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

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A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers will meet for the first time today to negotiate a long-term spending agreement in an effort to avoid another government shutdown.

The deadline is Feb. 15 and the task is tricky, as President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE is demanding additional money for a border wall and House Democrats insist they will not give it to him.

The Senate panel is made up of four Republicans and three Democrats, led by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby Richard Craig ShelbySenate GOP eyes early exit Dems discussing government funding bill into February GOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick MORE (R-Ala.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahyBattle over timing complicates Democratic shutdown strategy Hillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts MORE of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the committee.

The House conferees will be made up of six Democrats and four Republicans, led by House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey Nita Sue LoweyTop House Democrats call for watchdog probe into Pompeo's Jerusalem speech With Biden, advocates sense momentum for lifting abortion funding ban Progressives look to flex their muscle in next Congress after primary wins MORE (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Kay Granger Norvell (Kay) Kay GrangerBottom line Helping our seniors before it's too late House approves .3 trillion spending package for 2021 MORE of Texas, the ranking Republican on the committee.

CNN : Get to know the conferees.

The Associated Press : Lawmakers hopeful of agreement that would prevent shutdown.

Lawmakers are optimistic they can reach some kind of a deal, with another shutdown viewed as the worst-possible scenario as Washington recovers from the record 35-day impasse.

But what the deal will ultimately look like is anyone’s guess.

Semantics will be important, as Democrats don’t want to allocate any money for a “wall” but might be open to some funding for a “fence” or a “barrier.”

“We’ve consistently said we do not support a medieval border wall from sea to shining sea. However, we are willing to support fencing where it makes sense. But it should be done in an evidence-based fashion.” – House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries Hakeem Sekou JeffriesPelosi: House will stay in session until agreement is reached on coronavirus relief Races heat up for House leadership posts Postmaster general earned millions from company with ties to Postal Service: report MORE (D-N.Y.)

“It could be ‘barrier.’ It doesn’t have to be a wall.” – House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyTrump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill Trump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat MORE (R-Calif.)

A grand bargain that includes an immigration overhaul, or a pathway to citizenship for those protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, is the dream scenario for many lawmakers but seems unlikely.



The Hill : No GOP appetite for a second shutdown.

More on the funding fight … The government is fully open but the effects of the partial shutdown will be felt for months in the federal judiciary ( The Hill ).

LEADING THE DAY





WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Intelligence experts from the Trump administration as well as members of Congress from both parties challenged key tenets of the president’s international policies on Tuesday ( The Hill ).

During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing devoted to assessments of global threats, top administration officials contradicted a number of Trump’s assertions about North Korea, Iran, the Islamic State and national security threats the president perceives at the U.S.-Mexico border ( The New York Times ).

While Trump has said U.S. forces have defeated ISIS, his top intelligence advisers testified about prevailing risks.

“ISIS will continue to be a threat to the United States, and we’re going to have to continue to keep our eyes on that … as the realization that this terrorism threat is going to continue for some time.” – 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, national intelligence director

In an unusual break with Trump on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE (R-Ky.) announced he will seek to amend a foreign policy measure to warn against a “precipitous withdrawal” of U.S. troops from either Syria or Afghanistan.

The president last year ordered a pullout of U.S. forces from Syria and has been mulling an exit from Afghanistan, despite objections from some military advisers and from leading Republican allies in Congress.

McConnell said his proposal would "acknowledge the plain fact" that al Qaeda, ISIS and affiliates "pose a serious threat to us here in home” ( The Hill ).

Pentagon: Meanwhile, the administration announced the Defense Department will deploy “a few thousand” more troops to the U.S. southern border with Mexico to support Department of Homeland Security personnel ( The Hill ). The Pentagon announced the decision as congressional negotiators are beginning negotiations over funding levels to support border security beyond a Feb. 15 deadline.

China & trade: U.S. criminal charges this week against Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co. complicate trade talks in Washington resuming today between the two countries ( The Hill ). On trade, the divides are wide ( The Wall Street Journal ).

Justice Department: William Barr, Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, must wait until next week for a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation vote ( The Hill ). Democrats on the committee are perturbed that Barr will not pledge to make public a report to the Justice Department by 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 when his team’s investigation is complete. On Tuesday, the panel postponed action for a week.

Impeachment: Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer was on Capitol Hill to promote his articles of impeachment on Tuesday, but Pelosi is keeping a tight grip on her caucus and tamping down talk about impeaching Trump ( The Hill ).

State of the Union: Trump’s address to the nation will occur on Feb. 5, and the traditional televised rebuttal by a Democrat will be delivered by Stacey Abrams, who was defeated in November in Georgia’s gubernatorial race. Sen. Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerVideo of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral Graham signals support for confirming a Supreme Court nominee this year Pelosi orders Capitol flags at half-staff to honor Ginsburg MORE (D-N.Y.) announced the choice ( The Hill ).

White House: Trump is expected to spend the coming weekend at his resort in Mar-a-Lago, his first trip to Florida this year. Days before his State of the Union speech, the president will sit down for an interview on Friday with CBS News’s Margaret Brennan, to be broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday ( The Washington Post ).





IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES





POLITICS & 2020: It’s been a tough few weeks for the president, who suffered a stinging defeat on the government shutdown and has seen his poll numbers decline as Democrats are lining up to challenge him in 2020.

AP-NORC : 70 percent of respondents say U.S. is headed in wrong direction.

Quinnipiac University Poll : Voters trust Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Trump is betting big on the suburbs, but his strategy is failing 'bigly' Trump orders flags at half-staff to honor 'trailblazer' Ginsburg MORE (D-Calif.) more than Trump.

Journalist David Drucker adds to the list of the president’s worries:

The Washington Examiner : Texas Republicans fear Trump could lose the state in 2020.

Who will be the Democrat that gets to take Trump on in 2020?

The New York Times has this helpful infographic to keep you apprised of who is already in the race, who is a lock to get in soon, and who is likely to get in at some point.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will not be among those seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, announcing on Tuesday that he wants to “finish the job” at home ( The Los Angeles Times ).

Speculation kicked up once again this week around Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Warning signs flash for Lindsey Graham in South Carolina MORE. Alexander Bolton reports that the Senate Democrats who were in lockstep with the former secretary of State in 2016 say it would not be a good idea for her to run again in 2020 ( The Hill ). Clinton’s former campaign chairman John Podesta told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Tuesday night that “ she’s not running. ”



Finally, there was some star wattage in Washington on Tuesday, as actresses Patricia Arquette and Alyssa Milano were on Capitol Hill to rally support for an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Judy Kurtz has the rundown HERE .

More from the campaign trail … Democrats are looking to put a number of their own incumbents in the crosshairs in 2020 as competing party factions vie for influence in the new House majority ( The Hill ) … Howard Schultz has been laying the groundwork for an independent presidential bid for months ( The Washington Post ).





The Morning Report is created by journalists Jonathan Easley & Alexis Simendinger. We want to hear from you! @ jeasley@thehill.com and @ asimendinger@thehill.com . We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE !





OPINION





The Trump administration is not ready for a foreign policy crisis, by Antony J. Blinken. https://nyti.ms/2FWUf3y

The president owes federal workers more than just missed paychecks, by Edgar Chen and Julie Zebrak, opinion contributors, The Hill. http://bit.ly/2FXRnn8





WHERE AND WHEN





Hill.TV’s “Rising” program, starting at 8 a.m., features an interview with Rep. Bennie Thompson Bennie Gordon ThompsonSenate 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 FBI director calls antifa 'a real thing' MORE (D-Miss.), the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, about his expectations for the new Congress. Former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams and The Hill’s Alex Gangitano will stop buy to talk about the special counsel probe and foreign lobbying. http://thehill.com/hilltv

The House meets at 9 a.m. The Speaker and her allies plan an event today to formally re-introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act, a measure intended to equalize pay between men and women that Democrats have sought to enact for decades.

The Senate convenes at noon.

The president receives an intelligence briefing at 11:30 a.m.

The Federal Reserve concludes a two-day meeting and releases a policy statement at 2 p.m. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell holds a press conference at 2:30 p.m.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis delayed release planned today of its report on gross domestic product for the fourth quarter of 2018, due to the effects of the partial federal shutdown. A new date for release has not been set, but it could be next week ( CNBC ).





ELSEWHERE





> Brexit: The U.K. Parliament continued on Tuesday to struggle to find a path forward to devise an orderly divorce for Great Britain from the European Union. British lawmakers instructed Prime Minister Theresa May to demand that Brussels replace the Irish border arrangement known as the “backstop,” in a last-ditch attempt to renegotiate an exit treaty. The EU ruled it out within minutes of Parliament’s vote ( Reuters) .

> Cancer: Israeli scientists working for a biotechnology firm assert they may have found the first complete cure for cancer. The researchers liken the treatment to a “cancer antibiotic” ( The Jerusalem Post ).

> Las Vegas shootings: After a 16-month investigation, the FBI said it found no “single or clear motivating factor” to explain why Stephen Paddock opened fire from his suite in a high-rise Nevada casino hotel and killed 58 people and injured close to 900 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern history. The 64-year-old, who acted alone on Oct. 1, 2017, fatally shot himself as police closed in ( The Associated Press ).





THE CLOSER





And finally … You can still get tickets for the big game, but it’s going to cost you.

Tickets for Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta on Sunday could be the most expensive ever, with prices starting at $2,900 through On Location Experiences , which is partnering with the NFL on ticket sales. Those seats won’t get you very close to the field.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the average ticket price was about $6,000 after the match-up between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams was finalized, with prices for high-end packages running past $20,000.

It’s not just the ticket that will make the weekend pricey. You’ll need a place to stay, and one ticket plus three nights at the Hampton Inn Atlanta-Buckhead will run you around $5,000 right now.





