~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video of the Day
Standing Rock Protests Don’t Stop For Thanksgiving
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
Convenes at 3:00 p.m.
Committee Hearings
There are no committee hearings today.
House Floor Schedule
The House is not in session today.
Committee Hearings
There are no hearings today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obama admin defends vote integrity after hacking fears
The Obama administration has defended the integrity of the presidential election despite fears of Russia attempting to undermine the vote.
A statement of confidence in the election as “free and fair from a cybersecurity perspective” came Friday as some liberal opponents of President-elect Donald Trump pushed for recounts in three states. In its statement, the administration blasted Russian-directed hacking and release of emails from Democratic groups over the summer, according to The New York Times.
“Nevertheless, we stand behind our election results, which accurately reflect the will of the American people,” the statement added. The statement comes as Green Party candidate Jill Stein pushes for a recount in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, traditionally blue states that went for Trump this year.
Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lawmakers reach deal to vote on Cures, mental health bills
Lawmakers have reached a deal to consider a medical innovation bill and a mental health reform measure on the House floor next week.
The bills will be combined into a single package and tucked into the shell of a suspender measure that already passed both chambers, enabling lawmakers to expedite consideration of the legislation.
The compromise comes after bill sponsors have been pushing for well over a year to get both measures over the finish line in Congress.
A final deal is not completely in hand yet, though, despite the release of the new language. A senior Democratic aide said talks are ongoing among congressional leadership.
Read more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black lawmaker troubled by Pelosi’s caucus changes
A member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is sounding the alarm over the new changes floated by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), warning that the minority leader’s proposals could erode the power of African-American lawmakers even as they attempt to spread influence to younger members.
In a note to fellow members of the CBC, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) praised Pelosi “for listening to the concerns” of Democrats seeking a new path forward after a disastrous election cycle that will put Republicans in charge of the White House and both chambers of Congress next year.
But he’s also worried that some of the proposals “may have severe unintended consequences that could diminish our power as a caucus” by preventing many longstanding CBC members from rising through the ranks.
Read more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~