~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Video of the Day
President Trump Attends the Swearing-In Ceremony of the Honorable Neil Gorsuch


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
The Senate is not in session.
Committee Hearings
None.
House Floor Schedule
The House is not in session.
Committee Hearings
None.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tillerson Says Russia Should Give Up ‘Unreliable Partner’ Assad
Russia must abandon its support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime if it wants an “important role” in discussions about Syria’s future, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, setting up a clash with Russian leaders just before he meets them in Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin’s government has chosen to ally itself with an “unreliable partner” in Assad, whose reign is coming to an end, as well as Iran and Hezbollah, Tillerson told reporters in Lucca, Italy, where he was attending a Group of Seven meeting.

“We want to create a future for Syria that is stable and secure,” Tillerson said on Tuesday. “Russia can be part of that future and play an important role or Russia can maintain its alliance with this group which we believe is not going to serve Russia’s interest longer term.”
Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a House Race Tightens in Kansas, Republicans See a Possible Warning Sign
Congressional Republicans knew next year’s election could prove difficult, as the first midterm campaigns for the party controlling the White House often are.

But not until a few days ago would they have believed that their immediate challenge would be hanging onto a House seat they have controlled for over two decades, in a district that President Trump carried by 27 points and that just happens to be home to that most nefarious of liberal boogeyman: Koch Industries.

Yet that is exactly what has happened since last week, when the House Republican campaign committee received a poll showing its candidate here in south-central Kansas winning by only single digits. Rushing to save the seat vacated by Mike Pompeo, now the C.I.A. director, before a special election on Tuesday, Republicans blasted out automated phone calls from Mr. Trump, hastily crafted an ad attacking the Democratic candidate on abortion, and dispatched Senator Ted Cruz of Texas for an 11th-hour rally on Monday afternoon with their own nominee.
Read more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Report: Mulvaney on the rise in White House
White House Budget chief Mick Mulvaney is reportedly on the rise in the Trump White House.

Politico reported Tuesday the White House budget chief’s influence in the president’s White House is rising.

This comes after reports of tension between top administration officials within the White House.

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus reportedly arranged a recent meeting between White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and senior adviser Jared Kushner to sooth tensions between the two.
Bannon and Kushner have reportedly clashed over policy differences.
Read more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com