Tipsheet: Homeland Security sees power grow under Trump

View in your browser     Homeland Security sees power grow under Trump By Morgan Chalfant   The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has seen its influence and power expand under President Trump, whose efforts to bolster border security and crack down on illegal immigration have run through the youngest federal department. Homeland Security, established just 15 years ago after the Sept. 11 attacks, has enjoyed greater visibility and influence as Trump has pledged to establish “law and order” and build a wall at the southern border. Read the full story here     The Memo: Gold Star controversy consumes White House By Niall Stanage President Trump found himself in a growing maelstrom Wednesday as military families came forward to criticize how he treated them after their relatives were killed in action. Read the full story here     Schumer steers Dems away from gun votes By Alexander Bolton   Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) is urging his colleagues to stay away from gun control in the budget debate despite pressure from activist groups that argue the party needs to take a stand given the string of mass shootings across the country. Read the full story here     24 hours later, Senate health deal all but completely dead By Peter Sullivan and Rachel Roubein   A Senate healthcare deal to extend critical ObamaCare payments to insurers appears all but completely dead just 24 hours after it was announced. Read the full story here       ObamaCare allies fear deal won’t mitigate Trump attacks By Jessie Hellmann   ObamaCare supporters are worried that President Trump’s attacks on the law will depress enrollment and confuse consumers, inflicting damage that can’t be fixed even if Congress comes up with a bipartisan health-care deal. Read the full story here     States file emergency motion to force continuation of ObamaCare payments By Nathaniel Weixel   Multiple states have filed an emergency motion to force the Trump administration to continue making ObamaCare subsidy payments to insurers. Read the full story here     Sessions spars with Dems at heated oversight hearing By Lydia Wheeler Attorney General Jeff Sessions tangled with Democrats Wednesday over his immigration policies, his involvement in the firing of FBI director James Comey and whether he’s being looked at in the special counsel’s investigation of Russian election interference. Read the full story here     What to watch for in Senate budget debate on Thursday By Niv Elis The Senate is set to vote on its 2018 budget resolution, a key step toward Republicans’ top agenda item of tax reform. Read the full story here     Trump suggests bipartisan group on tax reform By Jordain Carney President Trump floated the idea that senators should start a bipartisan working group on tax reform during a closed door White House meeting on Wednesday, according to a key senator in the meeting. Read the full story here     Trump changes to Iran deal face criticism from both sides By Rebecca Kheel The Senate has a difficult path to walk if it is going to pass changes to the Iran nuclear deal demanded by President Trump to stave off a U.S. withdrawal from the agreement. Read the full story here     GOP, deliver Trump's tax reform to the American people by Christmas By Steve Forbes, Larry Kudlow, Art Laffer and Stephen Moore OPINION | Cutting anti-growth taxes is a core tenet of the Republican Party’s economic message, so this shouldn’t be taking so long and shouldn’t be so hard to get done. Read the full story here     Trump wants former Big Tobacco ally to run EPA chemical safety By David Michaels OPINION | If confirmed by the Senate, Michael Dourson would be making decisions that directly impact every one of us, every day. His record of putting corporate interests before the public’s health and safety makes him not merely deeply unqualified for this position but also profoundly untrustworthy.  Read the full story here     The New York Times: A delicate task for any president turns clumsy for Trump By Helene Cooper, Alan Blinder and Thomas Gibbons-Neff Every commander in chief has faced challenges when reaching out to relatives of fallen troops. But Mr. Trump’s recent exchange was outside of the usual range of encounters, some families said. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump kicks issues to Congress, is erratic trading partner By Catherine Lucey President Donald Trump is proving to be an erratic trading partner as he kicks thorny policy issues to Congress and then sends conflicting signals about what he really wants. Read the full story here     Reuters: Senate poised for crucial vote related to tax reform measure By David Morgan President Donald Trump’s drive to overhaul the U.S. tax code headed for a pivotal moment on Thursday, with Senate Republicans poised to approve a budget measure that would help them pass tax legislation without Democratic support. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump White House debates presidential visit to demilitarized zone along North Korean border By David Nakamura South Korea and the U.S. State Department are concerned that a Trump trip to ‘freedom’s frontier’ could escalate tensions with dictator Kim Jong Un. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Rex Tillerson says US is India’s best partner for the future By Felicia Schwartz Secretary of State plans first trip to India as U.S. chief diplomat. 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.