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MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, July 26

by Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch

McCarthy's impeachment talk divides GOP

House Republicans will meet today for a final time ahead of their August recess amid high tensions over how deeply to cut spending and the question of presidential impeachment.

The conference is weighing whether it should act to expunge the impeachment of former President Trump while possibly impeaching President Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct. The GOP has been battling for months over who to target for impeachment, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday night suggested existing probes of Biden were rising to the level.  

We've only followed where the information has taken us," McCarthy told Fox News's Sean Hannity on Monday. "But Hannity, this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed."

The statements by McCarthy offer red meat to the GOP base and hard-line conservatives who are jumping at the chance to go after Biden and his son, Hunter Biden amid unsubstantiated assertions of preferential treatment of the Bidens by the Justice Department. It's the Speaker's latest balancing act as he manages a razor-thin majority. Colleagues are divided about how much to reduce federal spending and the zeal among some conservatives to vote to erase Trump's impeachments while launching an impeachment inquiry aimed at Biden (The Hill and CNN).

In remarks Tuesday at the Capitol, McCarthy said the questions his party is raising about Biden family business dealings need to be investigated. He acknowledged that GOP probes this year produced no corroborating evidence of wrongdoing by Biden but said an impeachment inquiry "allows Congress to get the information to be able to know the truth." Such a probe has no set timeline and could potentially stretch into the campaign season.

McCarthy has faced numerous demands from Trump allies to elevate their priorities. Trump last week questioned why the president has not been impeached. McCarthy has denied a report that he is considering a House floor vote to expunge Trump's two impeachments as a way of showing his support. It remains unclear whether the House could rescind the impeachments, which separately resulted in Senate acquittals (The Associated Press).

Senate Republicans are decidedly unenthusiastic about the House GOP impeachment drive aimed at Biden, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports. They note that House Republicans who brought articles of impeachment against former President Clinton ahead of the 1998 midterm election experienced voters' disapproval, and view McCarthy's talk as a bow to Trump and the Republican base at the risk of losing support from swing voters in key states and contests next year. 

Politico magazine: History has a warning for McCarthy about expunging Trump's impeachments. Expunging wrongdoing didn't save former President Andrew Jackson. It won't save Trump either.
The Hill: The Justice Department says U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, who investigated Hunter Biden, is willing to testify publicly to the House Judiciary Committee in September or October. 
Roll Call: House Judiciary panel plans contempt vote for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

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Leading the Day

➤ CONGRESS

The Senate has three days to pass its $886 billion annual defense bill before lawmakers leave town for the August recess — a self-imposed deadline that would free the chamber to work through a long to-do list once it returns in September. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said his goal this week was to finish the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thursday afternoon, may be betting that his colleagues won't stand in the way of passage of the bill if the alternative would mean having to cancel their flights out of Washington (Washington Examiner and Politico). 

"There is every reason in the world to get this bill done as soon as we can," Schumer told Politico. "The NDAA is full of provisions both sides can celebrate, provisions that seem incremental on their own but together provide a strong foundation for the security of this nation."

Schumer's plan will be an extremely heavy lift, with several additional amendment votes likely in the pipeline. Even with some forward motion in the Senate, the gridlock in Congress points to growing chances of a fall shutdown if lawmakers can't meet their September funding deadline, and some Republicans are privately expecting a spending fight to trigger a shutdown. House conservatives oppose the use of an "omnibus" to bundle all 12 must-pass appropriations bills into one measure, but members are pessimistic about the odds of passing individual funding bills by the Sept. 30 deadline (Axios). The Hill's Aris Folley breaks down why lawmakers may miss the cutoff and what might happen then.

Roll Call: GOP conservatives' demands imperil House spending bills.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) encountered some blowback for releasing an FBI document last week detailing unfounded allegations against the Biden family, writes The Hill's Al Weaver. Conservatives, however, applauded his defiance of an FBI request as "transparency." The White House denies the claims and assertions of wrongdoing.

Grassley, the eight-term senator, has had a storied career, known for substantive investigations and whistleblower protections. He surprised some colleagues by publishing on social media a lightly redacted version of a document known as form FD-1023 that the FBI warned "risks the safety" of the confidential source, who claimed the then-vice president and then-business consultant Hunter Biden maneuvered in Ukraine for personal gain in 2016.

"I would never have advised him to do that," said Kris Kolesnick, who spent 19 years as Grassley's senior counselor and director of investigations. "This is like a new guy. ... We left him quite an oversight legacy and he's put all that in jeopardy. Between back then and now, it's like night and day."  

Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), which would condemn Greene for fanning "the flames of racism, antisemitism, LGBTQ hate speech, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, xenophobia and other forms of hatred" (The Washington Post and The Hill).

The Hill: Are we alone? A House hearing seeks extraterrestrial explanations for unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). 🛸
The Hill:How the search for UFOs went mainstream: A tale in 5 moves
The Hill: Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) unveil bill making sweeping changes to college sports.

➤ MORE IN POLITICS

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is having a rocky month. His campaign admits to overspending; big donors are maxed out under election law and can't give again; the campaign laid off staff members, bringing the total pink slips to 38, or a third of his team; and DeSantis is stalled behind Trump in the polls (Politico).

Nate Hochman, a DeSantis aide tied to some controversial campaign videos, was among those let go (Semafor). Axios reported that the aide had created a shared-then-deleted video featuring the governor's face appearing inside a Florida state seal that morphs into a symbol once used by the Nazis and adopted by some white supremacists.   

Adding more drama to the governor's day: He was in a multi-vehicle accident Tuesday but not hurt while traveling near Chattanooga, Tenn., as he headed for a campaign event. One staff member suffered a minor injury (CNN).

Split screen: Vice President Harris on Friday will be in Des Moines, Iowa, for an abortion rights event simultaneously with the day's appearances by Trump, DeSantis and other GOP presidential candidates in Des Moines at a 2024 political gathering (The Hill).

Reminder: analysts say DeSantis must win next year in either Iowa or New Hampshire (where the governor will appear again Monday) (New York magazine).

2024 roundup: Former New York City Police Department Detective Mike Sapraicone, a Republican who launched a security business on Long Island after 20 years on the force, joined a crowded field to try to unseat Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) next year (The Hill). … A constitutional amendment ballot initiative in Ohio in August triggered a ferocious clash over abortion access. The issue before voters next month is pivotal to whether a November abortion ballot initiative passes in the state (The Associated Press). 

In Focus / Sharp Takes

➤ INTERNATIONAL

Israel's roiling national crisis over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new law that weakens the Supreme Court is beginning to affect the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an institution that for most of the country's history has been seen as being above politics. While polls consistently find the public trusts the military most, the institution is now facing questions about whether it can remain a symbol of unity and if its operational readiness has been compromised. The most acute crisis now facing the military comes from thousands of reservists who say they will stop volunteering in protest of the new law (NBC News).

"We have tried to stay out of the current discourse, but given its current prominence in Israeli society, we got caught up in it and our unity was impaired," Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, said in an address to his troops this week. "It is our duty to prevent these cracks from widening."

Following Monday's vote, Israelis have girded for a new period of political and economic tumult as doctors went on strike, the stock market and currency sank and protesters vowed to keep up mass demonstrations (The Wall Street Journal). Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service warned Tuesday about "negative consequences" and "significant risk" for the country's economy and security situation following the passage of the first bill of the government's contested judicial overhaul (The Times of Israel).

The Associated Press: Israeli doctors walk off the job, more strikes may be looming. 
The New York Times: More protests are expected, but with Parliament about to recess, it is not clear when or in what form. 
The Washington Post analysis: Savvy politician or "hostage"? Netanyahu's uncertain role in the judicial push.

The United Nations Security Council will convene meetings today for the third time since the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal last week and Russia's bombardment of Ukrainian port cities that has followed. Both countries requested a meeting; since withdrawing from the grain deal, which allowed Ukrainian ships carrying food exports to bypass wartime blockades, Moscow has sought to choke off the other routes for exports. The attacks escalated earlier this week when Russian drones destroyed a grain hangar in the town of Reni, just across the Danube River from Romania, a NATO member (The New York Times).

In only a week, Russia has fired dozens of missiles and drones at the Odesa region of Ukraine after Moscow pulled out of the grain deal. But none have struck quite as deeply as the one that destroyed the cathedral, which stands at the heart of the city's romantic, notorious past and its deep roots in both Ukrainian and Russian culture. Odesa's past is intertwined with some of Russia's most revered figures, including Catherine the Great and author Leo Tolstoy. Odesa's Orthodox cathedral belongs to Moscow's patriarchate, and its residents largely speak Russian. Last week's attacks marked the first time Odesa's historic city center was hit since the war started. Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov was unequivocal in a furious video message directed to Russians after Sunday's strike on the cathedral (The Associated Press).

"If you only knew how much Odesa hates you. Not only hates you. Despises you. You're fighting small children, the Orthodox church. Your rockets even fall on cemeteries," he said. "You must hardly know us Odessans. You will not break us, just make us angrier."

The Washington Post: The war in Ukraine is spurring a revolution in drone warfare using AI.
The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine's stalled offensive puts Biden in an uneasy political position.
The Associated Press: An injury in Ukraine and medical transfer to Germany of former Marine Trevor Reed, who was released from Russian detention last year in a prisoner swap and opted to take up arms against Russia on behalf of Ukraine, could complicate U.S. efforts to gain the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, Americans imprisoned in Russia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has been removed from his post, state media reported, deepening a mystery that began a month ago when the prominent diplomat disappeared from public view. According to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, he has been replaced by Wang Yi, China's top diplomat and Qin's predecessor (Al Jazeera).

Reuters: A familiar face for the U.S. as Wang returns as China's foreign minister.
The Associated Press: North and South Korea mark their armistice anniversary in two different ways that highlight rising tensions.
The Guardian: After almost four decades of hardline rule, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen steps down and hands over power to his son.
The Washington Post: Investigators, denied access in a major student disappearance case, will leave Mexico.

➤ ADMINISTRATION

Immigration: The Biden administration's new and restrictive asylum policy will be barred from taking effect in two weeks, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, giving the executive branch time to make changes. The rule, for which the White House has been criticized from the left, allows immigration authorities to deny asylum to migrants who fail to first apply online or seek protection in a country through which they pass on their way to the U.S.-Mexico border (The New York Times). 

"The Rule — which has been in effect for two months — cannot remain in place," U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California wrote, describing violations of asylum law (The Associated Press).

The Education Department opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard University's "legacy" preferences for the relatives of alumni and donors when making admissions decisions, according to lawyers for several groups that claim the practices are discriminatory. The inquiry comes after a formal complaint alleging discrimination filed by three groups following the Supreme Court's decision last month to severely limit race-conscious admissions in higher education (The New York Times).

Defense One: Biden will nominate Derek Chollet to the top policy role at the Pentagon, a move from the State Department.

Opinion

UPS and the art of the Teamsters deal, by The Wall Street Journal editorial board.
Israel's self-inflicted wound, by Bret Stephens, columnist, The New York Times.
Putin strikes at the Ukrainian port — and endangers the world's food supply, by The Washington Post editorial board.

Where and When

The House will convene at 10 a.m. to consider its first 2024 federal spending bill, funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction projects for next year. Members will also vote on Senate-passed legislation to overturn the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's endangered species rules. The House Judiciary Committee will question Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a target of GOP impeachment warnings, at 10 a.m. 

The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act. 

The president will receive the President's Daily Brief at 9 a.m.

The vice president is in Washington and has no public events.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, to dedicate the new U.S. Embassy there. He will meet with senior officials.

First lady Jill Biden will travel with Brigitte Macron from Paris to Brittany and Normandy, France, this morning. In the afternoon, they will visit the Brittany American Cemetery, as well as Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The first lady will depart France in the late afternoon to travel to Delaware.

The Federal Reserve concludes a two-day meeting in Washington with a statement at 2 p.m. and news conference with Chair Jerome Powell at 2:30 p.m. (Bloomberg News).

The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m.

Elsewhere

➤ BY THE NUMBERS

$304 million: The richest deal in NBA history. Jaylen Brown inked a five-year supermax contract extension with the Boston Celtics, announced Tuesday.
340,000: The population of UPS workers represented by the Teamsters union impacted by a tentative contract deal reached Tuesday.
$725: Average monthly payment for a new car in 2023.
25: Consecutive days in Phoenix with temperatures of 110 degrees or hotter as of Tuesday.
$4,000: Texas consultant's charge for on-call service to college students during sorority rush week.
40: Percentage of teens ages 16-19 who hold driver's licenses, down from 60 percent in the mid-1990s.

The Closer

© The Associated Press / Sang Tan | Artificial intelligence settled more than three decades of debate with a verdict that de Brécy Tondo, pictured in 2007, was likely painted by Raphael. The painting is being exhibited publicly for the first time at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, England.

And finally … For decades, it was called the "mystery" painting. Art experts studied the graceful Madonna and child, examined the canvas and brush strokes and searched for a way to confirm what their eyes and their instincts told them — that the de Brécy Tondo was the work of Renaissance master Raphael, who died in Rome in 1520, probably of pneumonia at age 37.

The painting's resemblance to the artist's famed Sistine Madonna, created in 1513-1514, inspired experts and scientists to turn to artificial intelligence, facial recognition technology and a database of masterworks, resulting in an announcement last winter that the faces in the mystery painting are identical to those in the artist's famous altarpiece and that the entire mystery painting is most likely Raphael's work.

The news on Tuesday was that the ethereal de Brécy Tondo, for the first time, is on public display (for two months) at the Bradford Council's Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in West Yorkshire, England, about an hour from Manchester and four hours from London. And some distance from Rome (ArtNews and BBC).