POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: 2020 Democrats are in a mad scramble to beat Wednesday's deadline and make the Miami debate stage later this month for what is shaping up to be the first major moment of the primary battle. Up for grabs are 20 slots on the debate stage, but with 24 Democrats in the race for the nomination, multiple notable candidates will likely be left off the debate stage and find their campaigns on life support moving forward. As Jonathan Easley and Max Greenwood report, 14 candidates have qualified by reaching the thresholds for both polling and individual donors, while another six candidates have reached only the polling threshold. Four candidates, however, including Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), are on the chopping block. The governor and the congressman have not reached 1 percent in three polls approved by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), nor have they attracted the 65,000 individual donors each campaign needs from 20 states in order to qualify for the stage. With only a day left, the debate stage is by no means set; additional poll results could be announced. Monmouth University said it will release a new Nevada survey on Wednesday, offering Bullock and others some hope. Bullock's campaign griped last week after news media reported that the Washington Post/ABC News poll it had been banking on as its third poll was not allowed by the DNC. It showed the governor at 1 percent. The committee shot back that Bullock's team was notified in March that the particular survey would not be allowed. As Reid Wilson reports, Democratic strategists are warning that missing out on the debate stage would likely be a death knell for a campaign. "A candidate who doesn't make the debate stage starts running on fumes. Donor doors close, media attention wanes, volunteers drift away. At that point it's tough to see how you reestablish momentum," said former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.). 
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> South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) delivered his first major speech on foreign policy on Tuesday and pitched himself as a generational candidate who will upend the national security establishment in Washington, which he argued has been a decades-long failure driven by Republicans and Democrats. As Jonathan Easley writes, Buttigieg called on the U.S. to "put an end to endless war" and lambasted the president's foreign policy "by early-morning tweet." He also attempted to discuss his own experiences as a Navy intelligence officer while going after the president, whom he accused of degrading the United States's standing in the world. "It's hard to condemn crackdowns on the press when our own president calls our news media the 'enemy of the people,'" Buttigieg said. "It is hard to stand for human rights abroad when we are turning away asylum seekers at our own borders. It is hard to promote accountability and rule of law when foreign leaders can curry favor as cheaply as a few nights stay at the president's hotel." The Washington Post: "Product of the 9/11 generation:" Generational themes shape Buttigieg's worldview. NPR: Democratic presidential debates could reignite past bankruptcy fight between Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The New York Times: As 2020 candidates struggle to be heard, their grumbling gets louder. The Associated Press: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to outline "what democratic socialism means to me." The Atlantic: As Bernie Sanders leans into socialism, his rivals laugh. *** CONGRESS & INVESTIGATIONS: With less than three weeks worth of legislative days before lawmakers leave for August recess, some Senate Republicans are once again discussing eliminating at least part of the August recess as they remain without a deal on spending for fiscal year 2020. As Alexander Bolton writes, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) is leading the charge again and says he is planning to discuss cutting back the recess with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after he was successful last August in shortening the month-long period that runs from the end of July until Labor Day. The Senate has done little legislating this year and still has to pass a border supplemental spending bill, a defense reauthorization, a highway reauthorization as well as the regular spending bills. Some lawmakers who supported cutting recess last year, however, such as Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), says they hope to avoid going down that path again. Politico: Trump budget negotiators get Republican brushback. Paul Kane: Divergent pleas for pay raise from veteran lawmaker and freshman hit political hurdle. > Tensions are rising within House GOP leadership after accusations that three leaders are not pulling their weight in dues as they examine potential Senate bids, including Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.). As Juliegrace Brufke reports, Rep. Mark Emmer (R-Minn.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and Walker clashed at a Tuesday leadership meeting over the NRCC's decision not to fund the North Carolina Republican's legal fees after he voiced interest in launching a primary challenge against Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) during the next election cycle, according to two sources. Additionally, a source with knowledge said that Emmer also directed his ire at Cheney, who continues to look at a potential run to replace retiring Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). "After Emmer questioned Cheney's dedication to the NRCC, the Wyoming Republican shot back, saying that she's heard from members that they're concerned he may be inflating his fundraising numbers, and that she's heard from members that have raised questions about the NRCC's strategy. 'They had a little scuffle, the point of discussion that they had that Liz raised with Emmer is that there is some concern from members that Emmer is double counting what he is bringing in to the NRCC, so members are concerned about that and members are concerned that the NRCC, in general, doesn't have a plan moving forward,' a source familiar with the discussion said." > Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday when he appears for a closed-door session with the Senate Intelligence Committee after being subpoenaed by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Following an extended campaign from Trump allies against Burr after the subpoena was announced, Trump Jr. struck a deal to testify. He is expected to appear before the committee for two-to-four hours on a half dozen topics. One issue is expected to be the June 2016 meeting he attended at Trump Tower about the Trump Tower Moscow project (CNN). 
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On the other side of Capitol Hill, the House Intelligence Committee is poised to dig on Wednesday into the counterintelligence implications of the dozens of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia detailed in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report. According to Morgan Chalfant, the issue is of prime interest to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is spearheading the panel's own investigation into Trump's foreign dealings and finances. Wednesday's public hearing — a somewhat rare event for the committee given much of its work deals in sensitive information — will feature former FBI officials who Democrats hope will shed light on the counterintelligence concerns raised by Mueller's exhaustive report. Republicans have also invited their own witness, a former federal prosecutor and Fox News contributor. Notably absent from the committee's hearing will be Mueller himself, who continues to evade an appearance on Capitol Hill despite efforts by Democrats to secure his public testimony. The Hill: Dem committees win new powers to investigate Trump. | 
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