Welcome to Thursday, December 5th, big and tall and short and small...

Three legal experts testified that Trump committed impeachable acts. One dissented.

The three constitutional scholars that Democrats invited to testify at Wednesday's House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing agreed that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses in his dealings with Ukraine. The GOP witness argued that the impeachment probe's rushed nature was "dangerous."

Here's a quote from each:

UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Michael Gerhardt: "The president’s serious misconduct, including bribery, soliciting a personal favor from a foreign leader in exchange for his exercise of power, and obstructing justice and Congress are worse than the misconduct of any prior president."

Harvard law professor Noah Feldman: "President Trump has committed impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors by corruptly abusing the office of the presidency."

Stanford law school professor Pamela S. Karlan: "Everything I know about our Constitution and its values, and my review of the evidentiary record, tells me that when President Trump invited—indeed, demanded—foreign involvement in our upcoming election, he struck at the very heart of what makes this country the 'republic' to which we pledge allegiance. That demand constituted an abuse of power."

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley: "[O]ne can oppose President Trump’s policies or actions but still conclude that the current legal case for impeachment is not just woefully inadequate, but in some respects, dangerous, as the basis for the impeachment of an American president."

Do you believe Trump committed impeachable acts?

On the Radar

Tightening Access to Food Stamps

The Trump administration has announced a plan to cut food-stamp benefits for about 700,000 Americans as a way to encourage more people to work.

The new rule would make it harder for states to grant waivers from a requirement that beneficiaries work or participate in vocational training programs.

“Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream," said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. "We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand."

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) did not concur, tweeting:

"USDA’s cruel final rule will strip nearly 700,000 people of their SNAP benefits outright when it takes effect and could jeopardize the food security of nearly 2 million vulnerable citizens. This is unacceptable. #HandsOffSNAP"

Do you support tightening access to food stamps?

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Under the Radar

Ping Pong

For a bill to become a law, it must pass through both the House & Senate in the same form and be signed into law by the president. But that seemingly-simple process is sometimes far more complex when the two chambers of Congress can’t get on the same page.

When a bill passes one chamber of Congress and it’s amended & passed by the other chamber, it has to go back to the original chamber for another passage vote before it goes to the president’s desk. But sometimes further amendments mean that a bill keeps getting bounced back-and-forth between the two chambers as if they were playing a game of legislative ping-pong.

It happened this week with the UIGHUR Act and TRACED Act.

How do you feel about the House & Senate trying to find compromise through legislative ping pong?

Your Gov't At a Glance

The White House: President Trump in D.C.

At 1:00pm EST, the president will participate in a luncheon with the Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Security Council.
At 5:00pm EST, the president will deliver remarks at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
At 5:45pm EST, the president will deliver remarks at a Christmas reception.