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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.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE DEM FIGHT OVER IMPEACHMENT?
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
Late last week, the Democratic-led House of Representatives formally announced it had opened an impeachment investigation. You may have missed this, as the news was contained inside a legal filing in which Democrats asked a court to enforce its subpoenas related to investigating the president.
Here is a quick look at what is happening as well as the debate over what it means.
The Democrats’ argument
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., is arguing that his committee has already launched an impeachment investigation. His claim is based on two things: 1) individual members (including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas) have already filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and those articles have been referred to the Judiciary Committee and 2) the committee has begun questioning former Trump campaign officials and others about potential crimes which could be impeachable offenses.
The bottom line: For now, Democrats are not planning to take a full House vote to launch an official impeachment inquiry. Any vote on impeachment would happen only if the House Judiciary Committee forwards articles of impeachment.
The Republicans’ argument
The Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are arguing that only the full House of Representatives can launch an impeachment inquiry. In their eyes, no formal inquiry is underway. They’ve pointed to the two cases in modern times -- the impeachment hearings for Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton -- as examples. The bottom line: Republicans see the Democrats’ position as a group as an end run around precedent.
What will happen next?
Legally, the courts will rule on the Democrats’ requests for more testimony and documents. As part of that, a judge may weigh in on whether they have in fact launched an impeachment investigation.
Legislatively, Democrats plan to hold more hearings and continue their investigations into the president’s actions.
Politically, the Democrats’ latest move has provided some breathing room for their members and leaders by averting an up-or-down floor vote on whether to begin formal impeachment proceedings. At the same time, it may risk causing further confusion about just what steps they’ve taken and where they’re at in the potential impeachment process.
YOUR GUIDE TO THIS WEEK’S DEMOCRATIC DEBATES
By Jessica Yarvin, @jyarvin
Reporter/Producer
The leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidates will take the debate stage Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit looking to further define their candidacies, take on rivals, and score a viral moment. Meanwhile, several other candidates are facing dimming prospects for their 2020 ambitions -- and increased pressure to have breakout moments at the debates this week.
Will Sanders and Warren take each other on?
On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who lead the more progressive wing of the primary field, will share a debate stage for the first time this election cycle. (They were on different stages in the debates in June).
Warren has overtaken over Sanders in some recent national polls, as well as early state polls in key states like Iowa and New Hampshire. So far on the campaign trail, Sanders and Warren have both said they share a long friendship and so far have refused to go after each other.
A Biden-Harris rematch
On night two, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris of California will once again share a stage, setting up a rematch of the most memorable moment of the last debate, when the two clashed over Biden’s stance in the 1970s on school busing.
After the debate, Harris immediately saw a bump in the polls and in fundraising, raising about $2 million in the following 24 hours. Biden, for his part, took a hit in the polls. But he managed to keep his lead atop the primary field.
Hoping for their breakout moment
For the nearly dozen Democrats stalled at 1 percent in polling, a breakout moment on the debate stage could make the difference between making it to the Iowa Caucuses or sputtering out on the trail. Qualifying for the September debates will also be an important backdrop to the debates this week.
The September debates require candidates to record 130,000 individual donors, compared to the 65,000 needed to make it into the June and July debates. They also need to earn at least 2 percent support in four polls. So far, seven candidates have met that goal: Biden, Sanders, Warren, Harris, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke.
Read our full debate preview here.
JULY POLICY ROLL-OUTS FROM THE 2020 FIELD
By Alexandra D’Elia, @Alex_DElia11
Politics production assistant
Last month, the first Democratic primary debates gave leading 2020 candidates a chance to spar over contentious issues like health care, immigration and race. The White House contenders have spent the month since then differentiating themselves ahead of the second round of primary debates, which take place Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit.
Here’s a look at some of the latest proposals from the 2020 campaign trail in the month of July.
Joe Biden on criminal justice reform
Last week, former Vice President Joe Biden rolled out a criminal justice plan that would create a $20 billion competitive grant program to accelerate state and local level reforms. The plan is aimed at reducing crime and preventing incarceration, investing in universal pre-K and expanding funding for mental health and substance use disorder services.
Biden’s plan would use the Justice Department to address systematic misconduct in police departments and prosecutor offices, and establish an independent task force on prosecutorial discretion. His plan would also decriminalize cannabis and expunge prior cannabis use convictions, and refer drug users to treatment programs rather than incarcerate them. Biden also calls for eliminating the death penalty and cash bail system, and investing $1 billion per year in juvenile justice reform.
Kirsten Gillibrand on climate change
Sen. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., put out a climate action plan last week that her campaign is framing as a “moonshot” on the issue. Funded by $10 trillion dollars from private and public sources, it includes the Green New Deal and expands on it by setting a price for all carbon emissions and aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Kamala Harris on health care
The California Democrat recently rolled out her health care plan after drawing some criticism for raising her hand in the first debate when asked if she supported eliminating private health insurance. Harris has proposed a Medicare-for-All-style plan that would cover a variety of health services and allow the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Harris’ plan would not eliminate private insurance, however -- a break from Sanders and others 2020 candidates who support Medicare-for-All plans that would replace private insurance with a government-run system.
Amy Klobuchar on housing
The senator from Minnesota’s housing plan aims to address shortages of affordable rentals in both rural and urban communities. To fight housing discrimination, Klobuchar’s plan would create a new federal grant program to provide access to counsel, prohibit landlord discrimination, protect fair housing rules and ensure equal access to credit. To address the rural housing crisis, her plan would expand rural housing programs, including in Native American communities, and encourage lenders to serve rural mortgage markets.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Alexandra D'Elia
California reaches fuel-efficiency deal with four automakers, bypassing Trump -- July 25. The state signed a deal last week with Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen to implement fuel-emission standards across their fleets. Why it matters: California reached the deal with automakers while the state remains in litigation with the Trump administration over moves to roll back Obama era fuel-efficiency rules and disallow the state to set its own stricter standards. -- San Francisco Chronicle
Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard sues Google over suspended advertising account -- July 25. The Hawaii congresswoman’s presidential campaign has sued Google for suspending the campaign’s advertising account for six hours in late June. Why it matters: The lawsuit comes on the same week that the Justice Department announced it will probe big tech in a broad antitrust review. -- CNBC
Ad tool Facebook built to fight disinformation doesn’t work as advertised -- July 25. Facebook, as well as its big tech competitors, have created libraries to archive political advertisements in order to increase transparency. Why it matters: Technology companies are facing scrutiny by governments across the globe for their handling of misinformation in past elections and plans to combat the problem in future elections. -- The New York Times
Supreme Court rules Trump can use military funds for border wall construction -- July 26. The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can use $2.5 billion in military funds to begin constructing a physical wall along the southern border with Mexico while litigation continues in the courts. Why it matters: The decision is a victory for President Donald Trump, though groups like the ACLU have vowed to continue challenging the president’s effort to build the wall. -- The Hill
Senator intervenes at border to help Mexican family apply for asylum -- July 27. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., accompanied a Mexican family making an asylum claim at a port of entry after the family, which included a pregnant woman, was turned away. Why it matters: The story highlights growing efforts by lawmakers to visit border facilities and draw attention to the issues there. -- The Washington Post
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Lisa Desjardins
On this day in 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a Congressional resolution proclaiming the official motto of the United States. What is that motto?
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: Which president was known for leading the Union Army to victory in the Civil War? (Yes, this was a summertime gimme.)
The answer, of course, is Ulysses S. Grant, who took over as commander of the Union Army in 1864.
Grant was not the only president who served as a Civil War general. Rutherford Hayes, who was wounded five times in the war, was promoted to major general during the conflict. And, of course, Chester Arthur served as a brigadier general in the New York militia, as a quartermaster.
Congratulations to our winners: Marnie Hammer and Ann Lawrence, who answered within seconds of one another!!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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