Morning Report — Zelensky leaves US empty-handed

Neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor President Biden persuaded Congress to approve more military help for Kyiv. Biden this week did not find willing Republican dealmakers on border security and immigration, or an accord with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end what Biden now calls “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza. 

The president is under fire in the United Nations and from a growing number of voters for opposing a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. His son is under investigation on Capitol Hill, House conservatives are poised as early as today to launch an impeachment inquiry, and some nervous Democrats openly wish a different presidential nominee would compete in 2024. 

Bottom line: Not a great week for Biden or the allies he’s embraced. 

And the president is feeling the heat. He told campaign donors Tuesday in his most publicly critical comments since Oct. 7 that “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza and the resulting high civilian death toll in pursuit of Hamas fighters was eroding U.S. and European support for Israel. 

“I think he has to change,” Biden said of Netanyahu, but the “government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move.” 

Zelensky, standing by Biden’s side Tuesday at the White House, called for “results” from Washington, not just words of support during his whirlwind lobbying for additional U.S. funding to continue battling Russia. “We’re going to stay at your side,” the president said during their joint news conference. He offered no reassurances that Congress will do the same. 

CNN: Russia has lost 87 percent of the active-duty troops it had before invading Ukraine, and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who supports additional U.S. funding for Ukraine as soon as possible, said it’s unlikely to clear Congress before Christmas. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who wants tougher restrictions on migration before taking up the international assistance Biden has requested, predicted the effort is likely to extend into 2024. 

During immigration discussions with Senate leaders late Tuesday, the White House signaled it is open to a new border authority to expel migrants without asylum screenings, as well as a dramatic expansion of immigration detention and deportations, CBS News reported. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas began engaging with Senate negotiators this week.  

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Republicans aren’t going to budge. 

“We’ve said all along that if you want to tie securing the border to the Ukraine funding, so be it,” Marshall said, referring to the president during a Tuesday interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” 

“He’s the one that lumps these together, but now we have this once-in-a-generation opportunity to use Ukraine funding to leverage the border. And by golly, we’re going to do it,” the senator added. 

 Democrats in the Senate are adamant they will not leave Washington this month without passing aid for Ukraine, but negotiators thus far have been at loggerheads to find a hurry-up compromise on migration and policies at the border. The White House focus to date has been on finding a compromise in the Senate, not in the conservative House. 

Sen. Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), in a Tuesday statement, accused the administration of ignoring immigrant communities. “It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum seekers in order to placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” he wrote. 

The goal of comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Washington since 1986. 

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👉 Check out The Hill’s Changemakers, our inaugural list recognizing the major players and under-the-radar staffers of Washington who have made a difference shaping the conversation on Capitol Hill and beyond. Whether in Congress, the media, the White House, advocacy or philanthropy, this year’s Changemakers are making an impact and leaving their mark. View the full list HERE. 

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LEADING THE DAY 

POLITICS 

“GENOCIDE JOE”: Biden is hearing criticism of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war loud and clear, with protests following him across the United States for weeks. He’s been called “genocide Joe,” urged to call for a ceasefire, and hit on his pro-Israel stance everywhere he goes, meeting the issue face-to-face at home. The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reports the president recently traveled to Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, California and Pennsylvania and was met with demonstrators in each location, shouting their opposition to the U.S. response to the conflict in the Middle East while Biden is fundraising for the 2024 election. 

Alarms are growing louder for Democrats over the potential that Arab American voters could shun them in next year’s high-stakes presidential election. The Hill’s Cheyanne M. Daniels reports Muslim Americans and Arab Americans have expressed growing anger over Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, with many leaders in the community warning that they won’t vote for him next year, even if he’s challenging former Trump.  

“The responses of many on this issue within the Palestinian American community, the broader Arab community, is really a sense of betrayal,” Yousef Munayyer, policy analyst for the Arab Center in Washington, D.C., told The Hill. This poses a political challenge for Biden, who had relied on the support of the community in swing states such as Michigan, but who also doesn’t want to alienate the many Americans who support Israel.  

THE DIVISIONS EXTEND BEYOND VOTERS, as House Democrats are scrambling to overcome differences on Israel policy that have splintered the caucus and strained relations among even veteran lawmakers. Republicans aren’t making the job easy.  

In the last week alone, GOP leaders have staged hearings on antisemitism, pushed floor votes in support of Israel and hosted media events on Capitol Hill with the families of the Hamas-held hostages, all of which have only highlighted the Democratic discord when it comes to U.S. support for Tel Aviv. The accumulation of factors has exploded internal tensions between Democratic lawmakers and created an enormous challenge for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his leadership team to locate ways to turn down the heat. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who has more than three decades of experience on Capitol Hill, told The Hill’s Mike Lillis he’s never seen the internal animus this bad — a dynamic he attributes to both the atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, and the ferocity of Israel’s military response.  

“We haven’t really seen the level of devastation that’s occurring right now. We’ve always had disputes; we’ve always had killings. But I’ve never seen it, in my tenure here, this bad,” Thompson said. “At this rate, I think a solution would be difficult, just given people going to each corner. And that manifests itself in each one of the votes that come up [in the House].”  

Former President Trump’s recent comments about being a dictator for a day if he’s reelected have mostly been met with a shrug inside the Republican Party. Trump, who over the weekend doubled down on the idea that he would not be a dictator except for day one, has faced sparse pushback from others in the GOP, The Hill’s Brett Samuels writes, and in most cases has seen Republican lawmakers and allies rally to his defense and brush off the comments. The reaction underscores Trump’s enduring power in the party and serves as the latest example of how legal woes and incendiary rhetoric have done little to damage his standing with GOP voters.  

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2024 ROUNDUP: 

▪ GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley is campaigning toward a strong showing in New Hampshire next month. She’s surged to a clear second place while trailing Trump by at least 20 points in polls. 

▪ 🎤 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis showed new urgency attacking Trump during a CNN town hall in Iowa Tuesday. … CNN tonight will host a separate town hall in Iowa at 9 p.m. ET with GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.  

▪ The Democratic stronghold of California is expected to play a key role in House Republicans’ effort to keep control of the lower chamber in 2024 after California became an unexpected battleground last cycle. 

▪ New York’s highest court cleared a path for Democrats to redraw the House map in New York. The ruling could allow Democrats to tilt anywhere from two to six GOP-held seats leftward. Republicans vowed to challenge any gerrymandered map. 

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WHERE AND WHEN 

The House meets at 10 a.m. 

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. 

The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 10 a.m. Biden will meet with the National Infrastructure Advisory Council at 12:15 p.m. in the Indian Treaty Room. 

Vice President Harris will speak at 11:40 a.m. to state legislators about gun violence at 11:40 a.m. at the White House. She and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will host a holiday reception at the Naval Observatory at 2 p.m., and another at 5:30 p.m. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken at 2 p.m. will meet with Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld at the Department of State. 

The Federal Reserve concludes a two-day meeting with a statement at 2 p.m. and a press conference by Chair Jerome Powell at 2:30 p.m. 

Economic indicator: The Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8:30 a.m. will release the Producer Price Index report for November. 

The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m. 

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ZOOM IN 

INTERNATIONAL 

THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, where Israel’s war against Hamas has left more than 10,000 dead. The nonbinding General Assembly resolution demands an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, calls for all parties to obey international humanitarian law and issues a demand to release all hostages. Just 10 of the 193 member countries voted against the resolution, including the U.S. and Israel. U.N. General Assembly President Dennis Francis said the resolution was an important step toward putting “an end to the bloodshed” in Gaza (The Hill). 

“Right now, what we are seeing is an onslaught on civilians, the breakdown of humanitarian assistance and profound disrespect for international law,” Francis said on the U.N. floor. “Even war has rules, and it is imperative we prevent any deviation from these principles and values.” 

THE U.N. HAS REPEATEDLY RAISED concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where civilians are struggling to get food, water and health care services. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, has said more than 18,000 people have died since the war began. The U.N. Security Council, which can pass legally binding resolutions, attempted to move a measure last week demanding a cease-fire in Gaza but was blocked by the U.S., which has a veto power on the committee. 

The General Assembly vote reflects the growing isolation of the U.S. as it refuses to join demands for a cease-fire. Washington is increasingly seen as the only entity capable of persuading Israel to accept a cease-fire as its closest ally and biggest supplier of weaponry. In tougher language than usual, Biden warned before the vote that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza (The Associated Press). 

At least seven Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush in Gaza City, Israeli media reported today, as the army continued to meet heavy resistance in an offensive against Hamas that has drawn international outrage and rare U.S. criticism. The air and ground offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Nearly 85 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have been forced to flee their homes, and much of northern Gaza resembles a moonscape (The Associated Press). 

Biden is expected to meet with the families of Americans being held hostage in the Gaza Strip at the White House today. Roughly 100 of the 240 hostages kidnapped on Oct 7. have been released, including some Americans (The New York Times). 

▪ The Hill: U.S. officials are making their presence felt in Guatemala, where the outgoing government has taken steps to derail a democratic transition after a surprise defeat in national elections in June. A steady stream of congressional and administration officials has visited Guatemala over the transition period, which is due to end with President-elect Bernardo Arévalo’s inauguration in January.  

▪ CNBC: COP28 climate summit ends with deal to transition away from fossil fuels. 

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ELSEWHERE 

ECONOMY 

The Federal Reserve today will offer its latest outlook on inflation and the economy while many analysts are looking for rate cuts next spring or summer. It’s anticipation that buoys financial markets as the go-go year for the S&P wraps up. 

Forecasts envisioning recession were wrong in 2023, and economists say they’re more comfortable projecting a soft landing, which Fed Chair Jerome Powell argued for months was possible. Today he and Fed governors are likely to stand pat and say they await evidence of sustained price declines before trimming rates. 

The next chapter will take place in an election year against a backdrop in which nervous Americans may see a tighter labor market and prices higher than what they remember before the pandemic. The U.S. economy will drive the 2024 presidential election narrative and weigh heavily on voters’ choices (The Hill).  

BIDEN LEAPED TO APPLAUD Tuesday’s Labor Department report showing lower costs for Americans and the longest stretch in half a century of unemployment below 4 percent. “Prices have declined for a number of products over the last year, from cars and gallons of gas to TVs, toys and many appliances, to eggs and milk,” he said in a statement. 

The president said he understood that many Americans “still find too many things unaffordable,” and he ticked off a list of consumer essentials whose price tags he’s working to trim, including prescription drugs, health insurance premiums and utilities.  

Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index of 3.1 percent in November underscored that the improvement was year over year, not month over month, and while lower energy costs helped, the inflation rate is still above the Fed’s 2 percent target. Nonetheless, improvement is real: Inflation was 9 percent in June 2022.  

Reuters: U.S. gasoline prices are hovering at an 11-month low. The national average gasoline price Tuesday was $3.137 per gallon for regular, down 13 cents per gallon from a year ago, AAA reported. 

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COURTS 

Special counsel Jack Smith is seeking a speedy intervention from the Supreme Court as part of his case that Trump illegally sought to overturn the 2020 election. Smith wants the high court to rule on Trump’s claim of immunity but, just as importantly, he doesn’t want Trump’s lawyers to be able to delay the process beyond next year’s election. In The Memo, The Hill’s Niall Stanage outlines what we know about how Trump’s legal woes could intersect with the 2024 political calendar.   

The Hill: Senate Democrats press Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from Trump’s immunity case. 

Two former Georgia poll workers’ defamation trial against longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani got underway Tuesday. The trial, which is expected to last four days and will feature testimony from Giuliani himself, follows a 2021 lawsuit by Georgia poll worker Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman. In 2020, Giuliani accused Moss and her mother of committing election fraud against Trump. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell already found the former New York City mayor civilly liable for his claims; the trial will determine how much money he owes Moss and Freeman as a result.  

Moss said her life was “flipped upside down” when she became an epicenter of baseless accusations of mass election fraud when she took the stand on Tuesday. The mother and daughter are pursuing upward of $43.5 million in damages after Giuliani’s claims spurred hundreds of violent and racist threats, court filings show (The Hill). 

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THE CLOSER 

And finally … On this day in 2000, former Vice President Al Gore conceded the presidential election to George W. Bush, then the governor of Texas, after one of the most controversial Supreme Court verdicts had awarded Florida’s 25 Electoral College votes to Bush by overturning the state’s Supreme Court order for a selective manual recount of presidential ballots. Five hundred thousand ballots and the highest court in the land changed history. 

In a speech from the White House, Gore said he told Bush by phone “that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country. Neither he nor I anticipated this long and difficult road. Certainly neither of us wanted it to happen. Yet it came, and now it has ended, resolved, as it must be resolved, through the honored institutions of our democracy.”  

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