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Morning sunrise illuminates the Capitol in Washington

Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Wednesday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe!

Total U.S. coronavirus deaths each morning this week: Monday, 788,364; Tuesday, 789,745. Wednesday, 791,514.

Partisans on Capitol Hill made progress on Tuesday to try to avert a domestic crisis. At the White House, the sway of President Biden’s warnings to Russia to de-escalate military tensions with Ukraine — or face economic punishment — remain a bigger question mark.

Early Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters he was “confident” he could secure 10 GOP senators to back a somewhat complicated maneuver to lift the U.S. debt ceiling and avert default risks this week ahead of a Dec. 15 deadline described by the Treasury Department (The Hill). Hours later, the House voted to approve a special instructional measure needed to accomplish the multi-step process (The Hill), and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) did his part to tee up a Thursday vote (The Hill).

“We'll be voting on it Thursday and I'm confident that this particular procedure coupled with the avoidance of Medicare cuts will achieve enough Republican support to clear the 60 vote threshold," Schumer said. "And then later, when the majority leader decides to have the procedure, it can all occur in one day and the actual debt ceiling vote will be done at a 51 vote threshold," he added.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki greeted the planned congressional two-step as a positive development.

Under the compromise, at least 10 Republicans are needed to help their Democratic colleagues advance a bill that blocks Medicare cuts and lays out the instructions for taking up another bill to raise the debt limit by a simple majority. Democrats, acting on their own because of political resistance within the GOP caucus to additional federal debt, would then have to pass the measure to raise the nation’s borrowing cap to a set amount.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens to a staffer

It was unclear if the much-anticipated conversation between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin would calm fears of invasion along the border between Russia and Ukraine, where roughly 100,000 Russian troops have massed, with equipment and personnel arriving daily. Putin gave no indication whether he was actually contemplating an invasion or using a military buildup at the border to get the West to pay attention to his demands, U.S. officials said (The New York Times).

The U.S. will impose “strong economic measures” against Russia if it moves aggressively against Ukraine, Biden told Putin, according to the White House (The Hill). The administration plans to spell out to Moscow specific options for economic punishments, drawn up by the Treasury Department and coordinated with European allies, but the White House said it would not “be profitable to lay out those measures” publicly.

The Hill: Biden to speak Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The president told Putin an invasion would end Russia’s hopes of completing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe, which would be a major source of energy revenue. Hours after the call between the two leaders, a senior State Department official told senators at a hearing, “I think if President Putin moves on Ukraine, our expectation is that the pipeline will be suspended,” The New York Times reported.

Biden also told Putin that “things we did not do in 2014, we are prepared to do now,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, referring to the response by the Obama administration when Russia invaded and then annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. In April, Moscow told the Biden administration to steer clear of its standoff with Ukraine for its “own good” (CBS News).

The Washington Post: Why does the U.S. intelligence community believe Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine while it demands Washington guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO?

President Joe Biden speaks as he meets virtually via a secure video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin

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LEADING THE DAY

CONGRESS: Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is no longer cooperating with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, one of his lawyers told the panel on Tuesday. That response set up a likely committee vote to hold the former House member from North Carolina in contempt of Congress.

The Daily Mail: Through his attorney, Meadows said he would not appear for a deposition but would respond to written questions.

Meadows previously said he would cooperate and was scheduled to testify privately before the panel today. Via his attorney, who appeared on Fox News on Tuesday morning to disclose his client’s change of heart, Meadows accused the select committee of abusing its power and undermining executive privilege authority invoked by former President Trump and a number of Trump allies. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) vowed to charge ahead with today’s meeting “as planned.”

“If indeed Mr. Meadows refuses to appear, the Select Committee will be left no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution,” Thompson said in a statement (The Hill).

The about-face occurred a day after the committee secured cooperation from Marc Short, who was chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and accompanied Pence to the Capitol on Jan. 6. Some of the attackers that day chanted, “Hang Mike Pence” because he fulfilled his role in certifying the Electoral College tally of Biden’s victory (The Guardian).

Meadows also is promoting a new memoir, which stirred the select committee to again demand his cell-phone and email records. His book, published on Tuesday, has reportedly infuriated Trump with revelations from the West Wing. Meadows wrote that Trump tested positive for COVID-19 days before his bout with the virus was publicized and required hospitalization. Trump’s blood oxygen level was dangerously low before he was treated and recovered, Meadows wrote.

The Hill: The House on Tuesday night approved a $768 billion defense authorization bill by a vote of 363-70. The measure now heads to the Senate.

The Hill: The decision by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) this week to quit Congress and pass up a chance to be chairman of a top House committee to become the chief executive of Trump's new media and technology company is a sign of the GOP’s new power center.

The Hill: The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Biden’s nominee to lead Customs and Border Protection — Tucson, Ariz., police chief Chris Magnus — by a vote of 50-47. The sole Republican to back the nominee in the vote was Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks on a phone on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Oct. 30, 2020

> Mandate troubles: Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) announced on Tuesday that he is planning to vote for a GOP resolution that would block the president’s vaccine mandate for large employers, becoming the second Senate Democrat to do so.

Tester’s vote to halt Biden’s employer vaccine mandate rulemaking under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) could take place as early as today, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) saying last week that he would also support the resolution.

“I’m not crazy about mandates,” Tester said on Tuesday. A spokesperson confirmed later in the day that the Montana Democrat is “inclined to vote for the CRA resolution.”

The resolution is not expected to pack a punch, however. The House is not required to act on it and Biden, if necessary, would veto it, according to Psaki.

Alexander Bolton, The Hill: Senate poised to pass resolution to nullify Biden vaccine mandate.

The Wall Street Journal: Manchin withholds support for Biden’s Build Back Better spending bill.

The Washington Post: In the face of near-unanimous opposition from Senate Republicans and skepticism from some moderate Democrats, Cornell University law professor Saule Omarova on Tuesday withdrew her nomination as Biden’s choice to be comptroller of the currency. Some senators assailed Omarova’s views as outside the mainstream when it comes to potential banking system reforms.

*****

CORONAVIRUS: The good news is that 60 percent of the U.S. population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with medications effective against the delta variant, which dominates from coast to coast, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At a time of a winter surge of infections and the omicron variant, demand for vaccinations at pharmacies remains on the rise (The Hill), but perhaps more slowly for eligible children in certain parts of the country (The New York Times).

The bad news is that COVID-19 has killed more than 790,000 people in the United States while the number of reported infections in this country now exceeds 50 million (The Washington Post).

The uncertain news is that the omicron variant is spreading so rapidly that public health experts around the world are urging a speed-up of vaccinations, despite challenges in the developing world and the absence of firm scientific data about omicron’s capabilities (The New York Times).

Scientists say available vaccines and boosters remain key weapons against serious illness and hospitalizations in people infected with COVID-19. Omicron has been detected in test results in at least 19 states. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that omicron appears in preliminary assessments to cause less severe illness (The Hill).

Nevertheless, the Biden administration’s requirement that federal contractors be vaccinated was temporarily blocked on Tuesday by a federal judge, who said the plaintiffs “will likely succeed” in their argument that the president exceeded his authority with his September executive order aimed at protecting federal workers and workplaces (The Washington Post).

In the United Kingdom, the communicable spread of the new variant has alarmed officials; the number of confirmed cases more than doubled there between Saturday and Monday.

Britain moved on Tuesday to enforce broader travel restrictions on people entering from countries that are not included on its COVID-19 “red list.” Vaccinated travelers ages 12 and up entering the country must now show proof of a negative PCR or lateral flow test before their trip. Previously, these vaccinated travelers were required only to self-isolate and take a coronavirus test by the second day after arrival. Travelers from red list countries now are required to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days at their own expense, where they will be required to take two PCR tests (The New York Times).

The Hill: The World Health Organization strongly advises against the use of convalescent plasma to try to treat COVID-19 infections because there is no research-supported evidence of increased survival.

The New York Times: Amid push to vaccinate children, other challenges deluge pediatricians.

A member of staff holds up a vial of a coronavirus vaccine

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

POLITICS: With 2022 only weeks away, Biden is not in a position of political strength, according to a new poll released on Tuesday.

A survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal shows that only 41 percent approve of the president’s job in office, compared with 57 percent who disapprove, with those numbers trickling down to the 2022 midterm scene as 44 percent would back a Republican and 41 percent would back a Democrat on a generic ballot.

The driving force behind those numbers, according to the poll, is the economy. Forty-six percent of respondents said that the Republican Party is better able to deal with the economic state of the nation, compared with only 35 percent for Democrats. Sixty-three percent added that the U.S. is on the wrong track, while only 27 percent said it was on the right track forward.

Also notable, Biden is in a statistical tie with Trump in a hypothetical rematch of last year’s presidential election. Forty-six percent of voters back Biden, with 45 percent supporting the former president. Biden defeated Trump by a 4.4 percentage point margin.

One area where Americans have felt the economic pinch is at the gas station, as high prices have plagued the administration for months. However, as The Hill’s Rachel Frazin writes, falling oil prices could give Biden a reprieve, as the price of gasoline is expected to fall in the coming weeks.

The price of crude oil has fallen since late October, with that effect being seen at the pump as the U.S. averages $3.35 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, down from $3.39 a week ago and $3.42 a month ago.

Scott Wong, The Hill: Trump’s feud with his GOP critics on Capitol Hill is extending to the campaign trail.

The Hill: GOP braces for brutal primary in Georgia governor's election.

Reid Wilson, The Hill: Conservative state lawmakers plan to try to call a constitutional convention aimed at creating a balanced budget amendment and establishing term limits for members of Congress in an effort to rein in what they see as a runaway federal government.

OPINION

Where have all the grown-ups gone? by Paul Krugman, columnist, The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/3Gl10Yb

Yes, the 2017 tax cuts helped working-class Americans. But conservatives should be honest about how, by Henry Olsen, columnist, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/3lIWx9S

Was George W. Bush a 2007 victim of Russia-induced “Havana Syndrome”? by Tom Rogan, national security writer and contributors editor, Washington Examiner. https://washex.am/32Zn7Vy

A MESSAGE FROM UBER

Flexibility works

Whether it's because of the freedom to pick their hours, pick their rides, or
simply pick their kids up on time, 86% of drivers say they need flexibility.*

*From a Benenson Strategy Group survey.

See how flexibility works for over 3.3 million drivers.

WHERE AND WHEN

The House meets at 10 a.m. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will hold her weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m.

The Senate convenes at 10 a.m.

The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 9:30 a.m. Biden will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to deliver a speech at 2:30 p.m. about the infrastructure law enacted last month. He will return to the White House tonight.

👉 INVITATION to The Hill’s Virtually Live event TODAY at 1 p.m.: “The Great Rebuild: The Hill’s Infrastructure Summit,” featuring expertise from Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), plus other federal and municipal officials and advocates (information is HERE).

📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. ET at Rising on YouTube.

ELSEWHERE

➜ IMMIGRATION: A court-ordered reimplementation of the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy has revived immigration advocates’ frustration with the Biden administration as it expands the policy to additional countries (The Hill).

➔ TECH: Lawmakers are preparing to grill Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Wednesday on the effect of social media on teens and children, a subject that inspires bipartisan ire (The Hill). … Amazon faced attacks from all fronts at a Senate Finance subcommittee hearing on Tuesday about competition and data privacy (The Hill). … Residents in the small community of Boca Chica, Texas, home of Elon Musk’s expanding SpaceX commercial spaceport, are unhappy with living conditions and environmental impacts in a blast zone that is being reviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration for expansion to enable the company to send the largest known rockets into space (NBC News).

➔ INTERNATIONAL: A Saudi citizen suspected of being involved in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been arrested in France. Khaled Aedh Al-Otaibi, 33, one of the 26 Saudi nationals wanted in the Khashoggi killing, was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday. When arrested, Al-Otaibi was traveling under his own name and was set to fly from Paris to Riyadh (The Hill). … Australia on Wednesday joined the U.S. in announcing a diplomatic boycott against the Winter Olympics in Beijing due to China’s record on human rights (Reuters).

People hold posters of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

➔ 2022 TRENDS TO WATCH: NASA’s future is in the hands of private space companies (Axios). … Apple’s iPhone successor comes into focus with augmented reality (The Wall Street Journal). … U.S. housing markets expected next year to be most competitive are largely tech hubs in the Midwest and Mountain West, where remote workers are flocking (Realtor.com). … Job changes have multiplied during the average career span of younger baby boomers (average 11 career changes), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (GoErie).

THE CLOSER

And finally … Maine in red and white is not feeling blue, thanks to skiing Santas.

On Sunday, Santa look-alikes took to the slopes once again in Newry, Maine, to raise more than $4,600 for the Sunday River Community Fund, a local charity, after last year’s event was canceled because of COVID-19.

All Santas arrived appropriately attired and donated a minimum of $20 to support local education and recreation programs (The Associated Press).

📸 Don’t miss the weekend photo essay, courtesy of the Lewisboro, Maine, Sun Journal.

Santa Claus is skiing to town...

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!