Having played against him in the Champions League, the former Schalke goalkeeper admits the Juventus forward is the best in the business

Cristiano Ronaldo is the “best player in the world”, according to former Schalke goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, who says playing against the Juventus star was “something very special”.

Wellenreuther played against Ronaldo twice for Schalke against Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2015, losing 2-0 in the home leg and winning 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And, after seeing Ronaldo score in both legs of the last-16 encounter, Wellenreuther came out knowing he was facing the best in the world.

“Playing against Cristiano Ronaldo was something very special,” he told Goal and SPOX. 

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“For me, he is the best player in the world. His runs and his power are incredible. 

“Also in the games against me, you have unfortunately seen that he is freezing cold and always on the spot. Although I saved some balls off of him, in the end he scored twice.”

Wellenreuther isn’t the only goalkeeper to finish a Champions League game against Ronaldo frustrated as the Portuguese is the top scorer in the competition’s history with 126 goals. 

The 23-year-old is now playing in the Eredivisie with Willem II, but sees himself returning to play in the Champions League one day. 

“Once you’ve played Champions League, you’ll want to go there again someday,” he explained. 

“The Champions League is like a drug. So I hope that I can continue my hard work and that in the next few years there will be some more international games.”

Wellenreuther joined the Dutch club in the summer of 2017, and this season helped them reach the final of the Dutch Cup after he saved three out of five penalties in the semi-final shootout. 

And, although Willem II lost in the final to Ajax and that he’s developed a lot in the Eredivisie, Wellenreuther acknowledges he’d love to return and play in the Bundesliga in the future.  

“I am German and have always dreamed of playing in the Bundesliga,” he said. 

“Nothing has changed to this day. It is one of the best leagues in the world.”

As a 19-year-old in 2015, Wellenreuther was sent out on loan by Schalke to Segunda División side Mallorca to aid his development. 

And, following his experience in Spain, Wellenreuther is open to the idea of playing all across Europe.

“Especially the Premier League has a tremendous appeal,” he explained. 

“I do not know a player who cannot imagine playing there someday. After gaining experience in La Liga 2, I also know how strong and attractive La Liga is. 

“Ultimately, it depends on whether you feel comfortable in the whole club, you believe that you can achieve something together. That is definitely the case in the Netherlands at the moment.”

The San Jose striker’s four-goal masterpiece showed off all the qualities that helped the forward become Major League Soccer’s all-time goals leader

At first glance, the goal that broke the MLS career scoring mark wasn’t exactly the one you would want to lead a highlight reel, but the reality is Chris Wondolowski’s 146th career MLS goal was quintessential Wondolowski. 

Chicago goalkeeper David Ousted went up to catch a seemingly harmless ball in the penalty area but dropped it just as Wondolowski was slipping in, having continued to move even though an Ousted catch felt like a foregone conclusion. Wondolowski’s hustle was rewarded with a record-breaking toe-poke.

The goal was very much a goalkeeper blunder, but also the byproduct of a player who has made a career out of chasing every loose ball and making every run. 

Calling Wondolowski a hustle player wouldn’t do his career justice though, and the reality is you don’t score 148 club goals on tap-ins and goalkeeper blunders, so the only thing more fitting than the type of goal Wondolowski broke Landon Donovan’s record with was him proceeding to finish his record-breaking day with four goals, a display that showed off all the characteristics that helped him transform from a journeyman early in his career to history-making striker. 

His first goal showed off Wondolowski’s understanding of space, as he settled into an area between two Fire defenders and converted expertly when Shea Salinas found him with the perfect entry pass. 

Wondolowski’s third goal was equal parts hustle, anticipation and finishing ability, as he raced alongside Cristian Espinoza on a counterattack and onto a loose ball after Espinoza was fouled. Everyone else hesitated but Wondolowski, who calmly stroked home a perfect right-footed shot on the run. 

The final goal was a broken play in the penalty area, with Jackson Yueill surveying the landscape looking for an open man, and Wondolowski once again showed his nose for open space, slipping far enough away from Chicago’s defenders to give his teammate a clear target. 

When the pass came, Wondolowski made no mistake. 

Wondolowski’s four-goal masterpiece was made even more fitting by the fact he scored just four goals in his first five seasons in MLS, when he was a reserve forward with the Houston Dynamo and the MLS career goals mark seemed about as likely as Donald Trump becoming president of the United States.  

He played just five total minutes in his rookie season and made just four starts in his second pro season, when four-goal games and career records were the furthest thing from his mind. 

“My rookie year I was envisioning 148 minutes,” Wondolowski said on Saturday, after pushing his career goals total to 148. “If I got that, that would have been pretty cool.” 

Wondolowski’s career awakened when he was traded to the Earthquakes in 2009. It took him a year, but once he became a consistent starter, the goals began to pour in as his confidence grew and his all-around game developed. He was always a fierce competitor, but his natural gifts for making intelligent runs and finishing chances blossomed.

Saturday’s performance was also a perfect microcosm of Wondolowski’s career because of when it came, in the midst of a tough year that has seen him lose his starting job, forcing him to wait even longer to break the goal record. An injury to Danny Hoesen allowed him to make his first start in six matches, and he didn’t play like an entitled star pouting about no longer being a starter, but instead he played with the same hunger that helped him survive as a pro during those tough early years.

Of course, Wondolowski’s record-breaking day wouldn’t be complete without some of the predictable comments about his infamous miss at the 2014 World Cup, when a clear look on goal that could have helped the United States defeat Belgium in the round of 16 went over the bar. To some, that miss will always define his career, but it has been five years since then and he has shown with the more than 50 goals he has scored since that time that he has put it behind him. 

The infamous World Cup miss shouldn’t define his career, and Saturday’s masterclass was the perfect reminder why. Wondolowski has put together the kind of career he couldn’t have even dreamed of, a career that 99 percent of players wish they could have. It hasn’t been perfect, but there is no denying it has been special. 

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The Uruguayan has revealed his burning ambition to play for Boca Juniors in the future, having spent the last year at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has admitted he “dreams” of playing for South American giants Boca Juniors “one day”.

The 23-year-old completed a switch to north London from Sampdoria last summer and has enjoyed an impressive debut season for the Gunners.

The Uruguay international quickly became a fan favourite under Unai Emery and managed 34 Premier League appearances in total as Arsenal finished fifth in the final standings.

Torreira will also be hoping to contribute in the Europa League final on May 29, with an all-English tie against Chelsea on the cards.

Arsenal must win the trophy to qualify for next season’s Champions League, having just missed out on a top-four spot in the English top flight.

Speaking ahead of the showpiece event, the midfield enforcer revealed he hopes to join Boca Juniors in the future, having been a lifelong fan of the club.

The Arsenal star was even in attendance in Madrid back in December as Boca suffered defeat against River Plate in the Copa Libertadores final.

“One day, I want to play for Boca and wear their shirt,” Torreira told Fox Sports. “It’s a dream I have had since I was a little kid. It’s no secret, my family and friends know that.

“I was with several friends [at the Copa Libertadores final]. I did not think I was going to suffer so much, I experienced it with a lot of nerves.

“It was not as we wanted, but reaching the final is not something anyone just does. It was a nice show because I had never had the chance to see Boca.”

Boca sporting director Nicolas Burdisso was asked about Torreira’s comments and responded by squashing any thoughts of a potential transfer swoop this summer.

The Uruguayan is contracted to Arsenal until 2023 and Burdisso says Boca must wait for the “right moment” before making an approach.

“Torreira? It is lovely to hear him talk about the club with such affection but he’s just moved to Arsenal and signing him now is impossible,” he said.

“It is one of those cases where the player has to make the first move. We will wait for the right moment.”

The former Red Devils forward says patience is required at Old Trafford after the club’s poor end to the 2018-19 season

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be given time to turn Manchester United’s fortunes around, says former Red Devils striker Robin van Persie.

Solskjaer made a flying start to life in charge at Old Trafford after succeeding Jose Mourinho, initially on a caretaker basis, in December.

The Norwegian won 14 of his first 17 games in charge to reignite the club’s top-four hopes as well as a dramatic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

That fine run prompted United bosses to offer Solskjaer a permanent three-year contract in March .

However, United’s form dipped dramatically and eight defeats out of their final 12 matches saw them exit the Champions League and miss out on a place in the top four, ultimately finishing sixth.

That has put Solskjaer’s position under scrutiny even at this early stage in his tenure.

However, Van Persie in insistent that Solskjaer is the right man for the job and has called for patience.

“I think it’s the perfect match, it’s just they’re having a bad spell,” he told BBC Sport.

“Back in the day it was normal for a manager to get time. Nowadays if you lose six games, you’re out. Is that the solution?

“Give someone time, especially if it’s a kid from the club. It’s funny because when he started everyone was so positive, they were winning and they made a miracle by beating PSG.

“Everyone was screaming like, ‘Give the guy a permanent deal’. And then since that permanent deal the luck went away a little bit; they’ve been losing more games than they want to.

“But he got a three-year deal and everyone should look at the bigger picture. His presence, the way he presents the club, is the proper way in my opinion. He’s positive, he wants to achieve big things with the club and that is the only way forward.”

Van Persie believes Solskjaer’s close association with the club, having been both a player and coach, makes him the ideal man to take the team forward, citing comparisons with legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

“He’s a man of the club, he played there for more than 10 years, he won the Champions League – actually his goal got them the Champions League – so he has a big part over the years at the club,” he added.

“He’s been a coach of the reserves, he is Manchester United. Similar, in a different way, to [Sir Alex] Ferguson. He was Manchester United and Solskjaer is Manchester United as well.

“Everyone has that at a certain time. He had a fantastic first period – now the last 12 games have been tough. OK, but next season they have to pick themselves up and go again.”

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Italy have won both of their Euro 2020 qualifiers under Roberto Mancini so far, and the Azzurri coach insists his side’s future is bright

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Italy coach Roberto Mancini is confident his team can replicate the likes of France and Spain and usher in a new era heading into Euro 2020.

The Italians failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup last summer, but have enjoyed a strong start to Euro 2020 qualification under Mancini, winning both of their opening games against Finland and Lichtenstein.

Their qualification campaign continues against Greece on June 8, before Italy host Bosnia-Herzegovina three days later.

Former Manchester City and Inter boss Mancini believes his side can rebuild in a similar way to how Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, and current world champions France have done previously.

“If we do good work, if we play attacking football that is entertaining and gratifying, then results are possible,” Mancini toldLa Stampanewspaper.

“We are Italy, we can be like France and Spain in opening up a new era. It’s a good moment in our football.

“If we were to face France now, they’d beat us, but we’ll be able to have our say once Euro 2020 comes around.

“My idea was originally to target success in the 2022 World Cup, but now we can challenge for Euro 2020.”

Mancini has introduced a number of emerging talents into Italy’s squad since taking over in May last year, and though he acknowledged inexperience could prove to be a problem, he has no concerns over throwing youngsters such as Moise Kean and Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo in at the deep end.

“We have some real young talents coming through,” Mancini added.

“Kean is only 19 years old, so it’s up to him, but he can become an extraordinary striker. I sometimes use him on the wing, but if he does what he needs to, then he’ll be a centre-forward.

“Then there are Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Barella, Gianluca Mancini and Zaniolo. They look pretty talented to me and also physically strong, so we can have our say.

“There is the issue of experience, because in my day, we’d reach their age and already have three years of Serie A football under our belts.

“On the other hand, it’s refreshing to see their reactions and naivety.”

The pair was once close, but the Welshman’s repeated injuries and outburst following his Champions League heroics in Kiev saw Zizou lose patience

As Real Madrid’s season came to an end with an underwhelming, disappointing home defeat that has typified this annus horribilis for the club, one man who was not involved became the centre of attention. 

While the outgoing Keylor Navas received a warm ovation from the Bernabeu crowd Gareth Bale sat stoically on the bench, watching from afar as his side were downed 2-0 by Betis. That result left Madrid in third place, a massive 19 points adrift of runaway Liga champions Barcelona. 

Zinedine Zidane’s refusal to bring the Welsh winger into the action in what could well prove his last appearance in a Madrid squad did serve to instantly banish memories of yet another insipid display from his troops. But it also marks the culmination of a process of separation and distancing between Bale and his coach that has been in the making for years. 

“I don’t know what will happen. I went with other players. That is the situation, others came in,” Zidane told reporters after the game. 

“I didn’t let [Bale] play today, true, but we don’t know what will happen. I am the one who is here every day and makes the decisions and when there is something I don’t like or doesn’t sit right with me… I have achieved a lot here but we cannot live off the past. This is the present and I make decisions based on that.” 

It was not always this way. Relations between the pair were initially positive when Zidane took over from Rafa Benitez at the start of 2016. The Merengue legend marked out the famous BBC forward line as “untouchable” and, while Cristiano Ronaldo retained top billing, Bale was never far behind the prodigious Portuguese hitman. 

Despite suffering greatly with injuries in Zidane’s debut season Bale played a big part in his first Champions League campaign, including all 120 minutes in the final against Atletico where he also converted his shoot-out kick on the way to victory. Not even reports that one of his myriad physical complaints owed to 36 holes of golf played days before the semi-final against Manchester City shook Zidane’s confidence in his star. 

For Bale that trust was also a valuable asset. The Welshman had already been through one acrimonious break-up with Carlo Ancelotti, who had grown exasperated at what he saw as the player’s selfish attitude and how the club indulged his whims. Matters came to a head during a 2-2 draw at Valencia when he chose to go it alone instead of squaring to Karim Benzema and was promptly substituted by the fuming veteran.

Zidane, though, despite having been Ancelotti’s assistant up to his dismissal in 2015, gave his forward a clean slate, a fresh start. A star showing in the 2016 European Championship with Wales seemed to confirm his instincts: that Bale had it all to be a star at the Bernabeu.

But time and again his physical fragility intervened. In November 2016 he was forced to undergo ankle surgery and miss two and a half months of action; upon returning he seemed determined to avoid further injuries, to the detriment of his performances.

Bale further failed to endear himself to Zidane when, having confirmed his fitness for a crucial Clasico at home to Barca, he lasted just 30 minutes before coming off hurt as the Catalans waltzed to a 3-2 win – significantly longer, incidentally, than his 13-minute contribution to Zizou’s second Champions League win over Juventus in Cardiff.

The 2017-18 campaign saw Zidane increasingly seek out other options to the unreliable Welshman. Both Isco and young sensation Marco Asensio began to take priority in the first team, restricting him to just 20 Liga starts and a mere three in the Champions League. Long-billed as the eventual successor to Ronaldo’s crown as the King of Madrid, Bale was now on the way to being a luxury bit-part player.

Despite his heroics against Liverpool in Kiev to secure Madrid’s 13^th Champions League title, Bale’s face told an eloquent story. The solitude he felt inside the dressing room, with Luka Modric his only real close friend, was palpable. Perhaps that was why, minutes after hitting two goals in the final, Bale’s overriding feeling was one of fury. He issued an ultimatum directed squarely at Zidane: give me more minutes, or I will leave. In the end it was the coach who stepped aside, along with Ronaldo, a move that calmed the waters and left Bale undisputed as Madrid’s standard-bearer.

Once more though, his delicate physical constitution prevented him from taking that role, to the detriment of Zidane’s successors Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. He sat on the sidelines nursing injury after injury as Madrid floundered and appeared to show little commitment to the cause. And this time, there was no Champions League double to rescue him from the Bernabeu’s wrath.

Zidane’s return barely 10 months after resigning marked the beginning of the end. Not content with the defiance he had shown in Kiev to the whole world, in February Bale had again taken aim at the Frenchman. “I was really frustrated not to start,” he fired to Four Four Two.  

“I’d played pretty well since coming back from the last little niggle I’d had in December. I scored five goals in my last four league games of the season and felt like I deserved to be involved from the start. 

“[Zidane] didn’t talk to me about it – I still haven’t spoken to him since. Our relationship was good. I wouldn’t say we were best mates, it was just a normal professional relationship.” Those words rang deep with Zidane, naturally introverted like his charge and who values loyalty above all else. Ever since his return to Madrid it has felt like Bale has had his days numbered. 

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He has offered no public defence of Bale, not even when the famously tetchy Bernabeu has turned its jeers on the Wales star. That has only served to worsen an already tense situation. Bale’s fall from grace has been accompanied by several supposed ‘betrayals’ too from team-mates, from Marcelo’s assertions that his Spanish skills after more than five years living in Madrid are almost non-existent to Thibaut Courtois marking him out as essentially a loner inside the dressing room, preferring rounds of golf to team events. 

On Monday, mere hours after the public snub received at the Bernabeu, Bale could once more be found on the golf course. Reports from Spain claimed that his reaction to being left out against Betis also involved the sport: “If they want me to leave they’ll have to pay me €17 million a year. If not, I’ll stay. If I have to play golf, I will,” were his supposed words to team-mates in the aftermath of defeat. 

Bale still has three years left on his contract, and a wage package that ensures that a sale this summer will be anything but straightforward. Nevertheless, the chances of him featuring again under Zidane are almost nil; marking an unsatisfactory end to his spell at Madrid that has delivered four Champions League titles but rarely the recognition his record and talent really merit. 

With so many clubs suffering from financial issues after relegation from England’s top flight, measures were introduced to help deal with the decline

Lucrative television deals have ensured that the Premier League has become the richest league in the world, with billions of pounds shared among its participants each season.

However, achieving a place at England’s top table is a gargantuan task and, despite the monetary advantages which subsequently come, maintaining that place is extremely difficult too.

Of the 20 teams that competed in the Premier League 10 years ago, for example, only seven have managed to maintain their divisional integrity. They are: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City.

The rest have all tasted relegation. Aston Villa, Fulham, West Ham, Stoke City, West Brom, Newcastle United, Hull City and Middlesbrough have all dropped into the Championship at various stages, while Bolton, Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers tumbled further down the pyramid, dropping into League One.

The reasons for each team’s demise naturally differs from case to case, but more often than not there has been a financial root, with clubs forced to offload key players in order to drastically cut their wage bills in the absence of hefty broadcast revenue. The knock-on effect is weaker teams, then poorer results, which usually leads to dwindling crowds.

Things can quickly spiral out of control for relegated clubs, but the Premier League now gives them what are known as ‘parachute payments’ in order to help avoid financial ruin.

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As the name suggests, parachute payments are designed to ensure a soft landing for clubs that have been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship.

The concept was first introduced during the 2006-07 season and later overhauled from the 2016-17 season on.

Initially, parachute payments were distributed over the course of four years, but the 2015 change reduced that time period to three years and just two in the case of teams that spent just one season in the Premier League.

Parachute payments work in tandem with solidarity payments, with an overall value of £100m, which are distributed among all other English Football League clubs each season.

The solidarity payments are intended to offset the potential for competitive disparity between clubs that could arise out of parachute payments.

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Parachute payments to relegated clubs are based on the Premier League’s broadcasting revenue, specifically the slice that is equally shared among the clubs.

As a result the overall value of the payments have varied over time, increasing with the gradual rise of TV money flooding into the top of the English game.

In the first year, the payment is 55 per cent of the amount that each Premier League club receives as part of its equal share of broadcast revenue. Based on the most recent figures, that percentage is roughly £40m. The percentage is reduced to 45% in the second year (roughly £35m) and 20% in the third year (roughly £15m).

It is important to note, however, that teams that have been relegated from the Premier League in their first season after promotion only receive two years of parachute payments.

If a relegated team earns promotion back to the Premier League within that three-year period, they do not continue to receive parachute payments.

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Happy Wednesday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

 

THE BIG DEAL—Senate panel cancels vote on key spending bill amid standoff: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday canceled votes on two spending bills that had been scheduled for the following day, marking the latest sign of turmoil as lawmakers try to fund the government beyond Sept. 30.

The panel had been scheduled to vote Thursday on spending bills covering the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and Education, as well as the State Department and foreign operations.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyManufacturing group leads coalition to urge Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im Bank Senate panel cancels vote on key spending bill amid standoff The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump ousts Bolton; GOP exhales after win in NC MORE (R-Ala.) told a small group of reporters on Tuesday that he was likely to cancel the panel vote on the legislation unless he could work out a deal with Democrats on how to proceed.

Why it matters: Senators are racing to finish off a series of 12 spending bills ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline to fund the federal government. The HHS-Labor-Education bill is considered a key priority for Democrats, but became a headache this week because of fights on controversial issues including abortion and President TrumpDonald John TrumpOnly Congress can end the China trade war quagmire Trump blasts Bolton: ‘He made some very big mistakes’ Trump seeks ban on flavored e-cigarettes MORE‘s border wall.
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Democrats threaten to vote against Defense bill over border wall: Senate Democrats are also threatening to withhold their votes on a spending bill for the Pentagon unless Republicans agree to block Trump from repurposing defense funds for his wall on the Mexican border, a tactic he’s employed in recent months.

• Democrats on Thursday will offer an amendment in committee to block Trump from reprogramming defense funds for his wall.

• While the bill could squeak through the committee with only GOP support, Democratic votes will be needed for the measure to win Senate approval.

 

On tap tomorrow

• The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing entitled “Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 3: The Role of Data and Privacy in Competition,” 9 a.m.

• The House Financial Services Committee Task Force on Artificial Intelligence holds a hearing on data security in the financial services industry,  9:30 a.m.

• The Senate Banking Committee holds a hearing entitled “Developments in Global Insurance Regulatory and Supervisory Forums,” 10 a.m.

 

LEADING THE DAY

Democrats scoff at GOP push to confirm Trump’s NAFTA rewrite by end of October: 

House Democrats quickly rejected Wednesday a push from their Republican counterparts to approve President Trump’s new North American trade pact before the end of October.

House Minority Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseHouse GOP rolls out energy proposal to counter Democrats offshore drilling ban Republicans pour cold water on Trump’s term limit idea Scalise says it’s unclear if bipartisan deal on guns will happen MORE (R-La.) urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerOn The Money: Economy adds 164K jobs in July | Trump signs two-year budget deal, but border showdown looms | US, EU strike deal on beef exports Chinese, US negotiators fine-tuning details of trade agreement: report The Trump economy keeps roaring ahead MORE Thursday to submit the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) to Congress in time to approve the deal before the Oct. 21 Canadian election, according to a GOP source.

Republicans have long pressured Democrats to cease their objections to aspects of Trump’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement amid lengthy negotiations with Lighthizer. But top House Democrats rejected the notion that they should relent on certain requirements in time to confirm the deal by the end of next month.

• “What’s going to drive the timeline is the content. I’ve said that all along,” said Rep. Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.), a member of the House Democratic working group negotiating USMCA changes with Lighthizer.

• “How many times have you heard something like that in the last two years?…I don’t listen to any of that.” said Rep. Bill PascrellWilliam (Bill) James PascrellGOP lawmaker calls for investigation into CNN spy story Ocasio-Cortez renews impeachment call amid probe involving Trump’s Scotland property Bottom Line MORE (D-N.J.), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

• “We’re not tying ourselves to the Canadian elections….we haven’t had any conversations about tying it to some other country’s elections,” said Rep. Gwen MooreGwen Sophia MooreHouse Democrats blur lines on support for impeachment House Democrat offers bill to let students with pot conviction retain federal aid House approves bill raising minimum wage to per hour MORE (D-Wis.), another member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Refresher: While House Democrats say they are open to approving the USMCA, they have refused to take up the deal without measures to tighten labor and environmental standards, along with enforcement of the pact itself.

 

Trump set to meet with aides about reducing capital gains taxes: President Trump was expected to meet with his economic advisers Wednesday to discuss whether he should take executive action to reduce capital gains taxes, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The Journal reported that Trump’s aides are expected to discuss the legal and regulatory issues concerning action on capital gains taxes, and will lay out several broader options about how to cut taxes. The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda explains here. 

 

GOOD TO KNOW

• The nonprofit group overseeing Facebook’s digital currency project on Wednesday announced it is planning to pursue a payments license in Switzerland.

• More than four in 10 respondents in a poll released Wednesday said they believe the U.S. economy will weaken if President Trump is reelected next year.

• The liberal group Tax March on Wednesday announced that it has launched a five-figure ad campaign in Houston ahead of Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate to criticize President Trump’s tax law and urge candidates to put forth proposals to raise taxes on the rich.

• China on Wednesday announced that it is waiving tariffs on 16 types of U.S. products ahead of trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington.

• President Trump in an early morning tweet on Wednesday knocked the “boneheads” at the Federal Reserve, calling for interest rates of “zero, or less.”

ODDS AND ENDS

• Uber said Wednesday that it doesn’t plan to classify its drivers as employees instead of contractors even as California is moving forward with a bill that would make it harder for gig economy employers to withhold protections from its workers.

Senate Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes on a spending bill for the Pentagon unless Republicans agree to block President TrumpDonald John TrumpOnly Congress can end the China trade war quagmire Trump blasts Bolton: ‘He made some very big mistakes’ Trump seeks ban on flavored e-cigarettes MORE from repurposing defense funds for his wall on the Mexican border, a tactic he’s employed in recent months.

Democrats on Thursday will offer an amendment in committee to block Trump from reprogramming defense funds for his wall.

“There will likely be some amendments offered, and my vote on final passage depends on the fate of those amendments,” said Sen. Dick Durban (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

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While the bill could squeak through the committee with GOP support, Democratic votes will be needed for the measure to win Senate approval.

“It doesn’t portend very well for what’s going to happen on the floor, because we all know that without bipartisan support, appropriation bills are very difficult to call and pass,” Durbin said.

Political wrangling has not been limited to the defense bill. 

Committee work on two other spending bills were scrapped as Democrats prepared amendments blocking President Trump’s abortion policies. Republicans say that violates a deal to keep controversial policy riders, or “poison pills,” out of the spending bills.
“Both sides agreed there would be no poison pills. No partisan wrenches thrown into the gears,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump nears decision on background checks Senate panel cancels vote on key spending bill amid standoff Pelosi: ‘People are dying’ because McConnell won’t bring up gun legislation MORE (R-Ky.) lamented Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, yesterday brought some disturbing signals that Democrats may be rethinking that commitment,” he added.

The abortion battles affect the spending bills covering the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and the appropriations measure for the State Department and foreign operations.

That leaves the typically noncontroversial energy and water bill and so-called 302(b) allocations, which divvy up total spending among the 12 annual appropriations bills.
But Democrats are complaining about those measures, too, arguing that Republicans have shuffled resources to pay for portions of Trump’s proposed border wall and to backfill accounts he has emptied for that purpose. 
“We’re not going to vote for a budget that is partisan, attempted to be jammed down our throat, that puts an additional $12 billion in the wall. Forget that,” Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerPelosi: ‘People are dying’ because McConnell won’t bring up gun legislation Draining the swamp starts with fixing the Senate Schumer slams Ross for ‘thuggish behavior’ over reportedly threatening to fire officials MORE (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
Without a change, Democrats could withhold support from all the bills.
“With the 302(b) allocations as they are today, I am not going to support them,” said Sen. Patty MurrayPatricia (Patty) Lynn MurraySenate panel cancels vote on key spending bill amid standoff Senate spending talks go off the rails as soon as they begin On The Money: Senate spending talks go off the rails | Trump officials vow to reform Fannie, Freddie if Congress doesn’t act | Majority in poll see recession on the way MORE (D-Wash.).
Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahySenate spending talks go off the rails as soon as they begin Overnight Defense: Trump says Taliban talks ‘dead’ after canceled Camp David meeting | North Korea offers to restart nuke talks this month | Trump denies role in Air Force crew staying at his resort McConnell: Short-term spending bill needed to avoid shutdown MORE (D-Vt.), the committee’s vice chairman, is planning on offering an amendment proposing a different set of 302(b)s, but barring an agreement with Republicans, it stands no chance of passage.
“We like them like they are,” said Sen. Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyManufacturing group leads coalition to urge Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im Bank Senate panel cancels vote on key spending bill amid standoff The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump ousts Bolton; GOP exhales after win in NC MORE (R-Ala.), the committee’s chairman.
Click Here: NRL league Jerseys Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsSenators from both parties offer resolution to nix Trump emergency declaration to build wall Democrats play to Trump’s ego on guns Romney signals he’s open to bipartisan background check bill MORE (R-Maine), a committee member who has been known to cross the aisle and faces a tough reelection in 2020, said Democrats have not said what their preferred spending levels are.
“The Democrats have not seen fit to share with me at least the 302(b)s that they are going to propose,” she said Wednesday morning. “If they were trying to advocate, you would think they would let us know what they were.”

But even if the bills pass through committee on a party-line basis, appropriators could work something out before the bills come to the floor, noted Sen. Tammy BaldwinTammy Suzanne BaldwinThe Trump downturn: Trouble ahead for the US economy Recessions happen when presidents overlook key problems Trade wars and the over-valued dollar MORE (D-Wis.).
“I think we’re going to continue to negotiate,” she said.
Members of Congress are clear that they have little chance of getting any spending bills signed into law by the Sept. 30 deadline, and are preparing a stopgap measure into mid-November to prevent a government shutdown.

Jordain Carney contributed to this report.