Trump impeachment push gets important new ally — Omar, Tlaib denounce Israel over travel restrictions — House Republican joins push for assault weapons ban Presented by

LUJAN TAKES THE LEAP — Rep. Ben Ray Luján on Monday joined the House’s growing pro-impeachment caucus, becoming the highest-ranking Democrat to formally support ousting President Trump. In a statement, the New Mexico Democrat cited the findings in former special counsel Robert Mueller report and declared that Trump is “putting his own personal and political interests ahead of the American people.”

Luján, the No. 4 House Democrat, is now the third member of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership to endorse impeachment, Heather and Kyle report. His sway within the party — particularly among freshmen who earned their seats with his help at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — could ramp up the pressure on more lawmakers. Still, many of Lujan’s colleagues had long been expecting him to come out for impeachment. Yes, Luján is a loyal Pelosi ally, who rarely, if ever, bucks the party line. But he’s also running for Senate in New Mexico running against an outspoken progressive. More from Heather and Kyle: https://politi.co/2NkjQGK .


A total of 127 House Democrats have now come out in favor of an impeachment inquiry, including about two dozen since the start of recess. That’s far short of the roughly 218 that would be needed to back the move on the floor. Keep track with POLITICO’s new handy dandy tracker: https://politi.co/2YWUmGa .

Related: “Democrats have an open Senate seat in New Mexico. Will they elect a progressive, or the former head of the DCCC?” by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim http://bit.ly/2ZhncQY .

THE SQUAD RESPONDS — Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar on Monday gave their first public remarks since the Israeli government halted their planned delegation trip to the region. Speaking at the Minnesota state capitol, Tlaib grew visibly upset as she described her decision to reject Israeli officials’ offer of a “humanitarian” visit to see her grandmother in the West Bank — a trip that would have come with strict conditions. “We all decided as a family that I could not go until I was a free, American, United States congresswoman coming there not only to see my grandmother, but to talk to Palestinian and Israeli organizations,” Tlaib told reporters with tears in her eyes.

Omar denounced the move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “an attempt by an ally of the United States to suppress our ability to do our jobs as elected officials” — statements that have been echoed by other House Democrats, including many who disagree sharply with Tlaib and Omar’s personal politics on Israel. More from Heather: https://politi.co/2KHc0Fk .

Related: “Omar says US should reconsider aid to Israel,” by The Hill’s Cristina Marcos. http://bit.ly/2Z6lG52 .

RECESS ON THE ROAD

— The AP’s Sara Burnett writes from Grand Rapids, Mich. that Rep. Justin Amash’s political future is in trouble: http://bit.ly/30hW5mh .

— Roll Call’s Simone Pathe reports from Elizabethtown, N.C., where early voting begins next week ahead of the Sept. 10 special election in the 9th district redo. http://bit.ly/30iZFfD .

— Washington Post’s Jenna Portnoy writes from Chesterfield, VA. about moderate Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s reflections after clashing with progressives. https://wapo.st/2HgFSWT .

HAPPY TUESDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Aug. 20, where we might have found the perfect summer playlist from Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries. The New Yorker (and well-known hip-hop enthusiast) created the playlist to accompany this year’s “ Brooklyn Power 100 ” — which he tops at No. 1.

MONDAY’S MOST CLICKED: Everybody loved POLITICO’s dispatch from Grand Rapids about Sen. Gary Peter’s must-win seat.

SO, IT’S TECHNICALLY BIPARTISAN... House Democrats have picked up their first GOP co-sponsor on their bill to ban assault weapons: Rep. Pete King. “They are weapons of mass slaughter,” the New York Republican said Monday, specifically citing recent shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, as his reason for signing onto the bill. The New York Daily News reports. http://bit.ly/2HtuirJ .

Another Republican, Rep. Brian Mast, is already on the record supporting an assault weapons ban after the Parkland school shooting just miles from his Florida district. Mast recently predicted to the South Florida Sun Sentinel that universal background checks would become law in the wake of this month’s two deadly attacks. More from the Sentinel’s Anthony Man: http://bit.ly/2ZjrhnC .

Meanwhile, Democrats are feeling deflated after Trump once again shirked hopes of bipartisan cooperation on background checks legislation, Burgess reports. Pro-reform senators in both parties are still talking, Burgess reports. That group includes Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). But their ideas would be a heavy lift in the Senate, requiring at least 13 Republicans to join every single Democrat. More from Burgess: https://politi.co/2Z2wUri

Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso, published a moving op-ed in the New York Times calling on the country to seize the moment. “This moment in American history must be our turning point — on hate, on racism, on guns and violence. This must mean something to us. Our values must be worth fighting for, or else, what do we have left?” Read it here: https://nyti.ms/2TMkm1f .

TAX CUTS 2.0? President Trump might soon have a big ask for Capitol Hill — a payroll tax cut that some in his administration see as a contingency plan for a slumping economy. The plan, first reported by the Washington Post, is the White House’s attempt to shore up an economy that’s been rattled by tariffs and global market scares — while still exuding confidence about avoiding a recession going into Trump’s reelection.

It could put congressional Democrats in a tough spot. House Democrats are unlikely to award Trump a political shot in the arm in an election year, especially after his own self-inflicted wounds to the economy. More from the Post’s Damian Panetta: https://wapo.st/33IvJvI .

A BREAK FROM #OPENGAETZ — Capitol Police have urged Rep. Matt Gaetz to ditch large town hall-style meetings this August recess after he was pelted with a drink at an event in June.

Gaetz said he will still attend less-publicized events in his district, but will hold off on his town halls billed as “#OpenGaetz events,” POLITICO Florida’s Gary Fineout reports from Tallahassee. The conservative firebrand instead took part in an hour-long radio call-in program on Monday. More from Gary: https://politi.co/2zbRgPg .

AXING TITLE X — Planned Parenthood on Monday pulled out of the nation’s only family planning grant program in protest of strict new rules by the Trump administration. The group’s acting head, Alexis McGill Johnson, said Monday that the group will not be “bullied into” complying with the White House’s anti-abortion policies, per POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein: https://politi.co/2NkcpPA .

The move could start a funding war when Congress returns next month. Democratic aides say the issue will be on the table during funding talks in September, though it’s not clear exactly how far the party is willing to go if it risks another shutdown.

TRANSITIONS

Miranda Margowsky will be a communications principal at Precision Strategies. She is currently the deputy communications director for Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

Cody Uhing is now press secretary at the First Five Years Fund. He previously was communications director for Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House and Senate are out.

AROUND THE HILL

It's only Tuesday?

TRIVIA

MONDAY’S WINNER: Nobody guessed that Calvin Coolidge was the last President to face a recession throughout his re-election and still win .

TODAY’S QUESTION: From your host: Who is the first known lawmaker to win election to Congress by a write-in vote? First person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: [email protected] .

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Follow us on Twitter Melanie Zanona @MZanona