo).

Lawyers for the Ukraine whistleblower say the individual is not politically motivated (WaPo).

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his support for the president’s impeachment (NYT, WaPo, WSJ, POLITICO).

DEMOCRACY

A Pentagon analyst was charged with sharing classified information with journalists, the latest in the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on leaks (NYT).

President Trump declined to criticize China for pressuring the NBA to renounce an executive’s expression of support for protestors in Hong Kong (WaPo).

JUSTICE & SAFETY

President Trump criticized Turkey’s military offensive in Syria but remained dismissive of Kurdish fighters and reiterated opposition to extended wars (NYT, WaPo, WSJ).

• More than 50 House Democrats issued a letter to the president in opposition to his withdrawal of troops from Syria. (WaPo)
• The substance of the president’s decision is correct and avoids a forever war in Syria, writes Ted Galen Carpenter at Cato at Liberty.

The Trump administration plans to issue some licenses to U.S. companies to supply goods to the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei (NYT).

REGULATION

President Trump issued two new executive orders on administrative law related to guidance documents and enforcement actions (Notice and Comment).

A federal judge criticized DOE Secretary Betsy DeVos for failing to comply with an order to stop collecting loan payments from Corinthian College students and is considering sanctions (WaPo).

The Bureau of Land Management proposed a rule to streamline regulations of mineral mining companies (The Hill).

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

A Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian election interference is prompting new calls for legislation on election security (The Hill).