The proportion of taxpayers facing an IRS audit has dropped to the lowest point in decades, potentially depriving the government of billions of dollars in revenue.

The IRS reported this week that it audited just 0.45 percent of individual filers last year, less than half the level from 10 years ago and a fraction of the level seen in previous decades.

In its progress update, the IRS pointed to a steady decline in employees in recent years. From 2010 to 2019, it lost nearly 30,000 full time positions.

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“These losses directly correlate with a steady decline in the number of individual audits during the past nine years,” the report said.

It also noted that nearly 20,000 employees, representing 31 percent of its current workforce, are slated to retire in the coming five years, potentially leading to a significant knowledge and experience gap.

In a recent paper, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and University of Pennsylvania professor Natasha Sarin argued that the IRS could easily recoup $1 trillion over a decade by simply increasing audits, requiring more reporting and investing in information technology. Even that, they calculated, would be just 15 percent of an estimated $7.5 trillion in uncollected taxes over 10 years.

Every additional dollar put towards enforcement is estimated to yield $4 in revenues.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyTrump trade deal faces uncertain Senate timeline On The Money: CBO projects B deficit rise in first quarter of 2020 | Grassley looks to rein in Trump tariff powers | IRS audits drop to lowest level in decades Grassley says he wants to rein in Trump tariff powers MORE (R-Iowa) said the decline followed a 20-year-old action plan he worked on aimed at stopping the IRS from “intimidating” small businesses. But he suggested would be open to increasing funding for the agency, and that his office has been in touch with the IRS about the low audit rates.

“We felt that small business was just being intimidated all the time by IRS,” Grassley said.

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“We started a long time ago down this road trying to send a message to the IRS, and if they could prove to us that they got that message, that they’re not just going to harass small businesses compared to the big corporation, I think they could get increased funding, and I know that increased funding would be beneficial,” he added.

In December, Congress approved an $11.5 billion budget for the IRS this year, which was a $207.5 million increase over 2019 but still billions below the funding it had just a decade ago.

The federal deficit is nearing $1 trillion, and the national debt has surpassed $23 trillion.

Democrats vying for the party’s 2020 nomination for president have cited increased enforcement as one approach for funding expensive proposals relating to health, education and climate.

—Updated at 3:49 p.m.

A New York woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for attempting a terrorist attack and planning to build a bomb, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Prosecutors said Asia Siddiqui was “inspired by radical Islam” when she planned to build a bomb and use it in a terrorist attack against law enforcement and military targets. 

Siddiqui and her co-defendant Noelle Velntzas pleaded guilty in August to a charge of teaching or distributing information pertaining to the making and use of an explosive, destructive device or weapon of mass destruction in furtherance of a planned federal crime of violence, DOJ said in a statement. Velentzas is awaiting sentencing. 

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“With the sentence imposed by the court, Siddiqui has been held accountable for her crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers “Inspired by radical Islam, Siddiqui and her co-defendant researched and taught each other how to construct bombs to be used on American soil against law enforcement and military targets.”

Between 2013 and 2015, Siddiqui and Velentzas taught each other chemistry and electrical skills related to creating explosives and conducted research on how to make plastic explosives and to build car bombs, according to DOJ. 

Officials said Siddiqui and Velentzas discussed using devices like those from past terrorist attacks in the U.S. such as the Boston Marathon bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing and 1993 World Trade Center attack. 

Law enforcement officers seized propane gas tanks, soldering tools, car bomb instructions, jihadist literature, machetes and several knives at their residences when arresting the women, according to the DOJ release.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John BarrassoJohn Anthony BarrassoOvernight Energy: Dems outline legislation to make US carbon neutral by 2050 | 2019 was second warmest year on record | Top Republican says ‘forever chemical’ bill won’t move in Senate Top Republican: ‘Forever chemical’ bill has ‘no prospects’ in Senate GOP senators introduce resolution to change rules, dismiss impeachment without articles MORE (R-Wyo.) told Bloomberg News a House bill addressing so-called “forever chemicals” has “no prospects in the Senate.”

The bill, HR-535, would both force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set nationwide drinking water standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances often abbreviated PFAS and require the EPA to place such chemicals on its hazardous substance list. This could potentially mean designating any contaminated location as a Superfund site, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

The chemicals, which derive their “forever” nickname from their resistance to breaking down in the environment, are frequently used in nonstick consumer goods and have been linked to health problems by the EPA. One study linked PFAS with kidney and thyroid cancer along with high cholesterol and other illnesses.

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Barrasso said he specifically objected to the bill’s Superfund provisions, which he said go “way beyond” a bipartisan PFAS-related bill his Senate committee passed over the summer as an amendment to a defense spending bill.

The bill ultimately became law in December, but by that point language requiring an enforceable PFAS drinking-water standard had been removed due to objections by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).

Barrasso was not the only Republican to express skepticism about whether the bill could pass the GOP-led Senate Wednesday. 

“We’re back now with a partisan bill that stands no chance,” Rep. Greg WaldenGregory (Greg) Paul WaldenOvernight Energy: Dems outline legislation to make US carbon neutral by 2050 | 2019 was second warmest year on record | Top Republican says ‘forever chemical’ bill won’t move in Senate Democrats outline sweeping legislation to make U.S. carbon neutral by 2050 Top Republican: ‘Forever chemical’ bill has ‘no prospects’ in Senate MORE (R-Ore.) told reporters.

Rep. John ShimkusJohn Mondy ShimkusKoch campaign touts bipartisan group behind ag labor immigration bill House to vote on resolution opposing Russia’s inclusion in G-7 Shimkus announces he will stick with plan to retire after reconsidering MORE (R-Ill.) also expressed doubts.

“There’s some Republican amendments that have been accepted,” said Shimkus. “It’s not enough to turn the tide on the vast majority of Republicans.”

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“The Superfund provision is really problematic and that’s really what stopped the Senate in the final negotiation,” Shimkus added. 

The White House has also threatened to veto the House bill, saying it would constrain the EPA from keeping up to date on the latest scientific understanding of the chemicals.

The bill passed the House Rules Committee on Tuesday and is expected to come before the full house as early as Thursday.

— Additional reporting by Rachel Frazin

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a bulletin this week through its National Terrorism Advisory System warning of Iran’s ability to carry out cyberattacks with “disruptive effects” against critical U.S. infrastructure.

In the bulletin, sent in the wake of the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, DHS noted that while there is currently “no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland,” Iran does have the ability to attack the U.S. in cyberspace. 

“Previous homeland-based plots have included, among other things, scouting and planning against infrastructure targets and cyber enabled attacks against a range of U.S.- based targets,” DHS wrote in the bulletin.

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The agency noted that “Iran maintains a robust cyber program and can execute cyber attacks against the United States. Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States.”

Acting DHS Secretary Chad WolfChad WolfGovernment website altered to show pro-Iran message and photo of bloodied Trump in apparent hack: report DHS says no ‘credible’ threat to US, warns of groups’ capability US officials, lawmakers warn of potential Iranian cyberattacks MORE tweeted Saturday that the bulletin was intended to “inform & reassure the American public, state/local governments & private partners that DHS is actively monitoring & preparing for any specific, credible threat, should one arise.”

The bulletin, which also warned of the potential for Iran to attempt to carry out terrorist attacks on the U.S., recommended that Americans implement basic measures to defend against cyberattacks, such as backing up data and using two-factor authentication on sensitive accounts. 

DHS wrote that while an “attack in the homeland may come with little or no warning,” DHS is working with state and local officials to “detect and defend” against any threats to the U.S. 

The Intelligence Community has made note of Iran’s increasing abilities to carry out cyberattacks against the U.S. for most of the past decade, with Iran considered one of the top nation-state threats to the U.S. in cyberspace alongside Russia, China and North Korea. 

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In the most recent Worldwide Threat Assessment, published in early 2019, former Director of National Intelligence Dan CoatsDaniel (Dan) Ray CoatsDHS issues bulletin warning of potential Iranian cyberattack President Trump’s intelligence community security blanket Lawmakers close to finalizing federal strategy to defend against cyberattacks MORE wrote that “Iran has been preparing for cyber attacks against the United States and our allies,” noting that the country “is capable of causing localized, temporary disruptive effects—such as disrupting a large company’s corporate networks for days to weeks.”

Cybersecurity group CrowdStrike, which sounded the alarm on increasing Iranian cyberattacks on the U.S. earlier this year, put out a statement on Monday warning that American industries such as oil and gas and electricity could be likely targets of a retaliatory Iranian cyberattack.

“CrowdStrike Intelligence believes that Iranian adversaries are likely to leverage a broad range of means, including cyber operations, against U.S. and allied interests,” the company said. “Our current assessment is that organizations in the financial, defense, government, and oil and gas sectors are the most likely targets for retaliation activity.”

CrowdStrike also noted that it was “monitoring for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) activity, as Iran has employed DDoS attacks in the past, as well as other tactics, such as ransomware activity.”

DDoS attacks involve taking down a system by flooding it with internet traffic requests, while ransomware attacks involve an individual locking a system and demanding money to give the user access again. 

The DHS bulletin was issued on the heels of multiple U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoPence to focus on US Iran policy in speech Rand Paul: Trump ‘got bad advice’ on killing of Soleimani Trump strike torpedoes US-Iraq relationship MORE and several members of Congress, warning that Iran may deploy cyberattacks against the U.S. as retaliation for the killing of Soleimani in Baghdad last week. 

Pompeo said during an appearance on Fox News on Friday that “the Iranians have a deep and complex cyber capability, to be sure. Know that we have certainly considered that risk.”

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BIG CHANGES FOR NEPA: The White House on Thursday issued sweeping changes to one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws, allowing greater industry involvement in environmental reviews of projects and diminishing the role climate change plays in those assessments.

The changes target the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires agencies to evaluate how pipelines, highways and some oil and gas development affects the environment and nearby communities.

The law has been a repeated target of President TrumpDonald John TrumpProfessor fired for Facebook post suggesting Iran should tweet out list of American cultural sites to threaten NY judge denies Trump request to dismiss lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll Rep. Omar: ‘War trauma never leaves you’ MORE, who has vowed to speed the construction of fossil fuel infrastructure and eliminate barriers to construction projects.

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Flanked by industry leaders at Thursday morning press conference, Trump described the measure as a complete overhaul.

“From Day One, my administration has made fixing this regulatory nightmare a top priority. And we want to build new roads, bridges, tunnels, highways bigger, better, faster, and we want to build them at less cost,” he said.

The changes, which will be posted to the Federal Register on Friday, would limit the law’s scope, excluding some projects from undergoing NEPA review, like those that receive little federal funding. It also opens the door for more industry involvement in reviewing the environmental impacts of their projects.

While NEPA serves a noble purpose, it has “paralyzed commonsense decisionmaking for a generation,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said on a call to present the proposal, listing a wide range of projects that have been delayed by environmental analyses.

“This is a really, really big proposal. It affects virtually every big decision made by the federal government that affects the environment, and I think it will be the most significant deregulatory proposal you ultimately implement,” Bernhardt told Trump.

The details: The proposal from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) would no longer require consideration of the “cumulative” effects of new projects. Courts have largely interpreted that as studying how a project might contribute to climate change, say by contributing heat-trapping greenhouse gases, or how it might be influenced by effects of climate change like extreme weather.

Under the changes proposed by the Trump administration, officials would need to consider effects of a project that are “reasonably foreseeable” and show “a reasonably close causal relationship.”

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Pushback from greens: Environmentalists say those changes would allow the government to look the other way when projects contribute considerable amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

“Over past decades, courts have said this means not only what’s happening on the postage stamp-sized area around the pipeline or the bridge, but the cumulative impacts on the environmental health and water and communities surrounding the project. That’s what they’re going to try and restrict,” said Christy Goldfuss, who was the managing director of the CEQ for the last two years of the Obama administration.

But ignoring climate change could also have disastrous implications for the projects themselves.

“This is a huge problem when you’re building for the future and building major infrastructure. If you’re not looking at where sea level rise going to be, where our historical flooding habits are changing, what is history of wildfire in this region, then you’re just building to the trends of 50 years ago, and we know the environment is changing so rapidly,” Goldfuss, who is now senior vice president of energy and environment at the Center for American Progress, said.

“We have tools to estimate what the future will look like as a result of climate change and that information should be available to decisionmakers when they spend taxpayer dollars,” she added.

What’s next: The latest guidance faces a 60-day comment period before it can be finalized.

Read much more about the controversial measure here. 

 

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IT’S THURSDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news.

Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

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NOPE-A: President Trump’s latest environmental rollback was met with strong resistance from a number of Democratic lawmakers and nearly every major environmental group Thursday, with critics lambasting the administration for seeking to unwind a bedrock environmental law.

Various groups and lawmakers described the proposal as misguided, profoundly irresponsible, unlawful and turning “a blind eye to the climate crisis.”

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Supporters of the proposal have hailed it as a modernization of a law blamed for delaying construction projects with unnecessarily lengthy reviews. It’s been widely praised by a broad range of industry groups, from the construction sector to farmers and ranchers to the energy industry. 

But environmentalists fear it will hasten the development of climate change and allow businesses to shortcut examination of the environmental impacts of their projects. Because some projects may no longer be required to undergo an assessment, critics say the changes would allow companies to sidestep public scrutiny of their projects.

Democratic lawmakers described the NEPA changes as one of the worst environmental policies from an administration with a long list of rollbacks. 

“This move to gut NEPA is one of the worst decisions made by the worst environmental administration in history,” Sen. Tom UdallThomas (Tom) Stewart UdallOvernight Energy: Trump moves to rollback bedrock environmental law | Dems, greens blast changes | Trump says ‘nothing’s a hoax’ about climate change | Youth climate group endorses Sanders Democrats, greens blast Trump rollback of major environmental law Kaine revises Trump Iran war resolution as he courts GOP support MORE (D-N.M.) said in a release. 

Read more about the opposition here. 

 

WELL THAT’S A CHANGE: President Trump said Thursday that “nothing’s a hoax” about climate change, the same day that he announced a rollback to a major environmental law. 

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“Nothing’s a hoax about that. It’s a very serious subject. I want clean air; I want clean water. I want the cleanest air with the cleanest water. The environment’s very important to me,” Trump told reporters.

You may remember Trump has repeatedly referred to climate change as a hoax in the past…

At other points, Trump has expressed skepticism about climate change, including a 2012 tweet suggesting it was created by China to hurt U.S. manufacturing.

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” he wrote at the time.

Read more on Trump’s remarks here. 

 

MAILBAG: Reps. Diana DeGetteDiana Louise DeGetteOvernight Energy: Trump moves to rollback bedrock environmental law | Dems, greens blast changes | Trump says ‘nothing’s a hoax’ about climate change | Youth climate group endorses Sanders Bipartisan lawmakers attempt to drum up opposition to proposed changes of environmental law The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Presented by UANI — Pelosi looks to play hardball on timing of impeachment trial MORE (D-Colo.) and Francis RooneyLaurence (Francis) Francis RooneyOvernight Defense: House passes measure to limit Trump on Iran | Pelosi vows vote to end 2002 war authorization | Officials believe Iran accidentally shot down passenger plane The lawmakers who bucked their parties on the war powers resolution Overnight Energy: Trump moves to rollback bedrock environmental law | Dems, greens blast changes | Trump says ‘nothing’s a hoax’ about climate change | Youth climate group endorses Sanders MORE (R-Fla.) sent a letter to the entire House on Thursday, urging their colleagues to oppose President Trump’s proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

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Trump earlier that day outlined changes he hopes to make to the rule that would allow more industry involvement in environmental reviews and lessen the extent to which climate change is a factor in those assessments.  

“We invite you to join us in expressing our strong opposition to the Trump Administration’s plans, announced today, to revise the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in a way that, among other things, ignores the full extent of the climate crisis,” DeGette and Rooney wrote in their letter. 

Read more about the letter here. 

 

IN NON-NEPA NEWS: The Sunrise Movement is endorsing Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersTrump seeks to make case for strike on Iranian general in address to Ohio supporters Trump slams Democrats for criticism over strike on Iranian general Biden maintains lead in Nevada: poll MORE‘s (I-Vt.) 2020 president campaign, becoming the latest group to back him over Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenTrump seeks to make case for strike on Iranian general in address to Ohio supporters Biden maintains lead in Nevada: poll Steyer qualifies for Iowa debate after surprise surge in Nev.,S.C. polls MORE (D-Mass.), a fellow progressive White House hopeful.

“We believe a Bernie Sanders Presidency would provide the best political terrain in which to engage in and ultimately win that struggle for the world we deserve,” the youth-led climate group said in a Medium post.

“Bernie Sanders knows that winning a world with social, racial, economic, and environmental justice … a world in which we stop climate change, create millions of good jobs, and enact a new social contract for the 21st Century through a Green New Deal — cannot be achieved by one President or even the government on its own,” it added. 

A clear majority, 76 percent, of Sunrise Movement’s members voted to endorse Sanders, the organization said in a statement. The candidate with the second-greatest support was Warren, who was favored by 17.4 percent of the group’s membership. 

Read more on the endorsement here. 

 

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: 

Maryland governor directs attorney general to sue Pennsylvania, EPA over Chesapeake Bay, WBAL11 reports.

U.S. firefighters applauded on arrival in Australia, we report. 

Carnival insists progress in curbing cruise ship pollution, the Associated Press reports.

 

ICYMI: Stories from Thursday…

Youth-led climate group endorses Sanders for president

Australian billionaire to spend $48M on bushfire relief efforts

White House aims to roll back bedrock environmental law to speed development

Trump says ‘nothing’s a hoax’ about climate change

US firefighters applauded on arrival in Australia

Democrats, greens blast Trump rollback of major environmental law

Tesla founder Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskOn The Money: Senate panel advances Trump’s new NAFTA despite GOP gripes | Trade deficit falls to three-year low | Senate confirms Trump pick for small business chief Elon Musk celebrates new Shanghai car factory by dancing at opening What was the Sea Dragon rocket, and what would it have been used for? MORE on Tuesday celebrated the opening of his company’s newest factory with a short dance in front of cameras.

Musk posted videos of the event celebrating the launch of Tesla’s manufacturing plant that show the Tesla and SpaceX founder taking his jacket off and dancing in front of a cheering crowd.

The company’s Shanghai plant is part of Musk’s plan to design and develop a line of cars completely in China, which he hopes will allow Tesla to avoid steep tariffs on automobile parts put in place by the Trump administration against China.

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The U.S. and China have been at the brink of an all-out trade war for months as U.S. and Chinese negotiators failed last year to establish a formal trade deal to address long-standing issues between the two countries despite months of talks.

“Something that would be super cool … is to try to create a China design and engineering center to actually design an original car in China for worldwide consumption,” Musk said Tuesday, according to multiple media reports.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpIranian diplomat after strike: ‘We do not seek escalation or war’ Graham: Iran missile attack ‘an act of war’ ‘All is well’ Trump tweets after Iran hits Iraq bases housing US troops MORE has targeted auto parts along with other Chinese exports with billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs in response to the continued negotiations, and no deal is currently in sight.

Tesla is officially the most valuable U.S. auto company in the country’s history after its stock prices surpassed the previous record held by Ford. 

Tesla’s market value reached $85 billion at Tuesday’s close, passing the $80.8 billion record set by Ford in 1999. The Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskTesla is now most valuable US auto company in history On The Money: Senate panel advances Trump’s new NAFTA despite GOP gripes | Trade deficit falls to three-year low | Senate confirms Trump pick for small business chief Elon Musk celebrates new Shanghai car factory by dancing at opening MORE-led automaker’s stock continued to rise Wednesday, trading up more than 4 percent.

Tesla’s stock also passed the market values of General Motors, which was valued at about $50 billion at Tuesday’s close, and Fiat Chrysler, which had a $22 billion showing by the end of Tuesday.

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Tesla had previously been the U.S.’s most valuable automaker by market value, but it did not beat Ford’s 1999 record until this week.

The auto company has enjoyed a surge in its stock value since Friday after its announcement that it delivered 367,500 vehicles in 2019, a record number for the company and a 50 percent jump from 2018, according to Business Insider.

“We believe this new solid quarter of deliveries could further put to rest investor concerns around softening demand for Tesla’s product,” Emmanuel Rosner, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, wrote in a note on Tuesday that was obtained by Business Insider. 

While Tesla has overtaken every other U.S. automaker, it is still trailing several foreign companies — Toyota finished Tuesday with a $232 billion stock value and Volkswagen had a value of about $98 billion.

Democrats hoping to avoid an inner-party fight in a presidential election year are likely to skip passing a budget resolution in 2020.

A year ago, Democrats were barely able to pass their resolution out of committee, and they nixed a vote on the House floor over worries that progressives pushing for lower defense and higher domestic spending would sink it.

“I wouldn’t bet on doing it,” House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John YarmuthJohn Allen YarmuthDemocrats don’t expect to do 2020 budget Trump shocks, earns GOP rebukes with Dingell remarks Democratic lawmaker on Trump after Dingell comments: ‘Hell will be too good for him’ MORE (D-Ky.) said of a resolution this year.

Over the summer, Congressional leaders from both parties and the White House struck a deal to increase legal spending caps for both 2020 and 2021. Having an agreement already in place on how much money will be spent on defense and domestic priorities for the year argues against doing a budget resolution, Yarmuth said.

“It’s more unlikely than likely, because with the top line numbers already established, the appropriators are probably going to do something that’s pretty similar to what this year’s was,” he said.

Republican repeatedly hammered Democrats last year for failing to pass a budget, and continue to criticize their inability to perform one of the basic duties prescribed in the budget process.

“We’re training the Congress to think that this is an appropriate process to do the budgetary work of the of the country and it is not,” said Rep Steve WomackStephen (Steve) Allen WomackTom Cotton’s only Democratic rival quits race in Arkansas Lawmakers dismiss fresh fears of another government shutdown Lawmakers pay tribute to late Justice Stevens MORE (R-Ark.), the Budget Committee’s top Republican.

“It’s a lazy man’s approach to budgeting: Just let the leadership pick the numbers, get those pluck out of the air, and then everybody just go along with it,” he added.

Last year, Democrats included a considerable hike for domestic spending in their budget resolution, but still faced opposition from progressives who saw the concurrent spike in defense spending as overkill. The White House and Republicans pressed for the increase in defense spending.

Leading progressives on the Budget Committee, such as Reps. Pramila JayapalPramila JayapalHouse to vote Thursday on war powers resolution after Iran attacks House Dems demand answers regarding holding of Iranian-Americans at border Overnight Defense: Iran takes credit for rocket attack on US base | Trump briefed | Trump puts talk of Iraq withdrawal on hold | Progressives push to block funding for Iran war | Trump backs off threat to hit Iranian cultural sites MORE (D-Wash.) and Ro KhannaRohit (Ro) KhannaDemocrats don’t expect to do 2020 budget Pelosi vows vote to end 2002 Iraq War authorization House to vote Thursday on war powers resolution after Iran attacks MORE (D-Calif.), offered amendments to level off defense spending, arguing that it was the best way to stop endless foreign interventions. The amendments failed, and the budget resolution was approved in committee despite progressive “no” votes.

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Progressives argued that Democrats should take a stronger position in the House ahead of negotiations with the GOP. They had the votes to potentially sink the resolution on the House floor, causing leadership to pull it from the floor at the last minute.

But Democrats brush aside suggestions that their inability to agree on a budget resolution demonstrates fractures in the party.

“I’m not, like, a great advocate on the budget because I think so often it’s relatively meaningless,” said Rep. Mark PocanMark William PocanDemocrats don’t expect to do 2020 budget Rep. Collins says Democrats are ‘in love with terrorists,’ ‘mourn Soleimani’ Democrats ramp up calls for war powers vote after Iran strike MORE (D-Wis.), a leading progressive.

He argued that voters are more concerned with results, and pointed to increases in domestic spending on health care, education, environmental protection and the State Department is significant wins for progressives more important than battling over arcane budget issues.

“I have no idea why we have an F-in’ Budget Committee here period, because it does not work in any kind of functional way,” Pocan said. “If you could show me 15 people who live outside the Beltway who actually care, that could be relevant.”

Republicans say the budget resolution deals with issues beyond the 12 annual appropriations bills Congress must pass to keep the government running each year, which represents only about a third of federal spending.

It can be used to tackle the 70 percent that comes under the rubric of automatic, mandatory spending, through a special process called reconciliation. That process can require congressional committees to scale back mandatory spending by set amounts. 

A combination of GOP-sponsored tax cuts and bipartisan spending deals have pushed annual deficits into the $1 trillion range, and the national debt beyond $23 trillion.

A study released this week from the Center for a Responsible Federal Budget found that bills President TrumpDonald John TrumpProfessor fired for Facebook post suggesting Iran should tweet out list of American cultural sites to threaten NY judge denies Trump request to dismiss lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll Rep. Omar: ‘War trauma never leaves you’ MORE had signed into law would add a combined $4.7 trillion to the debt through 2029.

“I think the only way to really manage our way out of this fiscal mess we’re in right now is to actually do a budget resolution and use the tools in that toolbox to include reconciliation to make changes on the mandatory side,” Womack said.

Such action on mandatory spending is unlikely to gain traction through the budget process absent some sort of bipartisan deal to tackle the debt. For their part, Democrats slammed past GOP budget proposals that they said slashed health and anti-poverty programs, which make up the bulk of mandatory spending.

Rep. Tom ColeThomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeDemocrats don’t expect to do 2020 budget The Hill’s Morning Report — Impeachment face-off; Dems go after Buttigieg in debate Trump shocks, earns GOP rebukes with Dingell remarks MORE (R-Ok.), an appropriator, said he expects the process to move along without a hitch despite the budget resolution given the agreement on top line number.

“It’s probably not as relevant as it normally would be,” he said, predicting that the House would pass its bills by summer and that Congress could send bills to Trump’s desk before the new fiscal year begins on October 1, a rare move.

But the symbolism of failing to pass a budget still resonates, he added.

“I think it’s always a problem when you can’t pass a budget, when you can’t even get a budget out of your own committee when you’re the majority,” he said.

 

An Iranian military commander on Thursday said the strikes on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops this week were not intended to cause casualties, marking the latest sign of Washington and Tehran taking steps to de-escalate tensions.

“We did not intend to kill. We intended to hit the enemy’s military machinery,” said Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Aerospace Force, according to The Washington Post, citing Iranian state media.

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He then reiterated Iran’s claim that “tens of people were killed or wounded,” despite U.S. and Iraqi officials saying there were no casualties.

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Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Wednesday that the attack appeared designed to kill personnel.

“The points of impact were close enough to personnel and equipment, so on and so forth, I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, is that they were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel,” Milley said. “That’s my own personal assessment, but the analytics is in the hands of professional intelligence analysts, so they’re looking at that.”

Tensions between Iran and the U.S. hit new highs last week after President TrumpDonald John TrumpProfessor fired for Facebook post suggesting Iran should tweet out list of American cultural sites to threaten NY judge denies Trump request to dismiss lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll Rep. Omar: ‘War trauma never leaves you’ MORE authorized the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, prompting Iran to vow retaliation. That retaliation came in the form of a missile attack on two Iraqi bases.

Trump on Wednesday, speaking a day after the missile attack, said Iran seemed to be “standing down.” He previously said the U.S. would strike Iranian sites if Tehran retaliated with force following Soleimani’s death.

Senators on Wednesday introduced a resolution stressing that neither the 2001 nor 2002 authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) covers a potential war with Iran. 

The resolution, spearheaded by Sens. Jeff MerkleyJeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleySenators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war On The Money: Senate panel advances Trump’s new NAFTA despite GOP gripes | Trade deficit falls to three-year low | Senate confirms Trump pick for small business chief Senate confirms Trump pick for small business chief MORE (D-Ore.) and Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulTrump, Democrats set for brawl on Iran war powers Paul fires back at Graham over Iran criticism: ‘He insults the Constitution’ Senators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war MORE (R-Ky.), comes after days of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran in the wake of a U.S. airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top military general.

“The American people do not want another endless war in the Middle East — yet what we’ve seen in recent days is a president willing to make significant military decisions bringing us closer to war without consulting Congress or recognizing that our Constitution gives war making power to Congress, not the President,” Merkley said in a statement.

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Paul added that Congress could “take a major step toward reasserting our voice by making it clear” that neither of the George W. Bush-era war declarations cover a conflict with Iran.

“It is time for Congress to stop using previous AUMFs as an excuse to continue abdicating its constitutional responsibility on war,” he said.  

Sens. Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeySenators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war Overnight Defense: Iran takes credit for rocket attack on US base | Trump briefed | Trump puts talk of Iraq withdrawal on hold | Progressives push to block funding for Iran war | Trump backs off threat to hit Iranian cultural sites Senate Republican blocks unanimous consent on resolution calling targeting cultural sites a war crime MORE (D-Mass.), Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenTrump trade deal faces uncertain Senate timeline Trump, Democrats set for brawl on Iran war powers Senators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war MORE (D-Mass.), Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenSenators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war Grassley says he wants to rein in Trump tariff powers How Congress can help curb skyrocketing prescription drug prices MORE (D-Ore.), Chris Van HollenChristopher (Chris) Van HollenSenators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war Overnight Defense: Iran crisis eases as Trump says Tehran ‘standing down’ | Dems unconvinced on evidence behind Soleimani strike | House sets Thursday vote on Iran war powers Democrats ‘utterly unpersuaded’ by evidence behind Soleimani strike MORE (D-Md.), and Bernie SandersBernie SandersSenators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war Ex-Trump campaign adviser: Biden would be able to ‘sit down and get some things done’ with Republicans Cardi B says she’s filing for ‘Nigerian citizenship’ because Trump is putting lives ‘in danger’ MORE (I-Vt.) are co-sponsoring the resolution. 

The one-page resolution states that “neither the Authorization for Use of Military Force … nor the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 … may be interpreted as a statutory authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 

The Trump administration has pointed to the 2002 AUMF as its legal authorization for the strike. 

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Senators say they decided to introduce the resolution after a closed-door briefing with top administration officials who, according to Democrats, did not present evidence that Soleimani was killed to prevent an “imminent” threat. 

Paul and Sen. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeTrump, Democrats set for brawl on Iran war powers Paul fires back at Graham over Iran criticism: ‘He insults the Constitution’ Senators introduce resolution warning that Congress has not authorized Iran war MORE (R-Utah) also railed against the briefing afterward because they say an official warned that publicly debating Trump’s war authority “emboldened” Iran. 

“I find this insulting and demeaning … to the office that each of the 100 senators in this building happens to hold. I find it insulting and demeaning to the Constitution of the United States,” Lee said of the comment.  

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