It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. 

It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your Inbox.

HOW TO WATCH A HISTORIC HEARING
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent

In 230 years of American government, it has only happened three other times and never in the era of social media. Get the snacks ready: tomorrow House Democrats will open public hearings on the possible impeachment of a president.

But you know all that. What you may not know is how you (or if you) should approach watching this piece of history as it unfolds.

Here’s a NewsHour guide:

Basics

When: Wednesday’s hearing begins at 10 a.m. ET. - Friday starts at 9 a.m.
Expected length: Between four and six hours.

Format:
* Opening statements from the chairman, ranking Republican and the witnesses (if they chose to give one).
* Then each party will get 45 minutes of uninterrupted time for one long question period. Only the top member for each party or a staff attorney may ask questions during that time.
* After those 90 minutes, each committee member gets 5 minutes for questions.
* Committee Chairman Adam Schiff can add additional question periods - including another 90-minute round.
* Republicans may use some parliamentary tactics to object to Democrats’ procedure or to the hearing itself. Generally objections are heard and decided upon by the committee chairman, though some may require a full committee vote.

On television

Where: You will have many options. Our live coverage will be carried on PBS stations and you can stream it from our website ([link removed]) or YouTube channel ([link removed]) . Judy Woodruff will anchor.

Timing: We do expect a few breaks during testimony, allowing for those snacks and outdoor breaths-of-air. We do not have guidance on when those may occur.

Guided viewing: Consider keeping the transcripts of previous, closed-door witness testimony handy. Here they are for the people in public hearings this week: Bill Taylor ([link removed]) , George Kent ([link removed]) for Wednesday and Marie Yovanovich ([link removed]) for Friday. Every transcript ([link removed]) released so far is on this website.

In person

Should you be in Washington and want to see the hearings, they are open to the public and there are seats available. The price of admission? Time. Expect a long line.

Where to go: The Longworth Office building, room 1100. The Ways & Means Committee room. It is the largest on the House side.

Dress: Layers. It will be cold, in the 20s, in the early hours of Wednesday, when the line may form outside before the building opens. Inside, this particular hearing room is notoriously mercurial. In addition, consider shoes that work well around uncomfortable things like cement, marble and talking points.

Who to watch

Committee: 22 people sit on the committee, 13 Democrats ([link removed]) and 9 Republicans ([link removed]) . This page by govtrack.us is a good photographic reference ([link removed]) .

Key members: This is a strong committee on both sides of the aisle. On the Democratic side, Chairman Adam Schiff has long been a leading voice. Other stand-outs include Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Rep. Val Demmings, D-Fl., a former city police chief.

For the GOP, while Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is the ranking member, the more prominent role during impeachment has gone to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Jordan was temporarily put on the committee just for the impeachment hearings.

Attorneys: Each party may allow staff attorneys to ask questions in their initial 45 minutes of questions. For Democrats, that is likely Daniel Goldman, the committee’s director of investigations who previously prosecuted organized crime cases. Republicans have relied upon Steve Castor, the House Oversight Committee’s chief investigative counsel.

If you don’t want to watch

If you don’t hunger for hours of Congressional testimony, you can watch highlights and analysis on our nightly shows. And may we recommend some other thought-provoking material we’ve seen recently?
* Broken Justice podcast ([link removed]) - We do not like to self-promote, but this podcast about the desperate, overworked public defender system is an outstanding series from our colleagues. Worth the listen.
* Why are kids so obsessed with poop jokes? ([link removed]) - Not to diminish the high stakes and serious news this week, we also want to provide something a little more off-the-beaten path. This story from our friend Jenny Marder was fantastic.

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Alex D’Elia, @AlexDEliaNews ([link removed])
Politics production assistant

Big nurses’ union backs Bernie Sanders and his push for ‘Medicare for All’ ([link removed]) -- Nov. 12. Senator Sanders will receive the endorsement of the union and its super PAC, as he did in 2016. Why it matters: This time, the union has another ‘Medicare for All’ candidate to support: Elizabeth Warren, but they instead stuck with Sanders. They have vowed not to attack his Democratic rivals. -- The New York Times

Redistricting activists brace for wall of inaction as battle moves to states ([link removed]) -- Nov. 12. In North Carolina, lawmakers are forced to redraw their congressional map after an October state court ruling. Why it matters: After the Supreme Court ruled partisan gerrymanders were a state issue, activists expect a patchwork of rulings from various state courts. -- The Washington Post

Pence plants a 'moon tree' but will it grow? ([link removed]) -- Nov. 8. The vice president planted descendents of seeds that were once flown around the moon in his Washington backyard. Why it matters: Trump’s bid to return Americans to the moon needs tens of billions of dollars to succeed, but has little hope of being funded by the Democratic Congress.-- POLITICO

Former SC Gov. Mark Sanford drops out of 2020 presidential race after two months ([link removed]) -- Nov. 12. The two-time congressman said that the attention on impeachment denied him the ability to build momentum in the Republican primary. Why it matters: Sanford’s bid was always a longshot, but the fact that he couldn’t get any traction highlights Trump’s dominance in the Republican party. -- The State

Florida Democrats delay vote on bill requiring parental consent for abortions ([link removed]) -- Nov. 12. Today’s move slows down the clock, but does not stop lawmakers from taking up the bill next year’s legislative session. Why it matters: The delay could push one of lawmakers most hot-button votes into an election year. -- Miami Herald

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke ([link removed])
Politics producer

Here at Here’s the Deal, we’ve got impeachment on the mind. The process isn’t just for presidents -- Samuel Chase holds the distinction of being the only Supreme Court justice to ever face impeachment, though he survived the attempt to remove him. The third article against him accused him of promoting a political agenda, by “tending to prostitute the high judicial character with which he was invested, to the low purpose of an electioneering partizan.”

Our two-part question: What was Samuel Chase’s party and what party controlled the Senate at the time?

Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: On this day in 1872, Susan B. Anthony illegally cast a ballot for Ulysses S. Grant. It took almost 50 years for women to finally get the right to vote.

Our question: Who won the presidency in the first election where women had the right to vote? Warren G. Harding

Congratulations to our winners: Robin Rabinowitz!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your Inbox next week.


[link removed]

============================================================
Copyright © 2018 NEWSHOUR LLC, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
3620 South 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22206

** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])