Trump-era special counsel John Durham is due to testify on Capitol Hill this week, just over a month after issuing a scathing report into the investigation into former President Trump’s alleged Russian ties. .
Durham – who was appointed to investigate how the FBI launched an investigation into Trump’s campaign in 2016 and possible contact with Russia – is expected to appear before the House Intelligence Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. The Intelligence Committee hearing will be held behind closed doors.
The report, which was the culmination of a roughly four-year investigation, found that authorities did not have enough evidence to open the case.
Also this week, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) is considering another vote on her resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) after Democrats and 20 Republicans successfully blocked the measure last week. The congresswoman, however, made changes to the resolution to allay the concerns of her GOP colleagues who have already overturned some “no” votes.
And in the House, lawmakers will pass a resolution condemning migrant housing in schools and may try to override President Biden’s veto of a resolution to reverse his student loan relief plan. On the Senate side, the chamber could vote on the Chilean tax treaty.
John Durham will testify at the Capitol
John Durham is scheduled to be on Capitol Hill this week to testify before two House panels after releasing his highly anticipated report on the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation, which examined potential contact between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
He is scheduled to testify behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, and then again in an open hearing with the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Durham’s report – the product of an investigation spanning nearly four years – published a scathing assessment of the FBI’s process and how it began, and then continued, the investigation.
Republicans were quick to point to the report as evidence that federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies are armed against political enemies, especially Trump. The alleged militarization of law enforcement has been a common theme across the majority of the House GOP, especially after Trump’s indictment at the state and federal levels.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that lawmakers will ask Durham for recommendations on changes the panel could pursue.
Turner noted that while the Durham Report did not recommend “drastic changes to the guidelines and policies that the Department and the FBI now have in place to ensure proper conduct and accountability in the manner in which counter-terrorism activities espionage are being conducted,” the former special advocate agreed to share his thoughts on what adjustments he thinks should be made.
“He has however – and I have spoken to him directly – agreed that he will give us his opinion on what changes he thinks should be made, and that is the job that our … committee does,” Turner said during the interview. ‘an interview. on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“We’re bringing him into our committee to say, OK, now that we’ve seen that there was abuse, that it was wrong, and that there are issues with it. [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] himself, what do you think are the recommendations we should follow? Here are some of the things we look at. What do you think of these? he added.
Florida Republican eyes Schiff no-confidence resolution in second round
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) is considering another vote this week on her resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) after making revisions to the measure that eased concerns from some Republicans who joined to Democrats for blocking the resolution last week.
The resolution calls for a censure and condemnation of Schiff “for conduct that misleads the American people in a way that is inappropriate for an elected member of the House of Representatives.” Luna introduced the measure in May but presented it as a preferred resolution last week, forcing the House to take action on it.
Twenty Republicans, however, joined Democrats in passing a motion to table the measure, which was enough for the motion to pass and the no-confidence resolution to be blocked.
Luna, however, aims to have the House vote on the resolution again this week after making changes to the resolution that have fueled some GOP opposition.
Ahead of last week’s vote, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — one of the GOP’s “no” votes — raised concerns about a nonbinding “considering” clause in the bill that stated that if the ethics committee finds that Schiff “lied, misrepresented, and misused sensitive information,” then he should be fined $16 million. He argued that this violated the 8th and 27th Amendments.
Luna’s spokesperson, however, told Axios that his office had “removed the fine to address the concerns of those who voted no”, adding that they had “gotten great feedback so far and looking forward to next week.”
The change appears to have alleviated some GOP concerns.
“Thank you for settling your bill for next week,” Massie wrote on Twitter early Thursday.
“I respect the Constitution and the oath we take to it. These revisions address my concerns and I will vote to hold Rep. Schiff accountable,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (RN.Y.), another earlier “no” vote, said in a tweet Thursday evening.
House votes: Resolution condemning migrant housing in schools, potential vote on overriding student loan veto
The House is due to vote this week on a resolution “condemning the use of elementary and secondary school facilities” to provide shelter to migrants.
The measure points to a situation in New York last month when the city began converting some public school gymnasiums into migrant-friendly facilities, prompting backlash from parents. Soon after, the migrants were kicked out of a number of gymnasiums, particularly those in Brooklyn. The city, however, said gymnasiums could again be used as housing if needed for a temporary overflow, according to The New York Times.
The city’s move came after the expiration of Title 42, a Trump-era border policy that allowed border officials to refuse asylum seekers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution to be considered in the House this week argues that the use of schools as shelters for migrants “undermines the duty of schools to educate enrolled children and protect them” and “poses a significant risk for the safety of schoolchildren and compromises the ability of schools to secure their own campuses.
Additionally, in a nonbinding “whereas” clause, the resolution states that schools that are used to house migrants “should not be eligible to receive federal financial assistance.”
The House could also vote this week to override President Biden’s veto of a resolution that seeks to reverse his student debt relief plan to provide up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness to borrowers.
The House approved the resolution in May, followed by the Senate in June, but Biden issued a veto soon after. At least two-thirds of the House would need to back the veto override for it to pass, which is unlikely – only 218 lawmakers backed the resolution last month, with 203 in opposition.
Only two House Democrats — Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) — joined Republicans in voting to cancel Biden’s student debt cancellation plan.
The Senate could vote on the tax treaty with Chile
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) filed for closure of a tax treaty between the United States and Chile last week, triggering a vote on the treaty this week.
According to Sen. Bob Menendez (DN.J.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the treaty, called the Chilean tax treaty, would reduce double taxation and withholding rates.
The Senate panel approved the treaty in a 20-1 vote earlier this month and will need at least two-thirds of the house’s support when it comes to a vote; The Senate does not ratify treaties, but rather gives its advice and consent through ratification resolutions. Ratification ultimately rests with the President.
The advice and consent resolution being considered in the Senate supports the treaty.
“I believe this treaty is vital to strengthening U.S. competitiveness and increasing U.S. foreign direct investment in Chile, a strong democratic partner,” Menendez said in a statement after the Foreign Relations Committee approved the Treaty.
The Senate is unlikely to vote this week on nominating Julie Su for Secretary of Labor, as Democratic leaders and the White House work to build support for her confirmation. They were unable to win support from the Sens moderates. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona), leaving Su’s nomination in limbo.
Updated at 7:16 a.m. EDT.
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