There are less than 72 hours until the government runs out of funding. Neither chamber has passed a bill, and House Dems leave tomorrow for their annual retreat. The House votes today on a bill to fund the government until March 23rd. But that doesn’t mean much since the Senate will likely say nah. Thursday is also a critical marker in the DACA debate. As part of the deal to reopen the government last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) promised to bring immigration reform to the floor for debate this month as long as the government is funded beyond Thursday's deadline. A group of bipartisan congressional leaders have been working toward a solution but don’t appear close to an agreement. Time for a call for unity? Not according to the White House. Speaking in Cincinnati yesterday, Donald Trump called Dem members who didn’t applaud during his SOTU address treasonous. The scary part? The audience applauded. More on that below. Now get this: Trump’s attorneys don’t want him sitting down for a wide-ranging interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Why? Because 45 has a history of making false statements and contradicting himself, and they are concerned he could be charged with lying to investigators. Meanwhile, the Dow fell 1,175 points on Monday, its largest single-day point decline ever, and its volatility continues this morning. There’s a reason presidents don’t take credit or blame for the markets. And those crickets you hear are from the president’s Twitter account, who has not said a thing. But he did tweet an insult to Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, just hours before lawmakers voted unanimously to release the Democratic version of a controversial memo rebutting GOP allegations that the FBI abused surveillance laws. Trump has five days to say if he will try to block its release. In some Veep news, Mike Pence’s brother just launched a congressional run in Indiana. And lastly, rise up this morning and smile with the rising sun and three little birds pitch by my doorstep. Bob Marley would have turned 73 today. Happy birthday! We’re kicking off the day with this...
- Trump implies CBC members committed treason. Their crime? Not clapping during the SOTU address.
- Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) press AG Jeff Sessions on prison terms.
- Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) intro bipartisan HOME legislation.
- Congresswomen Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) blast lack of movement on preventing future Russian electoral meddling.
- Meet the new reporter for the NYT Metro desk.
- Eric Holder to keynote this week’s Democratic retreat.
- Kresge Foundation has a new Program Officer.
- WH Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah called Trump “deplorable.”
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-CA) calls for housing oversight for Puerto Rico, as Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) urges FCC on telecom.
- The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to honor Colin Powell and CBC military vets.
- CHC Chair Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) wants a vote condemning a colleague for wanting “Dreamers” arrested.
- Activists disrupt Oscar nominees lunch to protest lack of Latinos in Hollywood.
- The judge Trump said couldn’t do his job because of his Mexican heritage is now set to hear border wall case.
- Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) pushes for equitable housing.
- Teen Vogue shakes up top ranks.
- What are former HUD Secretary Julián Castro’s plans for 2020? Hear what he has to say in The Beat DC’s latest podcast.