Tipsheet: Congress returns with just days to avoid shutdown

View in your browser     Congress returns with just days to avoid shutdown By Melanie Zanona   Republican lawmakers fresh off their annual GOP legislative retreat will be confronting an all-too-familiar problem when they return to Washington on Monday: avoiding a government shutdown. GOP leaders are eyeing a six-week funding bill that would keep the government’s lights on until March 23. The measure could include sweeteners like funding for community health centers. Read the full story here     Listen: Lawmakers say House GOP memo doesn't vindicate Trump By Alexis Simendinger   Lawmakers from both parties challenged President Trump’s assertion that he’s vindicated in the ongoing Russia investigation following the release of a House GOP memo critical of the FBI. Republicans joined Democrats in saying special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe must continue. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     This week: Congress races to prevent another shutdown By Cristina Marcos and Jordain Carney Time is running short for Congress to avoid another shutdown once funding runs out after Thursday. Read the full story here     Help Trump climb down from the wall By Juan Williams OPINION | Is there any way to help President Trump climb down from his pledge to build a “great, beautiful” wall on the Mexican border? Read the full story here       For a president, words matter By Judd Gregg OPINION | “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt Read the full story here     Lawmakers dispute ‘vindication’ for Trump in Intel memo By Mallory Shelbourne Democrats on Sunday argued that the release of a controversial memo accusing the Justice Department of surveillance abuses does not vindicate President Trump in the Russia investigation — and Republicans are also avoiding declarations of Trump's exoneration. Read the full story here     Trump to Americans on Super Bowl Sunday: 'Stand for the National Anthem' By Avery Anapol President Trump on Sunday sent a Super Bowl message to Americans that called on them to stand during the national anthem. Read the full story here     No players kneel during national anthem at Super Bowl By Brandon Conradis No players knelt or sat during the national anthem as the Super Bowl kicked off in Minneapolis on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. Read the full story here     McCain, Coons to introduce new immigration bill that omits wall funding: report By Julia Manchester Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.) will introduce immigration legislation on Monday in an effort to reach a budget deal before the federal government's current funding runs out on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported. Read the full story here     Fractured GOP struggles with immigration strategy By Jordain Carney Republicans are barreling toward a fight over immigration despite divisions on what the party's strategy should be. Read the full story here     Comey takes page from Trump by turning to Twitter to attack enemies By Jonathan Turley OPINION | The recently released memo from the House Intelligence Committee had barely hit the news when phones across the Beltway went off with that all-too-familiar sound: a chirp. However, the blast was not from the tweeter-in-chief but from former FBI Director James Comey. Read the full story here     What I've learned as a native-born 'Dreamer': We are a nation of assimilated immigrants By Niger Innis OPINION | I am a native-born Dreamer and here is what I have come to learn about immigration reform. Read the full story here     The New York Times: With vote expected, Democrats press to release their memo By Nicholas Fandos As some Republicans backed away from President Trump’s claim that a new memo vindicates him in the Russia inquiry, Democrats sought the release of their own classified rebuttal. Read the full story here     Reuters: Senior Democrat: 'Dreamers' issue unresolved but government shutdown unlikely By Reuters Staff The No. 2 U.S. Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, said on Sunday he did not expect to have a deal protecting young immigrants before government funding expires this week but that a shutdown over the issue was unlikely. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Paul Ryan pushes to keep overhaul of safety-net programs on GOP agenda By Natalie Andrews Speaker seeks tighter work requirements for government aid. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Democrats in liberal California unveil their battle strategy for election season: ‘Go left’ By Scott Wilson   In the self-labeled “state of resistance,” the political debate is being pushed further left without any sign of a Republican renaissance to serve as a check on spending and social policy ambitions. That means Democratic candidates will be staking out the most liberal stance on issues such as single-payer health care, defending California’s “sanctuary state” status on immigration, and pushing green investment to reach strict environmental goals. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: US starts Iraq drawdown after declaration of victory over IS By Susannah George and Qassim Abdul-Zahra   American troops have started to draw down from Iraq following Baghdad’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State group last year, according to Western contractors at a U.S.-led coalition base in Iraq. 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.