Tipsheet: GOP shifts focus to investigating Obama officials

View in your browser     GOP shifts focus to investigating Obama officials BY JORDAIN CARNEY Republicans are setting their sights on top Obama-era officials as they plan their own probe into the 2016 election. Eager to move on from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign, GOP senators are gearing up to investigate “the investigators." The idea is gaining traction within the Republican caucus, including from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). Read the full story here     Barr expects to release nearly 400-page Mueller report by mid-April BY OLIVIA BEAVERS AND MORGAN CHALFANT Attorney General William Barr told lawmakers on Friday that he expects to have a public version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report ready for release by mid-April and that President Trump has deferred to him to decide what makes it into the redacted document. Read the full story here     Trump, DeVos bungle Special Olympics budget BY NIV ELIS President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos stumbled this week in explaining the administration’s proposed budget cuts to the Special Olympics. In two separate hearings, DeVos found herself defending the cuts, only to have the president turn around and denounce them. Read the full story here     Trump administration awards $1.7 million family planning grant to anti-abortion clinics BY JESSIE HELLMANN The Trump administration announced Friday it would award a $1.7 million family planning grant to a chain of crisis pregnancy centers that oppose abortion and don’t offer contraceptives, while at the same time cutting funds to some Planned Parenthood affiliates. Read the full story here       Trump: 'Very good likelihood' of closing US-Mexico border next week BY TAL AXELROD President Trump is ramping up his threat to close the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Friday afternoon “there’s a very good likelihood” he will do so next week. Read the full story here     Trump signs permit to jump-start delayed construction of Keystone XL pipeline BY MIRANDA GREEN President Trump on Friday signed a presidential permit to jump-start construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline with a facility in Montana, a move seen as a way to circumvent previous court orders halting development. Read the full story here     Trump says Linda McMahon will step down as Small Business administrator BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump announced Friday that Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon will leave her position next month as she transitions to a role with a political group supporting his reelection campaign. Read the full story here     Ocasio-Cortez shuts down town hall audience member after they call GOP lawmaker a 'moron' BY AVERY ANAPOL Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) shut down an audience member at an MSNBC town hall on Friday who yelled out, calling a former GOP lawmaker a "moron." Read the full story here     House to vote on resolution condemning Trump admin over ObamaCare repeal efforts BY TAL AXELROD Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Friday that the House will vote on a resolution next week condemning the Trump administration’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read the full story here     House Dems seek subpoena against former White House official over security clearances BY AVERY ANAPOL Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee plan to hold a vote next week on subpoenaing the former White House personnel security director in their investigation into the White House's security clearance process. Read the full story here     House Republicans can force a Green New Deal vote too: Here's how BY MIKE PALICZ Opinion | Given the Green New Deal's clear extremism and widespread embrace from Democratic lawmakers, Republicans are right to treat the resolution seriously and allot it floor time in Congress.  Read the full story here     We must not turn recession fears into self-fulfilling prophecies BY GREGORY DACO Opinion | What does the Fed know that we don’t? That is the question that I have been asked the most over the past week. The Fed’s paradigm shift to a significantly more dovish stance has left everyone wondering what type of recession monster is lurking under the economy’s bed.  Read the full story here     The Washington Post: With social program fights, some Republicans fear being seen as the party of the 1 percent BY ROBERT COSTA AND MIKE DEBONIS A spate of policy moves in recent weeks by Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials has driven the party’s agenda hard to the right, giving new fodder to Democratic presidential candidates eager to shift the national debate to such issues as health care and jobs ahead of the 2020 election. Read the full story here     The New York Times: ‘We’re in the Last Hour’: Democracy Itself Is on Trial in Brexit, Britons Say BY ELLEN BARRY AND BENJAMIN MUELLER Over the past weeks, as factions within the British government have grappled for control over the country’s exit from the bloc, the mood among voters has become dark. Read the full story here     CNN: White House in disarray: Trump's victory lap clouded by chaos BY KAITLAN COLLINS AND KEVIN LIPTAK For some in the White House, Sunday seemed like the first day of the rest of Donald Trump's presidency. By Friday, it was clear that while the cloud of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation had lifted, the pervasive disarray that marked most of Trump's time in office was not going anywhere. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: GOP scrambles to deal with Trump's decision on health care BY LISA MASCARO AND CATHERINE LUCEY President Donald Trump’s decision to revive the fight over the Affordable Care Act has stirred a political and policy debate among Republicans on how best to approach the divisive issue heading into the 2020 election. Read the full story here     NBC: Break 'em up, say Dems: Why the 2020 field is taking aim at monopolies BY BENJY SARLIN Drawing a page from turn-of-the-century populists, Democrats running for president are increasingly railing against monopoly power on the campaign trail, as candidates embrace policies aimed at breaking up conglomerates and cracking down on practices they say weaken competition. 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.