Tipsheet: GOP on precipice of major end-of-year tax victory

View in your browser     GOP on precipice of major end-of-year tax victory By Jordain Carney   Republicans are on the brink of a massive achievement as they edge closing to finishing the first year of a GOP Congress under President Trump. Votes in the House and Senate are anticipated early this week on a sweeping tax-cut package that will dramatically alter filings for corporations, businesses and families throughout the country. Read the full story here     Listen to the HillCast AM View: GOP tax plan is a political gamble and PR challenge, and today's latest news By Alexis Simendinger   GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax bill puts promises of simplicity, fairness and wage benefits to the test this week. Also on today's AM View, GOP state leaders say their budgets will be impacted by the new tax provisions. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     McCain to miss vote on tax bill, receive treatment in Arizona By Brett Samuels Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will return to Washington in January after undergoing physical therapy and rehabilitation in Arizona, his office announced late Sunday. Read the full story here     This week: Congress braces for tax and spending showdown By Cristina Marcos and Jordain Carney Congress is set to end this year with a bang as Republicans aim to send their tax overhaul to President Trump and avoid a government shutdown in the span of just five days. Read the full story here       Ground shifts on immigration By Juan Williams OPINION | The Republican approach to immigration is shifting as the 2018 midterm elections loom. Read the full story here     Trump says he's not considering firing Mueller By Julia Manchester President Trump said Sunday he is not considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, amid concerns that the administration was trying to halt the investigation into Russian election meddling. Read the full story here     Mueller gets bipartisan defense despite controversies over bias By Mallory Shelbourne Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Sunday defended special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation amid attempts by conservatives to discredit the probe. Read the full story here     Three Trump judicial nominees stumble — with Republicans By Lydia Wheeler Controversy is swirling over the quality of candidates that President Trump is nominating to lifetime appointments on the federal courts. Read the full story here     Putin thanks Trump for tip that prevented terror attack By Kyle Balluck Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked President Trump during a call on Sunday for information that helped prevent a terrorist attack in St. Petersburg, according to a White House readout. Read the full story here     Trump faces hurdles to military build-up By Rebecca Kheel President Trump faces significant hurdles to fulfilling his promise to bulk up the military even after his signing of a defense policy bill on Tuesday. Read the full story here     Mueller has a partisan pack of wolves and an illegitimate investigation By Ned Ryun OPINION | It seems every day we're finding out more about the partisan and conflicted nature of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team. Some of the conflicts have been known for months. But others, such as the actions of some FBI investigators on the independent counsel’s team, are just coming to light and further call into question the objectivity and non-partisanship, and therefore the legitimacy of the investigation. Read the full story here     Want to pass the DREAM Act? Let's combine mercy with justice By Ronald Mortensen OPINION | Why hasn’t Congress been able to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act despite 16 years of trying? Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: GOP tax bill would set up years of challenges By Richard Rubin Expiration dates guarantee any changes would be revisited. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump to unveil ‘America First’ national security strategy By Jonathan Lemire and Hope Yen Prioritizing national sovereignty over alliances, President Donald Trump is poised to outline a new national security strategy that envisions nations in a perpetual state of competition, reverses Obama-era warnings on climate change, and de-emphasizes multinational agreements that have dominated the United States’ foreign policy since the Cold War. Read the full story here     CNN: House panel to interview publicist Rob Goldstone, Rep. Wasserman Schultz on Monday By Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju   The House Intelligence Committee has several interviews scheduled Monday to kick off a packed week of witnesses in the panel's Russia probe. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Years of conservative attacks hamper IRS oversight of political activity by nonprofits By Robert O'Harrow Jr.   The fall in oversight, a byproduct of cuts to the IRS budget, comes as the number of politically active and financially complex charities grows. It represents a success for conservatives who were emboldened by the 2013 revelations of the IRS’s extra scrutiny of tea party groups. “This completely neutered” the IRS, one observer said. “The will is totally gone.” Read the full story here     The New York Times: They spoke out. Now EPA workers are being watched. By Eric Lipton and Lisa Friedman Workers who have voiced concern have then had their emails scanned for references to President Trump or the agency’s director, Scott Pruitt, federal records show. 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.