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The Federal Tap: PA-18 and Pompeo dominate a busy week of federal news

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March 16, 2018Issue No. 104

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Week in review
On tap next week

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Here's what happened in federal politics last week. To see what happened in state and local politics, click here.

Monday, March 12

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) new ad touts work with Trump

  • U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), one of the 10 Senate Democrats running for re-election in a state Donald Trump won in 2016, came out with ad touting his working relationship with the president. The ad is titled “13 Bills,” and it emphasizes legislation signed by Trump related to military, first responder, and veteran benefits that Tester says he helped pass.
  • Trump won Montana by 20 points in 2016, though voters re-elected Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock by a four-point margin in the same election. The state voted for Tester in 2006 and 2012, but it elected Republican Steve Daines to its other Senate seat in 2014.
  • The Republican primary to decide who runs against Tester in November includes State Auditor Matt Rosendale, former state judge Russ Fagg, and businessman Troy Downing. Rosendale has the support of national Tea Party figures and groups—including U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul. Fagg has emphasized what he calls his practical approach to politics and has lined up support from three former Montana governors. The largely self-funded Downing leads the field in campaign contributions.

House Intel Committee says that it is ending Russia investigation; finds no evidence of collusion

  • The House Intelligence Committee announced that it is ending its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) told reporters that the final report will be released after Democrats on the committee review its contents. The report concluded that there was no evidence of collusion between members of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and that there was no evidence that the Russians wanted Trump to win the election, contradicting the U.S. intelligence community.
    • Conway said, “We found no evidence of collusion. We found perhaps some bad judgment, inappropriate meetings, inappropriate judgment in taking meetings — but only Tom Clancy could take this series of inadvertent contacts, meetings, whatever, and weave that into some sort of a spy thriller that could go out there.” He also said that the committee "couldn’t establish the same conclusion that the CIA did that [the Russians] specifically wanted to help Trump.”
    • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the committee, criticized the report, saying, "By ending its oversight role in the only authorized investigation in the House, the Majority has placed the interests of protecting the President over protecting the country, and history will judge its actions harshly. ... If the Russians do have leverage over the President of the United States, the Majority has simply decided it would rather not know."

Montana candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline passed for candidates running for election in Montana. On the federal level, one U.S. Senate seat as well as the state’s at-large U.S. House seat will be up for election. Also up for election are 25 state senate seats and all 100 state house seats. The state’s primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. This was the 17th state candidate filing deadline in the nation to pass.

Trump administration releases four-pillar plan to improve school safety

  • President Donald Trump released a four-pillar plan to improve safety in schools in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, that left 17 dead. The four pillars are: improving school security, strengthening background checks, improving mental healthcare, and establishing the Federal Commission on School Safety. Read more about the plan here.

Tuesday, March 13

New Mexico candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline passed for candidates running in New Mexico elections. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include one U.S. Senate seat, three U.S. House seats, nine state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, and all 70 state house seats. Ballotpedia is also covering local elections in Bernalillo County. The state’s primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. This was the 18th state candidate filing deadline in the nation to pass.

Tillerson’s out at State, Pompeo will be nominated to replace him

  • President Donald Trump announced that he asked Rex Tillerson to step down as secretary of State and that he would nominate Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo to serve as Tillerson’s replacement. Trump wrote in a tweet, "Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!"
  • Before Pompeo can replace Tillerson, Trump must officially nominate Pompeo as secretary of State, and the Senate must confirm his nomination. Once his nomination is formally submitted, the Senate can begin the procedure of Advice and Consent laid out in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Here’s a breakdown of the steps to confirm Pompeo:
    • Background check: Pompeo will have to pass several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check.
    • Senate committee hearing: Pompeo will then be evaluated by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a hearing and asked about his views on policy issues. Supporters and opponents of Pompeo may also testify. Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation.
    • Senate floor debate and vote: Pompeo’s nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Unlimited debate is allowed on his nomination until two-thirds of the Senate vote to invoke cloture, closing debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate will conduct a final vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on Pompeo’s nomination. Republicans in the Senate currently hold 51 seats, and Pompeo will only need to secure a simple majority vote for confirmation.
  • Tillerson will step down from his position on March 31, 2018. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will assume Tillerson's responsibilities until he officially leaves the department. While speaking about his resignation, Tillerson praised State Department officials and Defense Department officials for their work and thanked members of the military and the American people. He did not thank President Donald Trump. Tillerson said, “I received a call today from the president of the United States a little after noon time from Air Force One, and I’ve also spoken to White House chief of staff [John] Kelly to ensure we have clarity about the days ahead. What is most important is to ensure an orderly and smooth transition during a time that the country continues to face significant policy and national security challenges."

Lamb claims victory in PA-18 special election

  • The special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District was too close to call on election night, and, as of two days after the race, the Associated Press had yet to issue an official verdict. However, Democratic candidate Conor Lamb has claimed victory, and media observers expect his narrow lead over Republican opponent Rick Saccone to hold up. Outlets such as NBC News and The New York Times have named Lamb the apparent winner.
  • Polls conducted in the lead-up to Election Day suggested a close race, and unofficial results show Lamb with 49.84 percent of the vote to Saccone's 49.56 percent. Libertarian candidate Drew Miller picked up 0.6 percent of the vote - or a little more than the difference between the two front-runners.
  • No matter who won the special election, his tenure in the 18th District seat would have been short-lived. Court-ordered redistricting prompted new congressional maps in the state, and the 18th District the special election candidates ran to represent is expected to be eliminated in the next Congress. Lamb is likely to run against Republican Rep. Keith Rothfus in the new 17th Congressional District in November, and Saccone has indicated he will make a bid for the new 14th District seat.
  • However, the race was considered a bellwether for the November elections, and both parties treated it as a top priority. President Donald Trump (R) and members of his inner circle, including Vice President Mike Pence (R), counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, and Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., campaigned in the state for Saccone. Lamb got in-state support from former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.). Both candidates also benefited from satellite spending, although the spending on Saccone was an order of magnitude higher than the spending on Lamb. A CNBC analysis released at the end of February tallied close to $7 million in satellite spending on Saccone's behalf to about $630,000 on Lamb.

Wednesday, March 14

Mazeski outspends Democratic field in IL-06 Democratic primary

McDaniel drops Senate bid in Mississippi against Wicker, to run in special election to fill Cochran's seattle

  • Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel switched from running in the U.S. Senate election in Mississippi against incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker (R) to the special election to fill Sen. Thad Cochran (R)'s seat. “By announcing early, we are asking Mississippi Republicans to unite around my candidacy and avoid another contentious contest among GOP members that would only improve the Democrats' chances of winning the open seat," McDaniel said in a statement.
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is not on board with a McDaniel candidacy, concerned it could lead to an Alabama Senate-type seat flip. McDaniel said, “Mitch McConnell wants to hand-pick our next senator. I understand why. It’s because they know that I won’t be answering to them; I’ll be answering to the voters of Mississippi and putting Mississippi first.”
  • Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who will appoint a senator in the interim, responded on Thursday, “That's the silliest thing I've ever heard of. The decision will be mine and mine alone, with no one from the outside, no one from the swamp or the outside world or Mars or Jupiter is going to come here and try to tell me [what to do].”
  • The November 8 nonpartisan special election will feature all candidates on one ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff will be held in December.

House passes STOP School Violence Act of 2018

  • The House passed HR 4909—the STOP School Violence Act of 2018—by a vote of 407-10. The bill proposed providing funding for the following:
    • Training for local law enforcement, school staff, and students to prevent school violence, including active shooter training;
    • Anonymous reporting systems to notify law enforcement officials of potential threats of violence, metal detectors, locks, and other school safety equipment and technology;
    • School threat assessment and crisis intervention teams; and
    • Coordination with law enforcement.
    • It did not include any gun-related measures.
  • The vote came one month after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and on a day of nationwide student protests against gun violence.
  • Speaking about school shootings and the bill, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Texas) said, “These appalling events are avoidable, but we must give schools the tools and resources they need. There may not be one single answer to preventing all future violence in schools, but this effort is very much a part of the solution.”
  • Although most Democrats supported the bill, they said that it did not do enough to prevent school shootings. They called for measures to prevent access to guns. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) said, “This is a good bill, [but] it will not solve our gun problem. It won’t ban bump stocks, or fix our background system, or get weapons of war off our streets.”

Senate passes bill to roll back Dodd-Frank financial regulations

  • The Senate passed S 2155—the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act—by a vote of 67-31. The bill proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed into law by President Barack Obama (D) on July 21, 2010. The bill proposed the following, according to The Hill:
    • Exempting banks with less than $250 billion in global assets from “yearly Fed stress tests or higher capital requirements meant to ensure risky firms could weather a lending crisis. Those banks would also be exempt from submitting for Fed approval a ‘living will’ that outlines how the company could be liquidated upon failure without causing a widespread meltdown.” The current threshold for regulation is $50 billion.
    • Exempting “banks that extend 500 or fewer mortgages a year from reporting some home loan data to federal regulators and broadens the definition of qualified mortgages.”
  • Fifty Republicans, 16 Democrats, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) voted for the bill. Thirty Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the bill. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) did not vote. Senators who supported the bill said that it would help small banks by exempting them from the 2010 financial rules and allow for more lending. Senators who opposed the bill said that it would bring back risk into the financial system and harm consumers. The bill now heads to the House.

Linda Weber withdraws from NJ-7 Democratic primary after Tom Malinowski wins key endorsement

  • After the Union County Democratic Committee announced it was endorsing Obama-era State Department official Tom Malinowski in the primary to take on Rep. Leonard Lance (R) in November, Linda Weber, one of Malinowski’s top rivals, withdrew from the race. She is the third candidate to leave the race in the last two months. The other two—Lisa Mandelblatt and Scott Salmon—endorsed Malinowski upon leaving. Weber did not explicitly endorse Malinowski, but she did say she planned on working to defeat Lance in the general election.
  • Besides Malinowski, civil rights attorney Goutam Jois and social worker Peter Jacob are the remaining top candidates in the primary. While Malinowski has received endorsements from multiple county-level Democratic organizations and leads the race in fundraising, Jacob has support from the Bernie Sanders-linked organizations Our Revolution and Justice Democrats. Jacob also ran for the seat in 2016 and lost to Lance in the general election by 11 points. Jois has not received any notable endorsements, but he raised almost $300,000 in 2017.
  • Although Lance has represented the district since 2008, Hillary Clinton won the seat by about one point in 2016. Election forecasters have rated the seat as “Lean Republican” for the November elections.

Thursday, March 15

Candidate filing deadlines pass in Utah, Maine

  • Utah:
    • The filing deadline for candidates running in Utah elections passed on March 15. Federal and state offices on the ballot in 2018 include one U.S. Senate seat, four U.S. House seats, one state executive office, 14 state senate seats, and all 75 state house seats. Ballotpedia is also covering six school board elections. The state’s primary is on June 26, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.
  • Maine:
    • The filing deadline for candidates running in Maine elections passed. Federal and state offices on the ballot in 2018 include one U.S. Senate seat, two U.S. House seats, state governor, all 35 state senate seats, and all 151 state house seats. The state’s primary is on June 12, 2018, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. Utah and Maine were the 19th and 20th state candidate filing deadlines in the nation to pass.

Trump administration imposes sanctions on Russia for cyber attacks and meddling in the 2016 election

  • The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed economic sanctions on five Russian entities and 19 individuals for cyber attacks and meddling in the 2016 election. According to a Treasury Department press release, the assets of these entities and individuals will be frozen, and Americans will be prohibited from doing business with them. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement, “The Administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyber-attacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure. These targeted sanctions are a part of a broader effort to address the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia. Treasury intends to impose additional CAATSA [Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] sanctions, informed by our intelligence community, to hold Russian government officials and oligarchs accountable for their destabilizing activities by severing their access to the U.S. financial system.” The sanctions target the Internet Research Agency and the individuals that special counsel Robert Mueller indicted on February 16, 2018, for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.

Friday, March 16

Filing deadline for Iowa candidates is tomorrow

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in many Iowa elections passed on March 16, following 21 states whose filing deadlines have already passed. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include four U.S. House seats, seven executive offices including the governor and attorney general, 25 of 50 state Senate seats, all 100 state House seats, and three of the nine seats on the Iowa Court of Appeals. Local judges up for retention election have until July 25 to declare their intent to seek re-election. This and Nevada were the 21st and 22nd state candidate filing deadlines in the nation to pass.
    • Ballotpedia's featured elections in Iowa this year include the Democratic primaries for the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, as well as the gubernatorial race. The state's primary is on June 5, and the general election is on November 6, 2018.

Nevada candidate filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in Nevada elections passed on March 16. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include one U.S. Senate seat, four U.S. House seats, seven state executive offices including the governor and lieutenant governor, 11 state senate seats, and all 42 state assembly seats. Local offices on the ballot will include several municipal offices in the city of Reno, in Clark and Washoe counties, as well as two school boards. The state’s primary is on June 12, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. This and Iowa were the 21st and 22nd state candidate filing deadlines in the nation to pass.

Jim Jordan endorses Christina Hagan in OH CD-16 Republican primary

  • Following the lead of pro-Trump figures like Anthony Scaramucci and Sebastian Gorka, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Oh.), the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed state Rep. Christina Hagan in her bid for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District. Jordan called Hagan "a conservative fighter who shares our constitutional values of open, accountable and limited government."
  • The Republican primary in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R), who is leaving to run for governor, pits Hagan against former Ohio State football player Anthony Gonzalez. Hagan is ardently pro-Trump and says that Gonzalez, who is backed by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and prominent Republican donors in the area, is "walking on eggshells" about his support for the president. In response, Gonzalez said, "I talk about the things I believe are most important to the district.”
  • Although Hagan has lined up support from high-profile figures like Jordan, former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, and radio host Joe Walsh, Gonzalez has a fundraising advantage, bringing in nearly $900,000 to her $300,000 in 2017. His football background could also give him a boost according to Republican strategist Mark Weaver. "The Buckeye fervor is unlike anything in professional sports, and that’s a significant asset for the Gonzalez campaign,” according to Weaver.
  • The district voted for Donald Trump by about 17 points in 2016 and is considered a “Safe Republican” or “Likely Republican” seat by election forecasters.

Congress is in session

The Senate will be in session Monday through Friday. The House will be in session Monday through Thursday.

SCOTUS is in session

The Supreme Court did not hear any arguments this week. Next week, the court is scheduled to hear three cases. To learn more about this term, read our overview.

WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in federal politics this week. To see what happened in state and local politics, click here.

Tuesday, March 20

Illinoisans headed to polls

  • Voters will decide on which Democratic and Republican candidates should appear on the general election ballot. Offices up for election in 2018 include 18 U.S. House seats, six state executive seats, 157 state legislative seats, five Court of Appeals seats, and local judicial and county seats. Cook County will hold elections for 18 commissioner seats, county assessor, county clerk, county sheriff, county treasurer, two board of reviews seats, four water reclamation district board seats, and 38 local trial court seats. In all, Ballotpedia will be covering 253 elections at the federal, state, and local level. Illinois has an open primary system, meaning voters may participate in the primary election without registering with a political party. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
    • The Illinois primary will be the second statewide primary in the nation. It was preceded by the Texas primary elections, which took place on March 6.

Filing deadline for Colorado candidates

  • The filing deadline will pass for candidates running in Colorado elections. Federal and state offices on the ballot this year will include seven U.S. House seats, seven executive offices including the governor and attorney general, 17 of 35 state Senate seats, all 65 state House seats, one seat on the state supreme court, and three seats on the state court of appeals. Local elections within Ballotpedia’s coverage scope will include county offices in Adams, Arapahoe, and El Paso counties. The state’s primary is June 26, and the general election is on November 6, 2018. This and Pennsylvania will be the 23rd and 24th state candidate filing deadline in the nation to pass.

Filing deadline for Pennsylvania U.S. House seats

  • The filing deadline will pass to run in the U.S. House primaries in Pennsylvania. One U.S. Senate seat and 18 U.S. House of Representative seats will be on the ballot on May 15, 2018. General elections are scheduled on November 6, 2018. The Senate election will fill the Class 1 Senate seat held by Bob Casey Jr (D), while voters will choose representatives for all 18 of its U.S. House districts. Heading into the November 6 election, the Republican Party holds 13 (72%) of these 18 seats. This and Colorado will be the 23rd and 24th state candidate filing deadline in the nation to pass.

Friday, March 23

Deadline to fund the government

  • On February 9, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund the government until March 23, 2018, while lawmakers write a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill for the rest of the fiscal year. If lawmakers are unable to pass an omnibus bill or another short-term spending bill, the government will partially shutdown.

Net neutrality repeal to take effect

  • On February 22, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published an order in the Federal Register repealing and replacing the 2015 Open Internet Order that instituted net neutrality rules. The new rules, titled Restoring Internet Freedom, are scheduled to take effect on April 23, 2018, unless Congress acts.

Where was the president last week?

  • On Monday, President Donald Trump hosted the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros. Trump then had lunch with Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
  • On Tuesday, Trump traveled to San Diego, California, to review border wall prototypes. He then spoke to members of the military at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
  • On Wednesday, Trump traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to tour the Boeing Company. He then participated in a roundtable discussion about taxes.
  • On Thursday, Trump welcomed Prime Minister Leo Varadkar of Ireland to the White House. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence then attended the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the Capitol. In the afternoon, Trump met with Bill Gates. In the evening, Trump, Pence, Varadkar, and First Lady Melania Trump participated in the Shamrock Bowl Presentation at the White House.
  • On Friday, Trump received his daily intelligence briefing. He then had lunch with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.

Federal Judiciary

  • 146 federal judicial vacancies
  • 57 pending nominations
  • 33 future federal judicial vacancies


About

The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

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