Welcome to Friday, October 25th, doves and hawks...

Should the Senate condemn the House's impeachment inquiry?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have introduced a resolution “condemning the House of Representatives’ closed door, illegitimate impeachment inquiry.”

GOP lawmakers have turned their criticism, of late, to the mostly closed-door impeachment process taking place in the House. President Donald Trump took to twitter Thursday to praise House Republicans for storming a secure room where depositions were being held.

The resolution currently has 45 Republican cosponsors.

“Unlike the House’s actions during investigations of both President Nixon and President Clinton, this House majority is denying President Trump important rights and due process protections," McConnell said in a statement.

"These include President Trump’s right to be represented by counsel; his right for that counsel to be present at all hearings and depositions; his right for that counsel to call and cross-examine witnesses; and even his right to access and respond to the evidence which the House compiles."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saw it a bit differently: “They don’t want to open the process up. They want to shut it down."

Do you support the Graham-McConnell resolution condemning the impeachment probe?

On the Radar

Shaq's Backing

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters got a pair of wins this week in their struggle to preserve their autonomy from communist China ― one in the legislature and one in the court of public opinion ― although the protests, now in their fifth month, will likely continue. 

The extradition bill which initially sparked the protests was formally withdrawn by the Hong Kong legislature on Wednesday, satisfying one of the protesters’ five central demands. However, the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam hasn’t committed to launching an inquiry into allegations of excessive force by police or to step down from her post, two of the protesters’ other primary demands (in addition to universal suffrage and the release of people arrested in the course of the protests).

On Tuesday, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal backed embattled Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey for his pro-Hong Kong tweet on a pregame show for the opening of the NBA season, saying: 

“One of our best values here in America is free speech. We’re allowed to speak up about injustices, and that’s just how it goes."

Do you support the pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters?

What You've Accomplished This Week

Are you Rep. Matt Gaetz? Because you stormed the Capitol this week.

How are you feeling about your work week on The Hill?

Under the Radar

Barr's Mass Shooting Prevention Plan

Attorney General Bill Barr has outlined a plan to implement terrorism prevention strategies to stop mass shootings, including court-ordered mental health treatment, supervision, and counseling.

The memo directs the FBI to find better ways to identify and thwart mass shootings like those carried out in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

“We need to apply the same type of forward leaning and thoughtful strategies more broadly to help triage threats and prevent violence,” Barr wrote.

Michael German, a former FBI agent now with the Brennan Center for Justice, warned that Barr’s proposal could stigmatize mental illness.

"While studying gun violence and exploring all options to reduce it are important Justice Department functions, promoting simplistic but false profiles for law enforcement won't solve any problems and will only lead to abuse," German said.

Do you support Barr's mass shooting prevention plan?

Endorsement Income for College Athletes

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Thursday that he endorses bills in the Florida legislature that would allow colleges athletes to make a profit on their name, image and likeness.

In a press conference, DeSantis said that Florida can join "powerhouse" states like California — which recently enacted similar legislation — and force the NCAA "to reevaluate" its stance in opposition to the proposals.

"I'm confident those issues can be addressed in a way that will maintain college athletics as really special thing but also provide the ability for our student athletes to be to benefit just like anybody else would be able to benefit," DeSantis said.

Should college athletes be able to earn endorsement income?

World Series Returns to Washington, D.C.

A World Series game will be played in our nation’s capital for the first time since 1933 on Friday night, as the Washington Nationals will look to extend their two-game lead on the Houston Astros in Game 3. So we looked at back at what was happening in U.S. politics the last time the World Series came to Washington, D.C.:

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) is sworn in on March 4th (the last inauguration on that date because of the 20th Amendment's ratification). In his inauguration speech, he declares that, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”
• The U.S. and the Soviet Union established formal diplomatic relations.
• The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, repealing Prohibition.

Are you excited for the World Series to return to Washington, D.C.?

What You're Saying

Here's how you're answering Should Lynching be a Federal Hate Crime?