SANCTION NATION
Newly empowered Democrats are trying to force the administration’s hand on Manafort-linked Oleg Deripaska.
Andrew Desiderio is a former congressional reporter for The Daily Beast, based on Capitol Hill. His political reporting has been published in RealClearPolitics and BBC News.
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PARTING GIFT
Why upset the White House on their way out of power?
ART OF THE FAIL
Lawmakers could not come to an agreement on the president’s demand for $5 billion in border wall funding.
STAND DOWN
The Foreign Relations chairman said the U.S. was weeks away from launching a ‘major clearing operation’ in the Euphrates River Valley when Trump decided to withdraw from Syria.
THE BEST MEDICINE
‘You can’t make this stuff up!’ retiring Sen. Bob Corker joked on Thursday amid a chaotic D.C. scramble to avert a government shutdown.
LITTLE HELP PLEASE
The White House has said it will take a position on the funding bill only after it passes. Lawmakers are confused.
ATTACK MODE
‘In the face of fear of Fox News, fear of their base, fear of mean tweets, stand up for the values of this country and not slink away into retirement,’ the ex-FBI director said.
WHEN DOVES FLY
Legislators rarely move to stop any U.S. wars. But the brutality of the conflict and murder of Jamal Khashoggi prompted an anti-war success—one with implications beyond Yemen.
ABOUT TIME
The compromise bill would hold lawmakers personally responsible for harassment and retaliation.
UGLY
During the tense exchanges, Vice President Mike Pence sat stoically next to Trump and remained silent.