Welcome to AR/Intel’s Look Ahead email, your beginning-of-the-week round up for all the political news that should be on your radar.
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NEED TO KNOW FOR THE WEEK
Friday Funding Deadline: The House and the Senate are entering their final legislative week of the year and several priorities remain on the docket. Chief among them is funding the federal government, as the deadline to keep the government open is midnight on Friday. House appropriators are expected to release the text of the final fiscal 2020 funding bills midday today and the House will consider the legislature on Tuesday. The Senate is expected to clear the measures for President Donald Trump’s signature by Friday.
Impeachment Vote Looms: Last Friday, the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against President Trump, setting up a full House vote this week. The House Rules Committee will meet on Tuesday to set the parameters for the debate and Democratic leaders have scheduled a floor vote for Wednesday. However, depending on how much time members are permitted to speak on the floor, debate could take most of the day and the final vote would be shifted to Thursday.
2020 Debate (Maybe): The sixth 2020 Democratic primary debate is expected to be held on Thursday night (Dec. 19) at 9 p.m. ET and will air on PBS. However, the status of the debate is up in the air – on Friday, Elizabeth Warren threatened to boycott the event because food service workers at Loyola Marymount University, the debate host, are in a contract dispute with a university subcontractor. Warren, who said she was unwilling to cross the picket line, was quickly joined by Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang, and within about an hour all seven candidates had made the same pledge. Although DNC officials are working to find “an acceptable solution,” the debate remains in flux.
Ohio and North Carolina Candidate Filing Deadlines are this week; Ohio’s deadline is Wednesday (Dec. 18) at 4pm, and the filing period closes in North Carolina at noon on Friday (Dec. 20).
AR/Intel Insiders: A full state-by-state breakdown of filing deadlines as well as primary dates can be found here.
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
PRESIDENTIAL
Nine Democratic presidential candidates sent the Democratic National Committee a letter asking it to relax its debate standards next year and allow some lower-polling candidates onto the stage. The letter, which was signed by all seven Democrats who qualified for this week’s debate, was organized by Sen. Cory Booker. (The Washington Post, 12/14/19)
SENATE
TEXAS: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced it is endorsing MJ Hegar in the crowded Democratic primary to challenge Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The move by the DSCC, the political arm of Senate Democrats, is one of the biggest developments yet in the nominating contest, which has drawn a dozen candidates. The DSCC has been criticized by progressive voters in other states for “tipping the scales” and endorsing a candidates in crowded primaries. (The Texas Tribune, 12/16/19)
HOUSE
NJ-02: Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a freshman Democrat, is expected to announce he is switching parties to become a Republican today. Van Drew has become one of the most critical voices in the Democratic caucus on the topic of impeachment, arguing that the process has been too divisive. His move comes ahead of Wednesday’s expected impeachment vote. (Politico, 12/15/19)
THE PRESIDENT’S AGENDA
On Tuesday, December 17, the president will host the president and first lady of Guatemala at the White House.
On Wednesday, December 18, the president will hold a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan.
2020 PRIMARY EVENTS
Monday (12/16)
Elizabeth Warren will attend the a town hall in Keokuk, IA.
Bernie Sanders will attend a campaign rally in Rancho Mirage, CA.
Tuesday (12/17)
Pete Buttigieg will attend the DNC’s ‘IWillVote’ Fundraising Gala in Hollywood, CA.
Wednesday (12/18)
No Known Events
Thursday (12/19)
Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and others will attend the sixth 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate in Los Angeles, CA.
Friday (12/20)
Bernie Sanders will attend a Green New Deal town hall in Moreno Valley, CA.
Saturday (12/21)
Elizabeth Warren will attend a town hall in North Liberty, IA.
Bernie Sanders will attend a rally with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-14) in Venice, CA.
EXPECTED VOTES
U.S. Senate
Monday (12/16)
The Senate will convene at 3:00 p.m. and resume consideration of the conference report to accompany S.1790, the Defense Authorization bill. At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will conduct a cloture vote on the conference report.
Additional Items The Senate May Consider During This Work Period
- Appropriations
- Nominations
U.S. House of Representatives
Monday (12/16)
On Monday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for Morning Hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Members are advised no votes are expected in the House on Monday.
Tuesday (12/17) And The Balance Of The Week
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. First votes of the week on Tuesday are expected at 10:00 a.m.
- Legislation Providing Further Appropriations for FY20
- Res. 755 – Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors (Rep. Nadler – Judiciary) (Subject to a Rule)
- H.R. 5430– United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (Rep. Hoyer – Ways and Means)
- Possible Consideration of R. 5377– Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act (Rep. Suozzi – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
U.S. Senate
Tuesday (12/17)
Jaime Harrison (D-SC) will attend a meet and greet in Dillon, SC.
Betsy Sweat (D-ME) will attend a town hall in Skowhegan, ME.
Wednesday (12/18)
Theresa Greenfield (D-IA) will attend a meet and greet in Clarion, IA.
John Hickenlooper (D-CO) will attend a fundraiser in Denver, CO.
Thursday (12/19)
Sara Gideon (D-ME) will attend a legislative council meeting in Augusta, ME.
Friday (12/20)
Sarah Riggs Amico (D-GA) will host and end of the quarter holiday party in Atlanta, GA.
Daniel McCarthy (R-AZ) will attend a meet and greet in Surprise, AZ.
Saturday (12/21)
Daniel McCarthy (R-AZ) will attend a volunteer meeting in Glendale, AZ.
U.S. House of Representatives
Monday (12/16)
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) will attend a community conversation in Rochester, MI.
Tuesday (12/17)
JD Scholten (IA-04) will host a town hall in Kanawha, IA.
Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02) will attend a fundraiser in Culver City, CA.
Wednesday (12/18)
Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02) will appear on a tele-town hall.
Thursday (12/19)
Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) will attend Progress Iowa’s 7th Annual Holiday Party & Debate Watch in Des Moines, IA.
Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) will attend the VA Eastern Colorado Healthy System town hall in Aurora, CO.
Saturday (12/21)
Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) will attend a holiday party in West Des Moines, IA.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) will attend a town hall in San Diego, CA.
Sunday (12/22)
Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) will attend a fundraiser reception in Dekalb, IL.