Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Tuesday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Co-creators are Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver (CLICK HERE to subscribe!). On Twitter, find us at @asimendinger and @alweaver22.

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Happy birthday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare House lawmakers reach deal to avert shutdown Centrist Democrats 'strongly considering' discharge petition on GOP PPP bill MORE (D-Calif.), who is 79 today!







Special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE’s Russia investigation may be over, but new political battles are just beginning between Congress and the executive branch.

President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE on Monday took aim at Democratic lawmakers and the news media at the same time Pelosi and key committee overseers met to assess their footing when it comes to investigations tied to Mueller’s evidence. In the interim, Pelosi urged her colleagues on Monday to talk about Democrats’ policy agenda, not Russia.

House Democrats say they want the public release of the special counsel’s findings and evidence in a week, and they want Attorney General William Barr to testify about the contents of his four-page letter summarizing Mueller’s finding that there was no Trump-Russia conspiracy behind the 2016 election, as well as Barr’s decision that there is no basis for a criminal case against Trump alleging obstruction of justice.

The Hill: Democrats face a dilemma.

NBC News: Six Democratic committee chairs in the House seek Mueller report by April 2

The Hill: Barr is at the center of a political storm.

NPR: Impeachment action less likely.

Senate Republicans say they back the president and believe some of their Democratic colleagues are Trump-fixated extremists who persist in chasing phantoms.

“It’s over. And I say this gently to the president, I will say: When you get what you want, it’s time to move on and talk about other issues. …I know some of my Democratic colleagues will not leave it alone. Some of them have two speeds: hostile and smart-ass, and they’re never going to leave it alone because they didn’t want the American people to pick Donald Trump to be president.” — Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.)

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s most outspoken allies in Congress, says Barr has agreed to testify to his committee on an unspecified date.

“He said he'd be glad to come, just give him some time to figure out, you know, as soon as possible, but thoroughly vet the report and make sure we don't compromise anybody's security," Graham told reporters on Monday afternoon.

Barr will confer with Mueller about what should be made public, Graham added (The Hill). Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinBiden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll Names to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court McConnell says Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote MORE (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, asked Barr by letter to release the Mueller material by April 1 (The Hill).

The Judiciary chairman also wants to focus on the Justice Department’s Russia probe before Mueller was appointed, including subjects that animate the president: the FBI’s handling of Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE’s emails and what Republicans say was evidence of political bias inside the Justice Department against Trump.

Reuters: Graham wants to “unpack the other side of the story” through the appointment of a new special counsel.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Senate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Ky.) blocked a resolution on Monday backed by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.) calling for the Mueller report to be publicly disclosed. McConnell argued that Barr and Mueller are working toward release of information and should be given time to complete their consultations (The Hill).

Trump said on Monday that “it wouldn’t bother me at all” if the special counsel’s report is publicly released (NBC News). Despite hundreds of tweets and rhetoric calling the Russia investigation a politically-stoked “witch hunt,” the president also commented that Mueller acted honorably during the 22-month probe, which produced 34 criminal indictments (The Hill).

But the president signaled he’s not in a forgiving mood. “There are a lot of people out there that have done some very, very evil things, very bad things, I would say treasonous things against our country,” he told reporters without being specific.

Jordan Fabian reports that Trump and his supporters appear eager to exact revenge on certain congressional Democrats and those perceived to be partisan critics. They’ve suggested some lawmakers and journalists should lose their jobs for their roles in inquiries about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and its efforts to help the Trump campaign (The Hill).

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffChris Matthews ripped for complimenting Trump's 'true presidential behavior' on Ginsburg Trump casts doubt on Ginsburg statement, wonders if it was written by Schiff, Pelosi or Schumer Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-Calif.) is one such target.

What the president, the Justice Department and the White House counsel believe the public should see from Mueller’s findings remains vague, and a resolution between the legislative and executive branches is expected to be prolonged. It is possible arguments about disclosure wind up in court.

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said on Monday he would not want the president to publicly release his written answers to Mueller’s questions when no criminal case was brought against the president.

“This is something, frankly, that should never have happened. This is a two-year waste of taxpayer time and dollars. They spent over $25 million on this just to find out that there was nothing there. This should never happen to another president, and we want to make sure that the institution of the president is protected.” — White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on NBC’s Today.

Sanders also said there has been no discussion of pardoning former Trump aides who wound up in Mueller’s crosshairs (The Hill).

More coverage … The news media are under intense criticism in some quarters after the Barr-Mueller findings were released on Sunday (The Hill). Trump’s supporters turned their fire on news outlets that won Pulitzer Prizes for investigative reporting about Trump and Russia (NBC News). … Why was obstruction a hard case for Mueller to make? (Reuters) … The Supreme Court denied an unnamed foreign government-owned corporation’s request to appeal Mueller’s subpoena (CNN) … Profile of Rep. Jamie Raskin Jamin (Jamie) Ben RaskinShakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' Trump payroll-tax deferral for federal workers sparks backlash Congress must enact a plan to keep government workers safe MORE (D-Md.), a key member of the House Judiciary and Oversight and Reform committees ( The Hill).













LEADING THE DAY





CAMPAIGN & POLITICS: Trump received a major boost politically with the release of the Mueller report, giving his 2020 reelection bid a shot in the arm it desperately needed, says Niall Stanage. More than anything, the report's release and the declaration that there was no collusion have given ammunition to Trump and his allies, who are not sparing any of it in the midst of a rare positive news cycle (The Hill).

Republicans were jubilant as they returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after a week-long recess, declaring that the president was the outright winner, regardless of what the report said about obstruction of justice. To Republicans, this is now in the rearview mirror and allows them to focus on anything else under the sun.

"It's a pretty big sigh of relief. More than anything, we're all relieved that it's over," Sen. Kevin Cramer Kevin John CramerMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day On Paycheck Protection Program, streamlined forgiveness is key McConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package MORE (R-N.D.) told the Morning Report.

Republican lawmakers are pleased with the report not only for the president's sake but for their own as well. Senate Republicans are facing a tough map in 2020 as they prepare to defend 22 seats, including a couple in perilous territory. They are breathing easy.

"It should let a lot of the air out of the room," said Sen. John Thune John Randolph ThuneSenate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Romney backs pre-election Supreme Court vote, paving way for McConnell, Trump Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court MORE (R-S.D) "I think it's going to help him politically, and I think it helps our members who are running for reelection."

For Democrats, though, they claim this doesn't change anything on the 2020 scene, both in their nomination fight and in their push to recapture the upper chamber. Just as they did in 2018, many believe their best chance is in not using the investigations as a pre-eminent focus but rather doing what they did in 2018 to take back the House: talking to voters about health care and other pocketbook issues.

"What's telling is before this report even came out, the question about the Mueller investigation came up very infrequently on the campaign trail," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen Christopher (Chris) Van HollenCongress must finish work on popular conservation bill before time runs out Democrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate Mid-Atlantic states sue EPA over Chesapeake Bay pollution MORE (D-Md.), who chaired the Senate Democratic campaign arm in 2018.

"If you were listening to these candidates before the Mueller report came out, 99 percent of the time they were talking about health care, protecting people with pre-existing conditions, clean energy, investing in early education. Those are the issues that have been front and center, and I think those will remain the focus."

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Catherine Marie Cortez MastoDemocratic Senate campaign arm raised nearly M in August VA problems raise worries about mail slowdown, prescriptions Cortez Masto touts mail-in voting in convention speech MORE (D-Nev.), the newly minted chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said that during a recess period prior to the report's release, no one asked her about the issue.

> NBC News: Democratic primary voters ask candidates about health care, not Mueller report:

"Beto O'Rourke Beto O'RourkeJimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' 2020 Democrats do convention Zoom call MORE answered more than 100 questions from voters in eight states on his first swing as a presidential candidate last week, and not one was about Russia or Mueller, including during the two days after the report was turned in."

Nevertheless, the news has also given a boost in morale to the House GOP conference. Rep. Tom Cole Thomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeBottom line House approves .3 trillion spending package for 2021 Multiple lawmakers self-quarantine after exposure to Gohmert MORE (R-Okla) says the members “feel like this settles the issue” that plagued the president for nearly two years

"How many times does a president have to prove there was no collusion?" Cole said, referring to the multiple investigations, including the Mueller probe and those in the Senate and House. "I think there are a lot of nails in this particular coffin."

Washington Post: Win-win? Trump and 2020 Democrats both argue the end of the Mueller probe offers advantages

> The Hill: Supreme Court takes another crack at partisan gerrymandering issue

On Tuesday the justices will look with a new set of eyes at whether politicians can go too far and unconstitutionally manipulate the lines of voting districts to favor one political party over another.

A Republican challenge to the way Democratic officials in Maryland drew the state’s 6th Congressional District is now back before the court as well as a challenge out of North Carolina. In that case, Democratic voters are the ones claiming they were harmed when GOP state officials ordered new congressional districts be drawn to benefit Republican candidates.

> Washington Post: Obama cautions freshman House Democrats about the price tag of liberal policies.

In other political news ... S en. Tom Udall Thomas (Tom) Stewart UdallLWCF modernization: Restoring the promise OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency MORE (D-N.M.) announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2020, leaving the Senate seat he has held since 2009 up for grabs. Rep. Ben Ray Luj án said that he will consider possible run for the seat (The Hill) … Rep. José Serrano revealed that he has Parkinson’s Disease and will not run for reelection in 2020 (The Hill).

Elsewhere on 2020 scene… Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., shows signs of emerging from the Democratic pack (The Hill ) ... Rep. Ruben Gallego Ruben GallegoHispanic caucus report takes stock of accomplishments with eye toward 2021 Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Hispanic Caucus campaign chief to mount leadership bid MORE (D-Ariz.), averting primary brawl, won't run for the Senate ( Arizona Republic ) ... Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-Maine) will get primaried, says pro-Trump Republican in Maine who wants to take her on ( Bangor Daily News) ... O'Rourke hires Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, former Obama deputy campaign manager, to run his campaign (The New York Times).







IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES





WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Beyond Mueller report discussions inside the administration, there are other headlines this morning.

Intelligence: Vice President Pence talked Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE, the director of national intelligence, out of quitting late in 2018, NBC News reports, citing unnamed current and former senior administration officials.

Health Care: Trump is now asking the courts to erase Obamacare in what is seen as a risky 2020 election move. Switching gears, the Justice Department asked a judge to throw out the entire law (Bloomberg).

High-speed internet: The Federal Communications Commission’s central policy objective has been expansion of access to high-speed internet for millions of Americans who remain unconnected. But a recent draft report is raising eyebrows as the commission’s Republican chairman, Ajit Pai, turns to the conclusions to justify a deregulatory agenda, including the repeal of net neutrality (The Hill).

Federal Reserve: Trump sparked backlash across the political spectrum with his decision on Friday to nominate ally and Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Stephen Moore to join the Federal Reserve Board (The Hill).

Trade: Trump will meet this afternoon with members of the House GOP whip team to discuss pending ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), negotiated and signed with Mexico and Canada last year to replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. A flurry of trade activity in the administration begins this week, including continued U.S.-China negotiations set to continue in Beijing (CNBC).

Guns: A federal ban on bump stocks, which are devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired continuously with one pull of a trigger, begins today unless a court intervenes. The Justice Department issued a rule in December, deciding that existing prohibitions against fully automatic weapons also covered bump stocks. Owners were given 90 days to turn in or destroy them, the deadline for which is today (CNN).







The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!







OPINION





Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE likely made the correct legal decision, by criminal defense attorney David Oscar Markus, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2JItfYi

How the American judicial system saved Trump, despite his behavior, by former federal prosecutor Gregory J. Wallance, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2Oq5Zgm

It’s time to let go of collusion. There’s a bigger message from the Mueller findings, by Chuck Lane, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/2U0dTmy







WHERE AND WHEN





The House meets at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to cast votes to consider overriding the president’s veto of a resolution of disapproval about his executive effort to reprogram appropriations to finance a border wall. The Associated Press reports the override effort is unlikely to succeed.

The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. and resumes consideration of Bridget S. Bade to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

The president heads to the Capitol to participate in the weekly Senate Republican policy lunch at 1 p.m. He meets with House Republicans to discuss trade at 3:15 p.m.

Pence will fly to Huntsville, Ala., to speak at a National Space Council meeting and tour the U.S. Space and Rocket Center before returning to Washington.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE holds a news conference at the Department of State at 9:15 a.m. He meets with Uighur Muslims impacted by the human rights crisis in Xinjiang, China, in the afternoon. The secretary meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at 5:15 p.m.

Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE tonight headlines the Biden Courage Awards, sponsored by the Biden Foundation and It’s On Us, a group founded with former President Obama in 2014 to focus on sexual assault prevention. College students and young activists will receive awards in New York City at the Russian Tea Room at 6 p.m.







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ELSEWHERE





➔ Brexit: In an unusual move, members of the U.K. Parliament will vote on a range of Brexit options on Wednesday, giving lawmakers a chance to indicate whether it can agree on a deal with closer ties to the European Union, and then try to push the government led by Prime Minister Theresa May in that direction (Reuters). May faces a chorus of predictions that her country will be forced to divorce the EU with no exit agreement in place, and that her remaining time in office could be short (BBC).

➔ Israel: Trump on Monday signed a proclamation to recognize the disputed Golan Heights as Israeli territory in an election boost for visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters). With the prime minister by his side, Trump also said the United States supports Israel’s bomb strikes on Monday against “Hamas terror targets” across the Gaza Strip, initiated by the Israeli military as retaliation for an earlier rocket attack that wounded seven people near Tel Aviv (The Guardian).







➔ Venezuela: Two Russian military planes landed in Venezuela on Saturday, reportedly carrying dozens of troops and large amounts of equipment to a country caught in a crisis of governance. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Russia to "cease its unconstructive behaviour" there. "The secretary told Russian Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov that the United States and regional countries will not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela," the State Department said. Russian planes were sent to "fulfill technical military contracts," Russia's Sputnik news agency reported. Russia is an ally of Venezuela, lending the country billions of dollars and backing its oil industry and military (BBC).







THE CLOSER





And finally … Blink and you miss it. The panda mating season lasts just 24 to 72 hours this spring, which explains why Washington’s National Zoo is busy surveilling the flirtations and amorous signals of female Mei Xiang and male Tian Tian, monitoring estrogen levels, pool splashing and bleating sounds for signs of what one news anchor on Monday described as “hooking up.”

Odds are a natural prelude to a little panda won’t happen (vets usually artificially inseminate Mei Xiang) (NBC4). The number of zoo births of giant pandas worldwide is low because ardor and opportunity in captivity are hard to align (Phys.org). Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have produced just three surviving cubs since they arrived in Washington together in 2000 (The Washington Post).





