The Hill’s Morning Report — McCarthy, McConnell face challenges as Congress returns 

It’s a tale of two Republican congressional leaders: With both chambers returning to work this month, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) both face a race with the clock against the Sept. 30 government funding deadline, as well as individual challenges in the weeks ahead. 

Ahead of the House’s return, McCarthy is taking steps toward opening an impeachment inquiry into President Biden while tiptoeing through a political minefield. As The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports, former President Trump, with whom McCarthy has kept a good relationship, is exerting public pressure to pursue impeachment without a long inquiry. But moderate members of his conference are not yet sold. 

Attempting to move forward on an inquiry without a full House vote would mark a change in position for McCarthy, who criticized Democrats for not quickly taking a full House vote when they opened an impeachment inquiry into Trump (Axios). On a conference phone call last week, the Speaker told members that he wants to have a “family discussion” on impeachment when the House returns, according to a source familiar with the conversation. Though not every Republican member is sold on impeachment, some analysts think that McCarthy can pull his conference together, as he did for other votes that stood on shaky ground earlier this year. 

“At the end of the day, they all get in line,” one GOP strategist said of moderate Republican impeachment skeptics. 

As talk of impeachment ramps up, McCarthy is separately wrangling conservatives in his conference who are demanding spending cuts to support a stopgap funding bill ahead of a Sept. 30 shutdown deadline, writes The Hill’s Mychael Schnell. Those two efforts are slated to come to a head next week, when McCarthy and House Republicans will have 11 legislative days to keep the government’s lights on and come to some sort of consensus on a potential impeachment inquiry — a heavy lift for a conference facing a ticking clock and large disagreements on both matters. 

McCarthy said he wants to pass a short-term spending bill to kick the government funding deadline later in the year, which would buy lawmakers more time to hash out their differences on the full slate of appropriations bills. The House has passed only one of its 12 funding measures, while the Senate has approved none. 

Over in the Senate, The Hill’s Schnell reports, McConnell is facing a fresh set of questions about his health and ability to lead the GOP conference following his latest public freeze-up in Covington, Ky., last week — the second incident in just over one month. McConnell’s team chalked the incident up to feeling “momentarily lightheaded” — similar to their response following the first freeze-up, and the Capitol attending physician cleared the GOP leader, 81, to continue his schedule. But the episode, in a string of health-related incidents, is increasing scrutiny of the longtime Senate GOP leader and his political future, which will come into stark focus when the chamber returns to session.  

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👉 Morning Report’s Alexis Simendinger will be back in your inboxes tomorrow. 

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LEADING THE DAY 

➤ POLITICS 

© The Associated Press / Eric Gay | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Austin in May. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) impeachment trial in the Lone Star State begins today, when Republicans in the state Legislature’s upper chamber will play the pivotal role in considering whether he misused his office. As The Hill’s Saul Elbein writes, it’s a potentially explosive moment for the ruling conservative coalition and the first impeachment trial in the state’s modern history. Paxton faces 20 counts of corruption. 

To survive politically, Paxton will have to be acquitted on every count by one-third of the Senate — meaning that, even if all 12 Democrats vote to convict him, he will be acquitted unless nine Republicans join them. Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), will be present but not allowed to vote. If enough Republicans vote to convict, even on one charge, the attorney general will be barred from office.  

Though there is a coalition working in favor of Paxton, other conservatives in the state have decried attempts to get the case thrown out before the trial could even begin. 

“Republicans once believed in the rule of law,” former GOP Gov. Rick Perry wrote in a blistering editorial in The Wall Street Journal. “That’s why it’s shocking to see some Republicans — through a coordinated effort of texts, emails and social-media posts — working to delegitimize the impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton.” 

In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is facing a critical test of his political brand as voters head to the polls in the state legislature elections this November. Youngkin is set to be a major fixture on Virginia’s campaign trail this fall as Republicans look to defend their majority in the House of Delegates and potentially take control of the state Senate. As The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports, the governor’s endorsed candidates successfully sailed through their primaries earlier this year and his political action committee, the Spirit of Virginia, broke records by raising $8.5 million in the first six months of the year.  

The developments come as Youngkin continues to face speculation about a potential 2024 presidential bid. And while the governor is unlikely to jump into the primary next year, the hype surrounding him demonstrates that he is viewed as a future leader of the GOP, making Virginia’s off-year elections that much more important for him.   

While the next presidential election won’t take place for another 14 months, it’s safe to say this fall could do much to shape the race for the White House. The Hill’s Niall Stanage and Ian Swanson break down the five political narratives that will dominate politics in coming months. 

2024 roundup: Here are five under-the-radar races to watch in the leadup to the 2024 election (The Hill) … Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is walking a fine line when it comes to Biden, endorsing him ahead of the 2024 election while also criticizing some of his policies (The Hill). … Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is embracing a populist playbook in his 2024 bid (The Hill). … Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is actually gaining support for president. From Democrats (Politico). … In the name of ideological purity, DeSantis is turning down lots of money for the state of Florida — to the tune of $346 million (The Atlantic). … Modern conservatism was born on college Campuses. So why does the GOP hate them? (Politico magazine). … In 2020, Trump depicted Biden as a feeble old man. Now, facing criminal charges and eyeing a rematch, he’s recasting Biden as a nefarious mastermind manipulating the justice system (NBC News). 

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➤ TRUMP WORLD 

The last seditious conspiracy cases brought in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are coming to a close, with members of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys facing sentencing. But as The Hill’s Ella Lee reports, now Justice Department prosecutors are preparing for another high-profile yet distinctly different conspiracy case linked to the riot that has resulted in charges for more than 1,100 participants: the trial of former President Trump.  

Just days before several Proud Boys were given among the harshest sentences yet for plotting to obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, a March trial date was set for Trump’s case in Washington’s federal court, where he is charged with conspiring to overturn the election — efforts that culminated in the Capitol attack. 

The cases show a cause-and-effect relationship, where Trump’s alleged behavior motivated members of the extremist groups to engage in their disparate conspiracies, said Stan Twardy, a former federal prosecutor and practicing lawyer. 

“[Trump] lit the match, and the Oath Keepers [and Proud Boys] were the gasoline that exploded here,” he said, pointing to the nature of their indictments. 

Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows wants U.S. District Judge Steve Jones to allow him to move his Georgia trial to federal court to attempt to get his charges thrown out on immunity grounds. The decision could prove decisive for the future of Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis’s (D) criminal case, and would also widen the jury pool to less Democrat-heavy areas and likely prevent a televised trial allowed by state law.  

Meadows and his 18 co-defendants are charged with racketeering, which enabled prosecutors to weave together an alleged months-long conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election result to help keep Trump in power. If Meadows succeeds, legal experts say it would make it easier for Trump, who on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the Georgia charges, to follow in his footsteps (The Hill). 

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IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES 

➤ INTERNATIONAL  

© The Associated Press / Yuri Kadobnov, Pool Photo | Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is planning to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, The New York Times reports. It would be a rare trip outside his country for Kim, who would travel by train to meet with Putin in Vladivostok, on the east coast of Russia. Officials told the Times Putin wants Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles, and Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines. 

“We have information that Kim Jong-Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said of ongoing arms negotiations between the two countries. The meeting would follow Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to North Korea in July and comes after U.S. officials last week said that Moscow and Pyongyang are “actively advancing” their negotiations over another potential arms deal (CNN). 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after talks with Putin on Monday that it would soon be possible to revive the United Nations-brokered grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to pass through the Black Sea. Russia quit the deal in July — a year after it was brokered — complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious obstacles. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s key agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. 

After Moscow backed out of the deal, grain prices rose sharply in many places across the globe (Reuters).  

Eastern European countries, meanwhile, are raising alarm over Ukraine potentially being pushed into peace talks with Russia amid growing partisanship in Washington, hesitation and delays in weapons supplies to Kyiv and waning public support, writes The Hill’s Laura Kelly. While Biden and other allies have promised to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” the countries bordering Russia and Belarus — considered a puppet state for Putin — argue that international partners need to lay out a path for a decisive victory for Kyiv. 

“What do we need to do? Plan for Ukrainian victory. Not plan to stand with Ukraine ‘as long as it needs, as long as it requires,’” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergi said during a conference in Spain last week. “Plan for victory, they need to win, they need to win for us.”  

Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of the military coup in Gabon last week, has been sworn in as the interim president of the Central African country, while the deposed former president remains detained at his residence. The swearing in occurred less than a week after the military took power of the oil-rich, biodiverse country and ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family had been ruling for more than half a century. Many in Gabon celebrated his removal from office, frustrated with widespread corruption allegations. Unemployment among those between the ages of 15 and 24 in Gabon is at nearly 40 percent, and more than 30 percent of the population lives in poverty (NPR). 

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➤ ADMINISTRATION 

The Pentagon’s several billion-dollar accounting error in previously approved aid packages to Ukraine is serving as fodder for a growing group of Republicans seeking to derail Biden’s request for an additional $24 billion for Kyiv. As The Hill’s Ellen Mitchell reports, the ask comes after a significant Defense Department accounting error makes it unclear exactly how much money has been spent towards weapons to Ukraine. That miscalculation, to the tune of $6.2 billion, has been seized on by GOP skeptics who claim the administration has no clear concept of how long America’s commitment to the conflict will continue and a reason to reject Biden’s funding request.   

But while the accounting errors are sure to be a talking point for GOP detractors of Biden’s spending request, it’s not likely to change minds, experts say.   

“The whole issue about the discovery of the underspend at DOD will be one of the talking points for the anti-Ukraine crowd,” Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, told The Hill. “I don’t think it’d be a very effective one.” 

The Washington Post: The Marines’ top general is “ruthlessly” riding out Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) military hold. 

Meanwhile, the White House is looking to use the danger of a government shutdown and the House GOP’s growing hunger for impeaching the president to go on offense this fall after a difficult August. Biden often ceded the political stage to Trump’s legal battles and the GOP presidential race in August, and he was criticized over high gas prices and for being too passive in his reaction to the devastating wildfires in Maui, which Republicans used as an opening to hit him for being out of touch. As The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reports, it’s left Biden in a familiar place: with low approval ratings and out of the center of the news cycle.   

But the threat of a shutdown provides the president with an opening to take a dig at House Republicans for flirting with the idea when he was questioned on his level of concern with the situation. 

“It would be a serious, serious problem. I’m hoping that there’s greater maturity to prevent that from happening than some think,” Biden said. 

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ELSEWHERE 

➤ EDUCATION  

© The Associated Press / Kristopher Radder, The Brattleboro Reformer | The first day of school in Brattleboro, Vt., on Aug. 30. 

COVID-19 cases are on the rise and raising anxiety around the possibility that schools could implement mask mandates or close down again, report The Hill’s Joseph Choi and Lexi Lonas, as surges of COVID-19 cases in Texas and Kentucky have caused three school districts to briefly suspend in-person classes. But few schools have taken those steps so far, and superintendents contend that without national guidance it is highly unlikely we’ll see a return of mass closures or mask mandates.  

“Superintendents will not make these calls in isolation,” said George Roberts, a Maryland superintendent. “What they did do during COVID and what they’re currently doing now — and I suspect will continue to do as we get into the fall and winter season — is work in conjunction with their own internal health office” in the county or city.  

Meanwhile, as The Hill’s Lonas writes, hundreds of U.S. school districts have sought to combat the teacher shortage and raise the quality of life for their students and faculty by implementing a four-day week. While governors in multiple states have turned to creative solutions to tackle teacher shortages, including bringing educators from other states or even veterans to take over classrooms, Aaron Pallas, a professor of sociology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, said the four-day week has largely been implemented in smaller communities.  

“Many small, rural districts have difficulty attracting and retaining teachers, and the theory is that teachers will value an additional day that they can spend with their families, an additional day that can allow for teacher preparation, grading and planning,” Pallas told The Hill. 

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THE CLOSER 

© The Associated Press / Charles Dharapak | Visitors tour the Capitol Rotunda in 2003. 

And finally … 📜 On this day in 1774, the first session of the Continental Congress convened at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates from all the colonies except Georgia drafted a declaration of rights and grievances and elected Virginian Peyton Randolph as the first president of Congress. Among the delegates were Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams and John Jay. Delegates discussed boycotting British goods to establish the rights of Americans and planned for a Second Continental Congress. 

More than a year later, on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. Five years later, in October 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing to an end the last major battle of the Revolution. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Britain in 1783, the United States formally became an independent nation and elected Washington as its first president (History and Mount Vernon). 

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