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| Syria withdrawal: Republican opposition to Trump's plan grows – live | Syria withdrawal: Republican opposition to Trump's plan grows – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| That’s it for today - and for 2018, as this will be our last politics live blog of the year. We’ll be back with you early in the new year. | |
| Donald Trump plans to withdraw all US troops from Syria, according to multiple reports. There are about 2,000 troops there, tasked with training local forces to fight ISIS. Trump declared that ISIS has been defeated, a proposition disputed by many experts. Lawmakers including senior Republicans criticized the withdrawal decision. | |
| A government shutdown appears to be off. The Senate is introducing a temporary spending bill that will keep the government funded at current levels until February. It does not contain money for Donald Trump’s border wall, but the White House has indicated he’ll accept it anyway - though nothing is for sure until the famously unpredictable president signs his name to the bill. | |
| Donald Trump lashed out a day after agreeing to dissolve his charitable foundation, accused of widespread legal violations by the New York attorney general. Trump ripped into the current attorney general, the previous one, and the one who will take office next year, insisting all three officials are treating him unfairly. | |
| White House officials in a phone briefing with reporters could not give a timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. | |
| The White House referred questions to the Pentagon, per a Newsday reporter. And the Pentagon referred the same questions to the White House. | |
| WH just wrapped up a phone briefing with reporters, officials did not respond to questions about a timeline for withdrawal from Syria. 30 days? 90 days? WH referred questions to Pentagon. Pentagon refers questions to WH... https://t.co/0zrS1IyH1U via @Newsday | |
| Two prominent Senate Democrats wrote to the chamber’s leaders opposing a proposal to ban US companies from boycotting Israel. | |
| Some lawmakers have tried to include the bill - which would prohibit American companies from participating in boycotts organized by international organizations like the United Nations - in year-end spending measures. | |
| But Senators Bernie Sanders and Dianne Feinstein said in a letter to leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer that it should not be included. | |
| “While we do not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, we remain resolved to our constitutional oath to defend the right of every American to express their views peacefully without fear of or actual punishment by the government,” they wrote. “This bill would violate Americans’ First Amendment rights.” | |
| Some conservative lawmakers are not happy with a developing deal to avoid a government shutdown and continue government funding until February - without money for Donald Trump’s border wall. | |
| Punting to Feb. 8 on a CR not only gives Democrats a Christmas present, it offers them a Valentine’s Day gift. Democrats will win, the wall will not be built, and Congress will once again have punted when we should’ve been taking a stand. The time to fight is now. Zero excuse. | |
| Congressional leadership introduces CR until Feb. 8th WITHOUT $5 Billion for the Wall.Let me get this straight... our chances of getting the Wall will be better in February when Nancy Pelosi is Speaker than now when we have the majority?Give me a break. #DoWhatWeSaid | |
| The number of people signing up for health insurance plans under Obamacare is higher than expected, although down since last year. | The number of people signing up for health insurance plans under Obamacare is higher than expected, although down since last year. |
| About 8.5 million people have enrolled, the Associated Press reports. That’s a 4% decline compared to this time last year. Earlier projections had predicted a 10% decline. | About 8.5 million people have enrolled, the Associated Press reports. That’s a 4% decline compared to this time last year. Earlier projections had predicted a 10% decline. |
| A Texas judge last week declared the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, but it remains in effect for the time being. | A Texas judge last week declared the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, but it remains in effect for the time being. |
| Donald Trump claims the US has defeated ISIS in Syria, but has it? | Donald Trump claims the US has defeated ISIS in Syria, but has it? |
| The Guardian’s Martin Chulov takes a look at that question: | The Guardian’s Martin Chulov takes a look at that question: |
| The long fight against Islamic State looks good on a map, but it is yet to be decisive on the battlefield. | The long fight against Islamic State looks good on a map, but it is yet to be decisive on the battlefield. |
| The terror group has lost more than 95% of the territory it claimed in 2014 and the juggernaut that threatened to shred the region’s borders has been battered back to where it all began for the group’s earliest incarnation – a sliver of land along the Euphrates River, bordering Iraq and Syria. | The terror group has lost more than 95% of the territory it claimed in 2014 and the juggernaut that threatened to shred the region’s borders has been battered back to where it all began for the group’s earliest incarnation – a sliver of land along the Euphrates River, bordering Iraq and Syria. |
| There, Kurdish-led forces, backed by US air support, have been fighting it out with diehard extremists in towns and villages in Syria’s far eastern Deir ez-Zor province. | There, Kurdish-led forces, backed by US air support, have been fighting it out with diehard extremists in towns and villages in Syria’s far eastern Deir ez-Zor province. |
| At least 2,500 Isis fighters remain, all survivors of routs to the east and west of their last redoubt. Colossal ruin lays in their wake on both sides of the river. But the group retains the capacity to do even more damage, especially if let off the hook now. | At least 2,500 Isis fighters remain, all survivors of routs to the east and west of their last redoubt. Colossal ruin lays in their wake on both sides of the river. But the group retains the capacity to do even more damage, especially if let off the hook now. |
| After voting to raise interest rates despite criticism from Donald Trump, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell says “nothing will deter” the board from doing what he thinks is right. | After voting to raise interest rates despite criticism from Donald Trump, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell says “nothing will deter” the board from doing what he thinks is right. |
| Asked about Trump's criticism of the Fed, Powell says, "Nothing will deter us from doing what we think is the right thing do do." | Asked about Trump's criticism of the Fed, Powell says, "Nothing will deter us from doing what we think is the right thing do do." |
| Powell on Trump pressuring the Fed not to raise rates: "Political considerations play no role whatsoever in our discussions or decisions about monetary policy." Touts Fed's "independence" and says "nothing will deter us from doing what we think is the right thing to do." | Powell on Trump pressuring the Fed not to raise rates: "Political considerations play no role whatsoever in our discussions or decisions about monetary policy." Touts Fed's "independence" and says "nothing will deter us from doing what we think is the right thing to do." |
| More Republican opposition to Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria: Senator Marco Rubio calls it a “major blunder” that will haunt the US for years. | More Republican opposition to Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria: Senator Marco Rubio calls it a “major blunder” that will haunt the US for years. |
| The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it.It is a major blunder. It it isn’t reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come. | The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it.It is a major blunder. It it isn’t reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come. |
| Donald Trump will sign a temporary bill to continue federal funding at current levels and avoid a government shutdown, a Republican senator told CNN after meeting with Vice President Mike Pence. | Donald Trump will sign a temporary bill to continue federal funding at current levels and avoid a government shutdown, a Republican senator told CNN after meeting with Vice President Mike Pence. |
| Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn emerged from a lunch with GOP senators and with Vice President Mike Pence and told me that President Trump will sign a stop-gap to keep government open.“He will sign a clean CR,” he said | Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn emerged from a lunch with GOP senators and with Vice President Mike Pence and told me that President Trump will sign a stop-gap to keep government open.“He will sign a clean CR,” he said |
| The Federal Reserve has voted to raise interest rates. Rates will raise a quarter of a percentage point, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%. | The Federal Reserve has voted to raise interest rates. Rates will raise a quarter of a percentage point, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%. |
| The move becomes despite frequent exhortations from Donald Trump not to raise rates. | The move becomes despite frequent exhortations from Donald Trump not to raise rates. |
| “The labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a strong rate,” the Fed said in a statement. “Job gains have been strong, on average, in recent months, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Household spending has continued to grow strongly, while growth of business fixed investment has moderated from its rapid pace earlier in the year.” | “The labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a strong rate,” the Fed said in a statement. “Job gains have been strong, on average, in recent months, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Household spending has continued to grow strongly, while growth of business fixed investment has moderated from its rapid pace earlier in the year.” |
| Read more in our business blog. | Read more in our business blog. |
| More from House Speaker Paul Ryan’s farewell speech, via Bloomberg - he calls overhauling programs like Medicare and Social Security, long a pet issue but one that made no progress under his tenure, his great unfinished business. | More from House Speaker Paul Ryan’s farewell speech, via Bloomberg - he calls overhauling programs like Medicare and Social Security, long a pet issue but one that made no progress under his tenure, his great unfinished business. |
| Paul Ryan in farewell speech: "I acknowledge plainly that my ambitions for entitlement reform have outpaced the political reality and I consider this our greatest unfinished business."He calls programs Social Security and Medicare "deeply out of balance and unsustainable." | Paul Ryan in farewell speech: "I acknowledge plainly that my ambitions for entitlement reform have outpaced the political reality and I consider this our greatest unfinished business."He calls programs Social Security and Medicare "deeply out of balance and unsustainable." |
| Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer will not agree to approve a customary year-end package of judicial nominees, a Senate Democratic aide tells the Hill. | Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer will not agree to approve a customary year-end package of judicial nominees, a Senate Democratic aide tells the Hill. |
| Schumer has been under pressure from progressive groups not to sign off on the judges. | Schumer has been under pressure from progressive groups not to sign off on the judges. |
| “Especially in light of the Texas judge’s ruling last week ruling ObamaCare unconstitutional, it would be insane to continue to give a free pass to lower-court judges that are ideologically extreme,” Brian Fallon, a former aide to Schumer who is now the executive director of Demand Justice, told the Hill. | “Especially in light of the Texas judge’s ruling last week ruling ObamaCare unconstitutional, it would be insane to continue to give a free pass to lower-court judges that are ideologically extreme,” Brian Fallon, a former aide to Schumer who is now the executive director of Demand Justice, told the Hill. |
| In a farewell speech, House Speaker Paul Ryan called for immigration reform that would protect young immigrants brought to the country as children as well as other undocumented immigrants. | In a farewell speech, House Speaker Paul Ryan called for immigration reform that would protect young immigrants brought to the country as children as well as other undocumented immigrants. |
| There should be a solution that “includes the Dreamers, those who came here through no fault of their own, and ultimately the undocumented population,” he said, according to CNN. | There should be a solution that “includes the Dreamers, those who came here through no fault of their own, and ultimately the undocumented population,” he said, according to CNN. |
| He called such an overhaul “an economic and moral imperative. And it would go a long way toward taking some of the venom out of our discourse.” | He called such an overhaul “an economic and moral imperative. And it would go a long way toward taking some of the venom out of our discourse.” |