Tipsheet: Dem lead in generic ballot polls worries GOP

View in your browser     Dem lead in generic ballot polls worries GOP By Jonathan Easley   Republicans head into the holiday season with a daunting number hanging over their heads — 10.7 percent.  Democrats lead their Republican rivals by 10.7 percent on the generic congressional ballot, according to the most recent RealClearPolitics average of available polling data. That mark is the highest the RCP’s average has gone since just before the 2010 elections, where Republicans netted 63 House seats.  Read the full story here     GOP tax bill draws fire from AARP, universities By Naomi Jagoda   The tax bills that Republican leaders have put forward in the House and Senate have broad support from their members, from conservative activists and from business groups. Read the full story here     White House says Trump authority is supreme in agency fight By Sylvan Lane Senior White House officials insisted Saturday that President Trump is legally allowed to appoint an acting director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is an independent agency. Read the full story here     Justice Dept says Trump has authority to appoint CFPB acting director By Max Greenwood The Justice Department released a memo on Saturday arguing that it is well within President Trump's authority to appoint White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney as the interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Read the full story here       Trump defends decision to appoint consumer bureau chief By Josh Delk President Trump on Saturday defended his decision to appoint an acting director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) despite the outgoing head naming a temporary successor, calling the agency a "total disaster" under officials from the Obama administration. Read the full story here     Trump: Fox 'much more important' than CNN By Julia Manchester President Trump praised Fox News and ripped CNN on Saturday, saying on Twitter that the conservative-leaning news network is more important than the cable network.  Read the full story here     Kushner dismisses possible White House departure: ‘We’re here to stay’ By Julia Manchester President Trump's son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said in an interview published Saturday that he and first daughter Ivanka Trump will stay in Washington, D.C. Read the full story here     Celebrities parody Trump's claim he was offered Time's 'Person of the Year' By Alicia Cohn Celebrities ranging from movie stars to professional athletes mocked President Trump for claiming Friday that he turned down being named Time's "Person of the Year." Read the full story here     Trump frustrated with Ivanka's condemnation of Roy Moore By Max Greenwood President Trump privately expressed frustration about his daughter Ivanka's jab at GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore when she said there is "a special place in hell for people who prey on children," according to a new report. Read the full story here     Bush 41 becomes longest-living president in US history By John Bowden Former President George H.W. Bush is now the longest-living president in U.S. history at the age of 93 years and 166 days. Read the full story here     Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins aptly handled an ugly situation By Rachel Bovard OPINION | Since allegations about his double life surfaced late last week, Ohio representative and former rising GOP star, Wes Goodman, has been silent. Those in the media, however, have not.  Read the full story here     A vote to pass year-end budget is a vote to deport Dreamers By David Leopold  OPINION | When Attorney General Jeff Sessions ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, President Trump promised Dreamers they’d have “nothing to worry about” for six months. It was reported that he had “delayed the pain” to be felt by Dreamers until March 2018, to give Congress time to resolve the situation. Contrary to Trump’s pledge, the pain is already being felt by Dreamers today. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: 1 job, 2 people: Who’ll be in charge at consumer agency? By Bernard Condon Who’s the boss? That’s the awkward question after the departing head of a government agency charged with looking after consumer rights appointed a deputy to temporarily fill his spot. The White House then named its own interim leader. Read the full story here     Reuters: Succession battle at US financial agency seen headed to courts By Roberta Rampton and Idrees Ali   A battle between the White House and Democrats over warring appointments to head up the top U.S. regulator for consumer finance is likely headed for the courts, opening any interim actions by the agency to legal challenges, lawyers said on Saturday. Read the full story here     CNN: Barney Frank rips Mulvaney's appointment to CFPB By Abby Phillip   Former Rep. Barney Frank pushed back Saturday on the White House's assertion that President Donald Trump has the authority to appoint an interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying the independence of watchdog agency was a key consideration when Congress passed the law to create it in 2010. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Despite a skeptical public, GOP pushes ahead on tax plan By Paul Kane Polls show that more Americans oppose than support the proposal to cut corporate tax rates and some individual tax bills. Nevertheless, Republicans believe they can make the legislation popular enough next year to save their congressional majorities in the midterm elections. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Kushner’s role seemed to have no limits. Then Kelly arrived. By Sharon LaFraniere, Maggie Haberman and Peter Baker Once a master of a seemingly limitless portfolio, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, is now focusing on his own projects. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.