GOP Making Late Changes to Senate Tax Plan Mcconnell Is Still Working to Win Over Key Holdouts Before a Vote on the Floor This Week

VOL. 11 • NO. 99 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | POLITICO.COM

Trump doesn’t know ‘Pocahontas’ Confusion and chaos Matt what’s next after taxes taunt engulf consumer agency Wuerker Still smarting from the failure of Obamacare repeal Trump mocks Warren As White House budget director Mick Mulvaney The cartoonist’s and focused on taxes, the White House hasn’t at an event honoring settled in, CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English daily take on the worked out its next big-ticket item as 2018 looms. Native American vets. was sending emails to staff. world of politics. PAGE 15 PAGE 10 PAGE 7 PAGE 18 GOP making late changes to Senate tax plan McConnell is still working to win over key holdouts before a vote on the floor this week

BY SEUNG MIN KIM, COLIN sure on leadership to quickly make WILHELM AND BERNIE BECKER revisions. Senate Republicans are rushing Johnson and a fellow former to change their tax overhaul just businessman, GOP Sen. Steve days before a planned floor vote, Daines of Montana, are demanding with GOP leaders trying to appease more generous tax treatment for at least a half-dozen holdouts. so-called pass-through business- Senate Majority Leader Mitch es. Yet the changes they want are McConnell can lose only two votes expensive, and tax-writers would and still pass the bill by week’s end. have to find savings elsewhere to BRYNN ANDERSON/AP The last-minute modifications ensure the bill ultimately costs no Roy Moore’s opponent, Doug Jones, has ﬂooded the airwaves with over $5.6 million in TV ads during the underscore the speed with which more than $1.5 trillion over a de- general election campaign. Moore (above) has answered with only about $800,000 in ad spending. leadership is moving and the nar- cade as required under a budget row margin for error on the party’s framework. top legislative priority. “We’re gonna make them hap- Two critical Republican swing py,” Senate Finance Committee votes, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah Roy Moore buried and Bob Corker of Tennessee, on said of Johnson and Daines. “But Monday left open the possibility we’re not sure we can do exactly that they could vote against the what they want to have done.” tax plan in a key committee vote And a handful of deficit hawks under TV ad barrage scheduled for Tuesday if changes — including Corker and Sens. Jeff weren’t made to their liking. That Flake of Arizona and James Lank- The Alabama airwaves are flooded with spots — would tank the bill before it could ford of Oklahoma — are discuss- and the embattled Republican can’t keep pace reach the floor, putting more pres- TAXES on page 13

BY DANIEL STRAUSS the Alabama special election to ries, while Moore, the embattled AND SCOTT BLAND a Senate seat. Jones, the Demo- GOP candidate, has run just over Doug Jones and Roy Moore cratic candidate, is outspending 1,000 of his own, according to Congress on edge over both released new television ads Moore roughly 7-to-1. figures compiled by Advertising on Monday. But many Alabama The imbalance is stunning, Analytics. voters will see only one of them. with just two weeks to go in the “I saw probably 40 to 50 Doug harassment allegations That’s because of the mas- campaign: Jones has aired more Jones ads, and I saw one Roy sive disparity in TV ad spending than 10,000 spots on broadcast Moore ad” over the Thanksgiving BY KYLE CHENEY In recent days, two Democratic between the two candidates in TV in Alabama since the prima- MOORE on page 11 AND HEATHER CAYGLE lawmakers have faced public ac- The specter of new sexual ha- cusations of sexual harassment rassment allegations becoming — Rep. John Conyers of Michi- public has Capitol Hill on edge, gan, the longest-serving member creating an atmosphere of uncer- of the House, and Sen. Al Franken tainty even as lawmakers attempt of Minnesota — that have called Bernie taking aggressive steps to overhaul the system of harass- into question their future in Con- ment reporting in Congress. gress. Rep. Joe Barton, a veteran pointing to possible 2020 run The House will take its first step Texas Republican, was forced to to confront sexual harassment on admit that a nude picture of him BY GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI senator inroads into party power the Hill this week. But that’s un- circulating online was authentic, Bernie Sanders is taking steps structures that largely shunned likely to ease pressure on Speaker though he emphasized it was made to address long-standing political him in favor of Hillary Clinton Paul Ryan and House Minority while he was in a relationship with shortcomings that were exposed last year. They’ve also empowered Leader Nancy Pelosi, who face a a consenting adult. in 2016, ahead of another possible the progressive icon to harness his furious public and are struggling A vote scheduled for Wednes- presidential bid in 2020. newfound political power and help CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES with how to grapple with the me- day would change House rules to From forging closer ties to the Democrats fight President Donald One year after running an outsider tastasizing scandal. require training for all lawmakers labor movement to shoring up his Trump’s administration. campaign, Sen. Bernie Sanders Further spooking lawmakers and staff to prevent sexual harass- once-flimsy foreign policy creden- Sanders has been working closely is aiming to improve his standing and aides across the Capitol: fear ment. But that would do little to tials, the moves have provided the BERNIE on page 14 inside the Democratic Party. of the unknown. HARASSMENT on page 10 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | POLITICO | 9 301 SCIENTISTS OPPOSE TRUMP’S CEQ NOMINEE

November DEAR SENATORS, 28, 2017 We, the undersigned, oppose the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett are contributing to the harmful effects of climate change. White to run the White House Council on Environmental Quality, To state otherwise in the face of overwhelming evidence is because one thing more dangerous than climate change is lying. simply unsupportable. This is not a partisan issue; it is a matter As scientists and scholars, we are alarmed by Ms. Hartnett of defending scientiﬁc integrity. Climate change threatens us all, White’s actions and statements, particularly, her recent assertion regardless of political affiliation. Conﬁrming Kathleen Hartnett that carbon dioxide is not a harmful pollutant. There is unanimous White at the helm of the Council on Environmental Quality agreement across peer-reviewed climate science that carbon would have serious consequences for people and the dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by human activities ecosystems of the only planet that can support us.

Ilana Aldor, Ph.D. Julia Cole, Ph.D. Anita Gould, Ph.D. Edward J Kushner, Ph.D. Chrys Papadopoulos, M.S. Antal Solyom, M.D. Michael A. Alexander, Ph.D. Pat Cole, Ph.D. Fred Gould, Ph.D. James Kwak, Ph.D. Camille Parrish, M.S. Robert Soreng, Ph.D. Susan Kelly Ambler, Ph.D. Gary Coover, Ph.D. Jay Greenberg, Ph.D. Mark Labinov, Ph.D. Charles Patterson, D.V.M. Edward Spevak, Ph.D. Molly Anderson, Ph.D. David Cosman, Ph.D. Brian Gregg, Ph.D. Troy Ladine, Ph.D. Chester Pauls, M.S. Martha Stampfer, Ph.D. Gary Antonides, M.S. Charles Coston, Ph.D. Thomas Grill, M.S. Arno Laesecke, Ph.D. William Pearce, M.S. Mitchell Stanek, M.S. Kenneth Armitage, Ph.D. David Councilman, M.D. Andrew Gunther, Ph.D. Judith Lang, Ph.D. Frederica Perera, Ph.D. Veronica Stein, M.P.H. Hamilton Arnold, Ph.D. Elizabeth Crisﬁeld, Ph.D. David Gurtner, B.S., Peter Lauritzen, Ph.D. Margaret Perkins, Ph.D. Richard Stemple Jr, Ph.D. Neil Aronson, M.D. Lawrence Crowell, Ph.D. Engineering Julia Lee-Taylor, Ph.D. Paul Peterson, Ph.D. Richard Stevens, Ph.D. Wendy Arundale, Ph.D. Kenneth Crowell, Ph.D. Grace Hall, M.S. Jack Lentfer, M.S. John Petro, M.S. John M. Stewart, Ph.D. Nicholas A. Ashford, Ph.D., Kevin Crupi, M.S. Charles Halpern, Ph.D. Abe Levy, M.D. Tomm Pickles, M.P.H. Frances Stewart, M.D. J.D. Lara Cushing, Ph.D. James Harris, Ph.D. Richard Lewis, Ph.D. John Potter, Ph.D. Mani Subramanian, Ph.D. Sylvia Atsalis, Ph.D. James Danforth, M.D. Hilairy Hartnett, Ph.D. Carolyn Liesy, M.S. Beth Pratt-Sitaula, Ph.D. Rebecca M Summer, Ph.D. Roger Avery, B.S., John Daponte, Ph.D. Ray Hawryluk, M.S. Diana Liverman, Ph.D. Roger Pynn, Ph.D. Pamela Surko, Ph.D. Engineering Michel Dedeo, Ph.D. Evan Hazard, Ph.D. Herbert Lord, Ph.D. Martha Raynolds, Ph.D. Regi Teasley, Ph.D. Roberta Balstad, Ph.D. Robert Deleys, Ph.D. Rosanne Healy, Ph.D. Nancy Lowell, M.S. Christopher Rea, Ph.D. Dan Terpstra, Ph.D. Michael Baranski, Ph.D. Nicholas Devito, M.D. Lisa Hecht, B.S., Engineering Steve Lucas, M.S. cand. Lindsay Reed, M.S. Margaret Thayer, Ph.D. Deborah Barndt, M.S. Thomas Diggins, Ph.D. Robert Henderson, M.S. Amanda H. Lynch, Ph.D. Mark Remington, Ph.D. Sven Thesen, B.S., Miles Barnett, M.S. Vernon Dixon, M.D. Martha Hill, Ph.D. Anne MacLachlan, Ph.D. Kathleen Rest, Ph.D. Engineering William Belknap, M.S. Donald Dodge, M.S. Larry Hinzman, Ph.D. Brian MacWhinney, Ph.D. Elizabeth Rich, M.S. Lawrence Thompson, Ph.D. Thomas Bell, M.S. David Dorn, Ph.D. Allen Hirsh, Ph.D. Alex Madonik, Ph.D. Peter Rimbos, M.S. LuAnn Thompson, Ph.D. Sherry Bendall, D.O. Ann Dorsey, M.S. Sarah Hobbie, Ph.D. Laura Magzis, Ph.D. Donald Rodgers, M.S. Michael Todd, Ph.D. Doug Bender, Ph.D. Paul Doughty, Ph.D. Benjamin J. Hobbs, Ph.D. Kelly Major, Dr. P.H. David Rogers, M.S. Jerry Torrance, Ph.D. Alan Betts, Ph.D. Harry Dowsett, Ph.D. David Hogness, M.D. Gary Martin, Ph.D. John Rosenfeld, Ph.D. Tim Towns, M.S. Goran Blomberg, Ph.D. Kathleen Doyle, Ph.D. Stewart Holmes, Dr. P.H. Frank Marziani, M.S. Beth Rosenberg, Sc.D., Jon Townsend, M.S. David Borton, Ph.D. Lawrence Dunlap, M.D. Polly Hoppin, Sc.D. Kathleen Masis, M.D. M.P.H. Mike Trivich, B.S., Bert Boyer, Ph.D. Jim Uleman, Ph.D. Ivan Huber, Ph.D. Carl McDaniel, Ph.D. Jean Roy, M.S. Engineering Richard Bradley, Ph.D. Jeffrey Eaton, Ph.D. Bettina Hughes, M.S. Alfred McEwen, Ph.D. Steven Rudnick, Ph.D. Pamela Unger, Ph.D. cand Jonathan Brier, M.S. Dr. Daniel V. Eck, Dr. P.H. Philip Hurzeler, Ph.D. Molly McGuire, Ph.D. Lynne Rustad, Ph.D. Kathleen Vandiver, Ph.D. Cheryl Briggs, Ph.D. Naomi Eliezer, Dr. P.H. Joseph Illick, Ph.D. Richard Meier, M.S. Daniel Sage, Ph.D. Sarah Vaughan, M.S. cand. Kevin Brown, Ph.D. Michael Ellenbecker, Ph.D. B. Lynn Ingram, Ph.D. William Merline, Ph.D. Scott Samuels, Ph.D. John Vickery, M.S. George Brown, M.D. Valarie Ellis, M.S. cand. Monika Ivancic, Ph.D. Eleanor Miele, Dr. P.H. Ivar Sanders, B.S., Jimmy Viers, Ph.D. Robyn Burnham, Ph.D. Wallace Elton, Ph.D. Louisby Iverson, Ph.D. Don Miller, Ph.D. Engineering Ruth Walker, Ph.D. Elaine Burns, Ph.D. Rhea Esposito, Dr. P.H. Karen Jacques, Ph.D. Lewis Miller, Ph.D. Stephen Sanofsky, M.D. Tom Walsh, M.S. Janet Burrows, M.S. Cathey Falvo, M.D. Beth Jelsma, Ph.D. Norman Miller, Ph.D. Peter Schultz, Ph.D. Edward Z Walworth, M.D. Margaret Cain, M.S. Rosemary Faulkner, Ph.D. Christopher Jensen, Ph.D. David Mitchell, Ph.D. Tom Schuppe, Ph.D. Peter Waser, Ph.D. Monika Calef, Ph.D. David Fenner, Ph.D. Ileana Jones, M.S. Stephen Mitten, M.S. Peter Schwartz, Ph.D. Randall Webb, B.S., John Calomeni, M.D. Dan Fiscus, Ph.D. Andreas Kadavanich, Ph.D. Dr. Kenneth Modesitt, Ph.D. L. Matthew Schwartz, M.D. Engineering Kenneth Cantor, Ph.D. Austin Fite, M.D. Dr. George B. Kauffman, Todd Monson, Ph.D. Louis Schwartzkopf, Ph.D. Alice Wei, M.D. Robert Capers, Ph.D. Stephan Flint, M.S. Ph.D. Chris Moser, M.S. Talia Sechley, M.S. Marc Weiss, Ph.D. Travis Carter, Ph.D. Katherine Forrest, M.D. Don Kelley, M.D. Beth Mowry, M.S. Eve Shapiro, M.D. Peregrine White, M.S. Michael Cassidy, Ph.D. John Fowler, Ph.D. Eunyoung Kim, Ph.D. cand. William Mullin, Ph.D. Joseph Shinnerl, Ph.D. Lynn Wilbur, Ph.D. cand. Lisa Chang, M.D. Scott Franklin, Ph.D. Paul Kindel, Ph.D. Douglas Myers, Sc.D. James Short, Ph.D. Angelika Winner, M.S. Patricia Chang, M.S. Rafael Friedmann, Ph.D. Bridgette Kirk, M.S. cand. Stephen Myers, Ph.D. Alexis Shusterman, Ph.D. Michael Wise, Ph.D. F. Stuart Chapin III, Ph.D. Albert Gapud, Ph.D. Ben Kirtman, Ph.D. Nicola Nelson, M.S. cand. Gregory W. Withee, Ph.D. Susan Chapnick, M.S. Christine Garhart, Ph.D. Ned Knight, Ph.D. Richard Newmark, Ph.D. Carol Skinner, Ph.D. Evan Witt, Ph.D. cand. Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D. cand. Steven Gary, M.S. Jason Koontz, Ph.D. James Nichols, Ph.D. Richard Skochdopole, Ph.D. Peter Wolanin, Ph.D. Paul Chrostowski, Ph.D. David Gassman, M.S. Robert Kopp, Ph.D. M. J. Noone, Ph.D. Dan Slobin, Ph.D. Tom Wood, B.S., Anny Chung, Dr. P.H. Gary Geller, Ph.D. Adam Koranyi, Dr. P.H. Lee O’Brien, Ph.D. cand. John Smedley, Ph.D. Engineering Richard Clapp, D.Sc. Rachel Ghent, M.S. Wolf Krebs, D.V.M. Jon Oiler, Ph.D. Charles Smith, M.S. Marianna Wood, Ph.D. David Clapper, Ph.D. Arthur Goldsmith, Ph.D. David Kriebel, Sc.D. Philip Orton, Ph.D. Louis Smith, Ph.D. Patrick Worley, Ph.D. Roy Clymer, Ph.D. William Goolsby, M.S. Glenn Kroeger, Ph.D. Thomas Overbye, M.S. Richard Solomon, Ph.D. Phillip Wright, M.D. Kim Cobb, Ph.D. Jack Gorman, M.D. Kashka Kubzdela, Ph.D. Joyce Palmer-Fortune, Ph.D. Philippa Solomon, Ph.D. Sean Zuckerman, Ph.D.

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