Tipsheet: Lawmakers seek end to taxpayer-backed sexual harassment settlements

View in your browser     Lawmakers seek end to taxpayer-backed sexual harassment settlements By Cristina Marcos      Momentum is building fast in Congress to ban the use of taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment cases — particularly after news that a total of well over $100,000 has been paid in recent cases against lawmakers. Prohibiting such settlements is proving to be a popular idea among fiscal conservatives and liberal Democrats alike as Congress grapples with how to reform its complicated workplace policies. Read the full story here     Listen to the HillCast AM View: GOP aims to put final touches on tax overhaul and today's latest news By Alexis Simendinger Republicans in Washington this week want to put the final touches on a massive GOP tax measure, while both parties seek a path to keep the government funded after Friday. During Monday's AM View hosted by Alexis Simendinger, The Hill's Reid Wilson also speaks with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     The GOP has divided America By Juan Williams OPINION | In advance of Michael Flynn’s guilty plea last week, President Trump started acting out. He retweeted a fake and vulgar message about Muslims. He sabotaged a meeting with Democrats on a budget deal and then spread word that shutting down the government might help him politically. Read the full story here     Elizabeth Warren and the CFPB By Judd Gregg OPINION | When the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill was first marked up, back in 2010, the conference of the House and Senate Banking Committees started at 2 p.m. one day and ended at 5:30 a.m. the next. Read the full story here     This week: Congress seeks to avoid a shutdown By Cristina Marcos and Jordain Carney Four days remain until government funding expires and it still isn’t entirely clear how Congress will avoid a shutdown. Read the full story here     Comey back in the spotlight after Flynn makes a deal By Mallory Shelbourne Former FBI Director James Comey is back in the spotlight of the Russia investigation now that former national security adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the bureau. Read the full story here     Trump lawyer: Flynn tweet ‘my mistake’ By Brett Samuels President Trump’s personal lawyer said on Sunday that it was “my mistake” that the president sent out a tweet about firing former national security adviser Michael Flynn, prompting speculation that it showed evidence of obstruction of justice. Read the full story here     DOJ failed to interview FBI informant before it filed charges in Russian nuclear bribery case By John Solomon While he was Maryland’s chief federal prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s office failed to interview the undercover informant in the FBI’s Russian nuclear bribery case before it filed criminal charges in the case in 2014, officials told The Hill. Read the full story here     FCC's net neutrality repeal sparks backlash By Harper Neidig The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) plan to scrap net neutrality rules governing how internet providers handle web traffic has unleashed a wave of intense opposition. Read the full story here     Dems plan ambitious campaign for red-state governorships By Reid Wilson The man who will lead Democratic efforts to win back governorships in key states next year says his party is poised to capitalize on a political environment so favorable it will make the Republican wave of 1994 look small. Read the full story here     TwitterGate: What did Trump tweet and when did he tweet it? By Jonathan Turley OPINION | It is truly a scandal for our times, the weekend many in Washington were asked, ”What did President Trump tweet and when did he tweet it?” The Watergate-esque question has arisen after yet another Trump tweet gone horribly awry, smashing into an only recently reconstructed defense by his legal team. Read the full story here     There is no military option to take out North Korean nuclear program By Todd Rosenblum OPINION | North Korea’s most recent provocation, this time test firing a ballistic missile likely able to reach all of the continental United States, is an incremental change in a bad status quo. It is making fast advances in its 30-year quest to hold the American homeland hostage, but already crossed thresholds that make it deeply threatening to our security. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Trump lashes out on Twitter, saying FBI is in ‘tatters’ By Michael D. Shear    In an extraordinary attack on the top law enforcement body in his own government, President Trump accused the F.B.I. and its career investigators of having a bias against him. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump to scale back 2 national monuments in trip to Utah By Catherine Lucey and Ken Thomas   President Donald Trump is announcing plans to scale back two sprawling national monuments in Utah, responding to what he has condemned as a “massive federal land grab” by the government. Read the full story here     CNN: McConnell: 'Let the people of Alabama make the call' on Moore By Jasmine Lee   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed his tone Sunday on whether he thought Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore should be in the Senate, saying he would "let the people of Alabama make the call" in the state's special election December 12. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Passage of Senate tax bill puts R&D tax credit in doubt By Richard Rubin Unintended consequence of late decision to keep the corporate alternative minimum tax could be loss of some tax breaks; companies push back. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Kushner says Trump sees Mideast peace as essential to thwarting extremism By Karen DeYoung and Loveday Morris   Amid reports that Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the president’s son-in-law and adviser made a rare public appearance but provided no details of where the administration’s push for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is heading. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet           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.