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.







Washington is on pins and needles for the next 48 hours ahead of the expected release of 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 report on Thursday. As Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Hillicon Valley: DOJ proposes tech liability shield reform to Congress | Treasury sanctions individuals, groups tied to Russian malign influence activities | House Republican introduces bill to set standards for self-driving cars McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE has said for weeks, the report will feature redactions to protect grand jury material and information relating to other investigations, much to the chagrin of Democratic lawmakers who want the whole unredacted report released immediately.

As Jacqueline Thomsen writes, the report is expected to reveal the findings of Mueller's 22-month investigation as well as the evidence collected by investigators during that time.

It is also expected to set up a showdown between House Democrats and the Justice Department over what’s out of view behind thick black lines. Barr said last week that he does not plan to ask court permission to release grand jury material included in the report. A federal appeals court ruled earlier this month that a judge does not have the inherent authority to release grand jury information, making it less likely that those details will become public.

NBC News: White House officials worried about being exposed by Mueller report.

Ed Rogers: Mueller may be done, but Barr is just getting started.

David Leonhardt: Mueller and the media, take two.

> President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE triggered a looming battle between the administration and House Democratic lawmakers over his nascent plan to release migrants into sanctuary cities.

"Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong consideration to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only,” Trump tweeted on Monday, days after he said he was considering the possibility.

House Democrats officially weighed in on Monday as Reps. Jerrold Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerDemocrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court Schumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-N.Y.), Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (D-Md.) and Bennie Thompson Bennie Gordon ThompsonHouse panel pans ICE detention medical care, oversight Senate to hold nomination hearing for Wolf next week Hillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers MORE (D-Miss.), three committee chairmen, wrote to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyOn The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security Blockchain trade group names Mick Mulvaney to board Mick Mulvaney to start hedge fund MORE and acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan questioning the proposal, calling it “alarming” (Bloomberg).

Nadler, Cummings and Thompson wrote that “the plan appears to have been specifically designed to target Democratic districts,” adding that it runs counter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy guidelines.

The Democratic trio also called for the Trump administration to hand over emails and other communications "concerning such a transfer or release of immigration detainees to or in specific locations of the U.S.” that took place between White House and Homeland Security officials.

The Associated Press: Democrats subpoena banks as they probe Trump finances.

> House Democrats defended Rep. Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.) as she continued to receive criticism from Trump after he attacked her for comments she made about 9/11. Trump escalated his attacks Monday by tweeting that Omar has control over Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE (D-Calif.). He refused to remove a video he tweeted Friday over Omar’s remarks.

As Cristina Marcos and Mike Lillis report, it’s a change from past controversies involving Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, as fellow Democrats who rebuked her over what were viewed as anti-Semitic comments are now rushing to her defense.

“There have been occasions when she's made comments that she's apologized for that were inartful or that were taken as anti-Semitic. This was certainly not one of them,” Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairwoman Karen Bass Karen Ruth BassOutrage erupts over Breonna Taylor grand jury ruling Patients are dying unnecessarily from organ donation policy failures Hispanic caucus report takes stock of accomplishments with eye toward 2021 MORE (D-Calif.) said Monday on a call with reporters.

Politico: Omar rakes in cash online as controversies pile up.

The Washington Post: Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersOutrage erupts over Breonna Taylor grand jury ruling Dimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death MORE (I-Vt.) keeps distance from Omar, even as he defends her against accusations of anti-Semitism.

Elsewhere in investigations and Congress … William Consovoy, a member of Trump’s legal team, wrote to the Treasury Department once again to implore it to not give Congress the president’s tax returns, saying that Congress has no authority “to act like a junior-varsity IRS” (USA Today ) … Former Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) will join the faculty at the University of Notre Dame during the 2019-20 academic year and serve as a guest lecturer in political science and economics (South Bend Tribune).







LEADING THE DAY





ECONOMY: Many political analysts in both parties believe the health of the economy in the fall of 2020 and how voters feel about their jobs and financial security will decide the next president.

For that reason, Senate Republicans, who hold the majority and would like to keep it that way, want to present themselves as the party of free trade, lower taxes and less regulation for the next year and a half, even if Trump wanders from that terrain to condemn federal investigations, warn about migrants and tout a wall at the border.

At the moment, Senate Republicans are negotiating among themselves to try to respond to the president’s trade agenda, which they worry is bogged down with costly tariffs, U.S. threats and incomplete negotiations.

The United States and China, the two largest economies, are nine months into a trade war that has cost billions of dollars, roiled financial markets and upended supply chains. Trade watchers this week fear the Trump administration has backed off demands that Beijing temper its industrial subsidies (CNBC).

Alexander Bolton reports that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose Top GOP senators say Hunter Biden's work 'cast a shadow' over Obama Ukraine policy Read: Senate GOP's controversial Biden report MORE (R-Iowa) is laboring to smooth out differences between two leading GOP free traders, Sens. Pat Toomey Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyAppeals court rules NSA's bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panel GOP senators push for quick, partial reopening of economy MORE (Pa.) and Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Romney undecided on authorizing subpoenas for GOP Obama-era probes Congress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery MORE (Ohio), who have competing proposals that would shrink the president’s authority to levy tariffs on imported goods.

The uncertainty Trump sows with trading partners undercuts the role the United States has traditionally played in setting and stabilizing the global rules of trade. Many trade experts believe the president’s unconventional techniques dampened economic growth along the way (The New York Times).

France and Belgium declined on Monday to support the launch of new trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States, highlighting divisions over Trump’s approach to trade and climate change (The New York Times).

The government will describe the U.S. trade gap as measured in February in a report released on Wednesday.

> The president ventured to Minnesota -- a state he narrowly lost in 2016 -- on Monday to celebrate the GOP tax reform law he signed in 2017 and to remind his supporters that many Americans saw their federal taxes drop in 2018. It’s a message Republican leaders want the president to keep repeating (The Hill).

"We promised these tax cuts would be rocket fuel for the American economy and we were absolutely right," Trump said during his visit to a trucking company.

But on Monday’s deadline to file IRS returns, just one-fifth of Americans say they believe they actually received a tax cut. The rest aren’t persuaded they were affected, according to surveys. It’s a sobering warning to GOP candidates that they may need economic luck next year to appeal to enough voters (Bloomberg).







IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES





POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: The deadline to report fundraising for the first quarter came and went Monday night as a score of 2020 Democrats revealed fundraising totals for the opening stanza.

Associated Press: Democrats raise $75 million so far, signaling a drawn-out fight.

“Democratic presidential candidates raised about $75 million during the first quarter of the 2020 election, a lackluster sum spread out across more than a dozen campaigns that signals a drawn-out battle likely lies ahead.”

“Fundraising figures submitted to the Federal Election Commission by Monday’s reporting deadline show Democratic candidates not only lag behind President Donald Trump, who raised $30 million, but took in less than the party did during the same period in the 2008 election. That year eight candidates collectively raised over $80 million despite a maximum donation amount that was hundreds of dollars less than the current $2,800 cap.

Part of the difficulty is many donors are staying on the sidelines, waiting for the field to thin. At the same time, low-dollar contributions from party’s base, a source of money that helped Democrats retake the House last year, haven’t made up the difference.”

The Hill: Winners and losers from first fundraising quarter.

The Washington Post: Trump focuses on divisive messages as 2020 reelection bid takes shape.

> Sanders took his campaign to the airwaves of Fox News on Monday night as he defended himself on a number of fronts, namely for his new status as a millionaire and for his age.

The Democratic front-runner released 10 years of tax returns earlier Monday, showing that sales from his best-selling book pushed his income to $1,073,333 in 2016, a year after he made $240,622 and his presidential campaign concluded. Despite his railings in the past against the rich, he offered a defense of his newly earned wealth.

“If anyone thinks I should apologize for writing a best-selling book, I’m sorry, I’m not going to do it,” Sanders said Monday night.

The New York Times: Bernie Sanders released his tax returns. He’s part of the 1%.

The Wall Street Journal: Beto O’Rourke underpaid two years of taxes.

Additionally, Sanders pushed back against questions about his age. The Vermont Independent will be 79 on inauguration day in 2021 and would be the oldest president in history.

“It’s not whether you’re young. It’s not whether you’re old. It’s what you believe in,” Sanders said, adding a challenge to “follow me around the campaign trail.”

Trump, who was 70 on inauguration day in 2017, is the oldest president elected to the office.

The New York Times: The rematch: Bernie Sanders vs. a Clinton loyalist.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail … former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld announced his bid for the 2020 GOP nomination against Trump, the first Republican to launch a primary challenge (The Hill ) … Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Nearly 40 Democratic senators call for climate change questions in debates Joe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late MORE (D-Calif.) attracted support from a number of Hollywood figures in the first quarter, including Ben Affleck, Elizabeth Banks, Wanda Sykes and Lily Tomlin ( Politico).







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





2020 is the Democrats to lose and they very well may, by Al Hunt, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2Ujj0d9

Glamorization of the Senate filibuster must end, by B.J. Rudell, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2GfezLe







WHERE AND WHEN





The House returns to a legislative schedule on April 29.

The Senate gets back to work at 3 p.m. on April 29.

The president has lunch with Vice President Pence. Trump participates in the Roosevelt Room in the ceremonial swearing-in of Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who was confirmed by the Senate in February.







ELSEWHERE





➔ Measles: The ongoing outbreak of measles is challenging public health officials and politicians. Here are five things you should know (The Hill). The U.S. count of confirmed measles cases reached 555 on Monday, with most infections located in New York City (The Associated Press). Public health sleuths tracked down “patient zero,” a measles patient who unknowingly infected 39 people while traveling (The Washington Post). New York City’s health department closed a child care center because it failed to present its vaccination records, as required under the city’s current public health emergency requirements (CNBC). Some Brooklyn parents are suing to stop Mayor Bill de Blasio’s mandatory measles vaccination order (ABC News).

➔ Media: National and regional news outlets won prestigious Pulitzer Prizes on Monday after disclosing fraud, falsehoods and payoffs in Trump’s past and for in-depth reporting about shooting tragedies in local communities as well as efforts to defend a free press. The list of award recipients HERE includes The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette … Meanwhile, the European Union adopted a controversial internet copyright rule that the 28 states in the bloc must adopt as law. It covers artists and the news media (The Associated Press).

➔ Tiger and Trump: The president announced on Twitter that he will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Masters champ Tiger Woods for his comeback under pressure on Sunday in a sport Trump loves. The move comes a decade after a push to give Woods the Congressional Gold Medal was dropped after his extramarital affairs came to light (The Hill).







THE CLOSER





And finally … The world mourns with France and Paris this morning after news Monday that soaring flames devastated the nearly 900-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral. The towers were saved but two-thirds of the cathedral’s roof was destroyed. Fire officials continue inspecting the smoldering damage today (The New York Times).

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that the iconic structure, with its history dating to the year 1163, will be rebuilt. In the meantime, billions of euros in private pledges for reconstruction and restoration are piling up.

“The worst has been avoided even though the battle is not completely won,” Macron said during a brief and solemn speech at Notre Dame Monday evening.

Trump lamented the destruction as the enormous fire raged Monday afternoon and the cathedral’s spire collapsed into the flames (The Hill).

Former President Obama offered condolences to the French people and included a photograph taken years ago in Notre Dame with wife, Michelle, who tweeted her own message from Paris on Monday.

The cathedral withstood centuries of history, as photographs published by The New York Times attest.





